Trying to Conceive When Can You Get Pregnant After Being on the Pill? By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Updated on October 20, 2019 Medically reviewed by Anita Sadaty, MD Print Dougal Waters / Digital Vision / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Symptoms Fertility Timeline Other Precautions Many women use oral contraceptives or "the pill" as their method of contraception when they're trying to prevent pregnancy. If you're among this group, then the first step when you decide you are ready to start trying to conceive will be getting off the pill. The next question is, how long should you wait before trying to conceive after coming off the pill? Doctors often advise women to have a preconception health visit with their doctor or midwife if they are thinking about getting pregnant. Your provider can help you devise a plan and ensure you are as healthy as possible in preparation for pregnancy. Post-Pill Symptoms It was once believed that once you stopped taking the pill, you should wait two to three menstrual cycles before becoming pregnant. Doctors also once believed that if you got pregnant right away, there was a higher chance of miscarriage. It turns out that isn't true, as the hormones found in birth control pills don't stay in your system after you stop taking them. When you go off the pill, you may experience withdrawal bleeding, which is the period-like bleeding you experience when taking the non-hormonal pills in your pack. Withdrawal bleeding is not the same as true menstrual bleeding, but that doesn't mean you aren't fertile. If you do get pregnant before having your first true post-pill period, you may have a slightly harder time pinpointing exactly when you ovulated, which could make it challenging to estimate your due date. Resuming Fertility Most women begin to ovulate again within two weeks of stopping the pill, which is a sign that you are now able to get pregnant again. While you have a chance to get pregnant during every ovulation cycle, you still may not get pregnant right away. It can take a couple up to a year to get pregnant, even with no problems related to their reproductive respective health. Still, going several cycles without conceiving often concerns women about the state of their fertility, especially after they've stopped birth control. One thing to do if you are wanting to conceive is to track your ovulation cycles. You can start simply with an app then move onto the other more involved methods if you still have not conceived after a few months. You might consider learning about and charting your fertility signs like cervical fluid and basal body temperature or using ovulation prediction kit (OPK) products. Other Post-Pill Precautions Research has shown that taking birth control pills can deplete your body of nutrients such as folate, vitamins B2, B6, B12, C, and E, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Many of these vitamins and minerals are highly associated with fertility and are vital for pregnancy, so it's worth taking a close look at your diet both before and after going off the pill to see if you may be falling short in certain areas. In addition to preventing pregnancy, many women also use the pill to regulate their menstrual cycles or to alleviate heavy periods and menstrual pain. In such cases, it can take several months to have a normal period again after stopping the pill. You may experience post-pill amenorrhea, or your body is still not producing the hormones needed for ovulation and menstruation. There might also be an underlying issue such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. If you have not had a period within three months of stopping the pill, take a pregnancy test to confirm that you're not pregnant and make an appointment to see your provider. A Word From Verywell While you're waiting to get pregnant after the pill, it can be helpful to talk to your doctor about concerns regarding what's normal and what's not. Some women get pregnant on the pill, miss a pill and get pregnant, or come off the pill and get pregnant right away. But there are also many women whose bodies need more time. This just means it may take you a while to get pregnant, which is perfectly normal. 3 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Girum T, Wasie A. Return of fertility after discontinuation of contraception: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Contracept Reprod Med. 2018;3:9. doi:10.1186/s40834-018-0064-y Davis AR, Kroll R, Soltes B, Zhang N, Grubb GS, Constantine GD. Occurrence of menses or pregnancy after cessation of a continuous oral contraceptive. Fertil Steril. 2008;89(5):1059-63. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.05.012 Palmery M, Saraceno A, Vaiarelli A, Carlomagno G. Oral contraceptives and changes in nutritional requirements. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013;17(13):1804-13. Additional Reading Kent A. Pregnancy rates after oral contraceptive use. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2009;2(4):246. McArthur JO, Tang H, Petocz P, Samman S. Biological variability and impact of oral contraceptives on vitamins B(6), B(12) and folate status in women of reproductive age. Nutrients. 2013;5(9):3634-45. doi:10.3390/nu5093634 By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor. 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