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Coming off the pill


Hello and good morning

I have 9 days left on my pill and then I will be coming off it. Hubby and I have said we would like to start trying this Aug so thats 3 to 4 months and I want to get my body ready though i know it might take longer.

What do I need to do to prepare really? is there anything I need to be taking and anything we need to be doing??

I am scared about coming off the pill as I use to get very bad periods and have really heavy bleeds so i am scared but I have been told this is the best way to go about it??

Thanks for your help image

Karen xx
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Replies

  • Hi Karen,

    The best thing you can be taking is some ante-natal vitamins that include folic acid. Its good to get the folic acid into your system prior to conception.

    If you find your periods are all over the place when you come off the pill then I can recommend acupuncture to regulate them - or you can take agnus castus pills, which some of the girls on here have sworn by. Personally acupuncture really helped me - I went from a 45 day cycle after coming off the pill to a 29 day cycle - it was amazing.

    Try not to worry too much about the heavy periods that you had before. I was exactly the same as you - the reason I went on the pill in the first place! I found after coming off the pill my periods were much lighter than before, but the premenstrual symptoms started about a week before I was due.

    Its great that you are giving your body a chance to 'get back to normal' before ttc - good luck honey!

    Koi xx
  • Thank you so much, I have heard about taking Folic Acid before hand I think it;s three months before ttc right? Also do you still need to carry on taking it even after you have fallen preg??

    Sorry for asking so many questions and finger's crossed i wont have any problems but if i do I will bear the acupuncture in mind image

    K xx
  • Hi K-Lou, one thing to consider is what I read in Zita West's book, which is that immediately they come off the pill some people have a fertility boost, which then tails away with lower fertility for a year, then back up to normal. So some people like to prepare while on the pill (in terms of folic acid etc) and then start trying straight away to take advantage of any fertility boost they might have.

    Yes you are supposed to take folic acid for 14 weeks before you start trying and then I think the first three months of pg, but I haven't got that far yet!!!!! There are also multivitamins you can get for pregnancy that have folic acid in and other stuff that helps you and they can be taken while ttc as well. If you start trying straight away though I think you'd have to just start taking the folic acid now, still better than not at all!

    I also had really heavy periods before I went on the pill, but they've been light and short since coming off. Be prepared for spots, mood swings and other things you thought you'd left behind in your teenage years!!! I think in my case, it's taking a while for the pill to come out of my system, as my cycles got longer by a day each month for 4 months and this month I had headaches at ov which I don't usually get. Hopefully that means I'm back up to full fertility fighting strength this month!!!

    Good luck and lots of babydust XXX

    [Modified by: lucille on April 23, 2008 10:59 AM]
  • Thank you for that info, I was that too but then told of we try right away i run a greater risk of losing the baby early on?? I am not sure if that is true or not?

    I mean would it be an idea to say on the pill till Aug and then take the Folic A now and just start trying right away when I coem off it? What do you think?

    K xx
  • Well it's difficult to say! I don't think there's any greater risk of losing baby early on if you try straight away, it didn't say that in Zita West book anyway. I came off pill in Jan and started trying then and still no bfp, and I've been taking folic acid since October I think!!!!! So I would say, just get going now!!!!!!!! That's just me though.
  • Right hun thank you very much for that I will be buying some of that asap thenimage

    I don't know what to do for the best I have read so many different things my head is spinning. i think i should come off the pill though as i have had high bp for the last couple of months and it may be the pill as i have been on it nearly two years now.

    How are you finding the stress of trying or are you not stressed at all. When I was younger i use to thinkif you want a baby all you do is you know what an your get pregs how silly was i!!!

    xxxx
  • Right hun thank you very much for that I will be buying some of that asap thenimage

    I don't know what to do for the best I have read so many different things my head is spinning. i think i should come off the pill though as i have had high bp for the last couple of months and it may be the pill as i have been on it nearly two years now.

    How are you finding the stress of trying or are you not stressed at all. When I was younger i use to thinkif you want a baby all you do is you know what an your get pregs how silly was i!!!

    xxxx
  • Hi Girls I am new to this site. I am getting married in August. I have just finished my last pill today and we want to start a family immediately after the marriage so i was thinking of maybe just staying off the pill now to prepare my body. What would you think. Need some advice.
  • I am doing the same as you hun so can't really offer any advice. Congrats on the wedding by the way will be the happiest day of your life it was for me image

    Are you scared about starting a family I am thoughsooo excited, it's just such a huge stepimage we will be trying around the same time

    K xx
  • Think taking the vitamins including the folic acid as already discussed. Fairly obviously giving up smoking and giving up or reducing drinking to within weekly limits.
    Dear August 2008 one thing that derailed our plans to carry on with TTC during our honeymoon and afterwards for 3-4 weeks was taking malaria tablets also discuss any vaccinations with practice nurse with respect to TTC.

    Check rubella immumity too
    Good luck
    X
  • Sorry what is TCC. So new to all of this. K lou yes it is scary but might aswell start preparing now. We want a family young and the way i see it now is if it happens in August then great and if we are trying for a few years then no problem too as we have plenty of time. We are ready now so we'll see what happens. Just want to do things right. Can you get folic acid over the counter. Just got my AF today came off the pill yestreday hopefully cycle will come back to normal.
  • TTC is trying to conceive. Yes you can get folic acid over the counter, it's on the shelves with the vitamins in the chemist usually.
  • yes you can get it anyway boots tesco's and so on. so you came off the pill now i think that is what i am going to do and we might start trying right away i am not sure yet?

    k xxx
  • The only reason docs suggest giving yourself a few months after coming off the pill before ttc is so that it is easier to give you a due date when you fall pregnant. Your due date is worked out from the first day of your last period - if your cycles are 'up in the air' then it is more difficult to determine. Having said that, from your first dating scan they can more or less suggest a due date.

    Personally, I just wanted to go through a few cycles before I started ttc. I came off the pill (after 12yrs!) in September and started ttc in January and was very lucky to fall pregnant in January!

    Definitely start taking folic acid now - they suggest taking it right up to 12 weeks in pregnancy, but you can take it right through pregnancy. A good antenatal vitamin (pregnacare, biocare etc) is a really good idea - so it is all in your system by the time you conceive.

    Good luck x

  • Fab thank you, I spoke to Hubby at lunch he thinks once i am off the pill we should just try as he had heard as well this is the time some people fall preg right away so he does not want to wait.

    I was not sure what to do for the best but will go and buy these and start taking them so they are in my body now

    K-lou x
  • I discussed it with future hubby at lunch and he is all excited wish i could start now also. But don't want to be 4 months pregnant walking up the aisle so we'll wait until honeymoon and start trying then. I'll go to boots tomorrow and get some folic acid any particular brand. Good Luck K lou it could happen straight away for you.
  • I hope so babe image just had hubby pick up some folic acid though not sure which one he has gotimage will let you know tomorrow

    K-lou xx
  • Oh wow really?? I am hoping that when I come off it and hopefully afterI get af I can start trying and that is will happen soon though OI know this may not be the case!!!

    It's nice to know there are othe people trying the same time as meimage I am starting my Folic Acid today will be taking it after lunch as I have to take it on a full belly

    k xxx
  • Sorry to gate-crash! I stopped taking the pill and got pregnant immediately so it can definitely happen. I thought it would take ages and that's why we started trying straight away so really you have to plan for every possibility. Plenty women fall quickly but as you can see there are a lot who take ages to get their cycles back to normal. You just can't know until you come off the pill.

    I think this may have been mentioned but I would also recommend visiting your GP to get your rubella immunity checked. If you had german measles as a child then you should be fine. Or if you were immunised at school (although I read that this can wear off...) Also have you had chicken pox? If not then you should probably see your GP. If you get either in early pregnancy it can be quite serious. I saw my GP before I started trying and I found it really useful.

    Good luck all! Sonia x
  • I found that I used to get really bad period pains when on the pill, and since I've come off it I have hardly any at all.
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