Fear of Infertility

Well, I had been on the pill off and on for about 10 years when we decided to start a family. It took us two years to get pregnant with our first. It's funny...we found out I was pregnant when I went to the doctor to find out why I WASN'T getting pregnant! The second time around, I had been on the pill for about a year before I stopped. We were pregnant in two months. Whatever you decide, I think you should definitely talk to your doctor about your period. Good luck!

S.,
My first advice is RELAX! Making babies is suposed to be FUN & from your little description it doesn't sound like you really have any basis for your worries. It took me 5 months to conceive after being off the pill for about 7 months. I'm a planner, so when I watched so many of my friends get pregnant without trying I got worried when it didn't happen for me in the first few months. I sent my husband to be tested (he still isn't happy about that) & made an appt to get looked at myself. The earliest they could get me in was 6 weeks later & I took a test at home before I went that morning & I was pregnant! I had stopped worrying about it while I was waiting for the appt. The coolest part though was that I did still keep my appt & got to have an ultrasound. I have pictures at 6 weeks & got to hear the heartbeat! Anyway, I regress, relax & have fun. Don't worry until you really have a reason.

Good Luck,
L.

First thing go out and buy Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wheschler and read it. You can go off the pill and use alternative BC so you can track your cycles and see what is going on. The book will show you how. That way before you even start trying you can know whether or not you are ovulating. If you are-great. You can wait until you are ready and get to baby making and you will know exactly how to do it. (after you read the book you will find it is not as easy as we have been led to believe)If you find you are not ovulating or something else is wrong with your cycles you can be better prepared to go to the Dr and find out how to fix it.
IF in most cases is curable. I tried for 7 years and have lost a total of 6 babies. but I also have 2 lc who are worth every second of it.

The pill synthetically alters your hormones. It all depends on how well your body can cope with that because everyone is different. It can take 10 years for the effects of very messed up hormones to wear off. It is good that you are thinking ahead. Infertility has become very popular these days and most people don't realize they are effected until they decide to get pregnant tomorrow. I am one who has had fertility issues and to this day I refuse to take the pill even though I have 3 kids and know that I am not ready to leap into another pregnancy today, but I spent years fixing my hormones to just get pregnant. Again, not everyone is the same. However your best bet is to find a dr of internal medicine that specializes in preventive care and uses bio-identical hormones. Either that or a good chiropractor well trained in chinese medicine and acupuncture can also help regulate things over the next 2 years for you. Good luck and I hope you do not suffer infertility.

B. :)

I was on the pill for a long time before we had our daughter last year, and it did take us over a year to get pregnant. It doesn't mean that you are infertile, it means that you will get pregnant when your body is ready, not when you want to. Its almost impossible to plan out a pregnacy. Try not to get your hopes up and say I want to get pregnant in May or have a baby in the year 2008, what ends up happening is you get all stressed out about it and then your body shuts down and then nothing happens. Unfortunatly, there is nothing you can do about but relax. You will hear these words alot, RELAX and DON'T STRESS OVER IT! Definatly consult your Ob/Gyn for medical advice, but most doctors won't even start testing until after you have tried for over a year, because, as long as it seems, a year of trying is actually NORMAL. (or so I had 3 Ob/Gyn's and 2 fertility specialists tell me) You'll be fine, as long as you are young and healty, I do recomend a physical and tell your doctor that you want to have a baby, but you are young still and provided there is nothing medically wrong, you'll be fine.

You're pretty young to be worried about infertility, but you should definitely talk to your doctor about why you're not getting your period. There's lots of possible reasons for it not coming, and you won't know if it's something to be concerned about until you talk to a doctor. And remember, when you're on the pill, you're not getting a real period because you're not ovulating. You're just getting bleeding during the week your body is withdrawing from the hormones.
Also, the time it takes to get pregnant once you're off the pill is as varied as people are. Some people get pregnant the first month they're off, and for some it takes a couple years. You just never know!

Best of luck!
N.

Typically it takes 3 months before you can get pregnant but I've known others who have gotten pregnant right after stopping the pill. It took me about 8 months. Irregular or absent periods don't necessarily mean you're infertile. It may be more difficult for you to get pregnant. You would need to check with your doctor. He/she would run tests and be able to offer advice and give options. Best of luck!

S.,
I wouldn't worry about the pill interfering w/your fertility. Eventhough "they" say it could take up to a year it may not. I got pregnant after being of the pill for 2 weeks and I had been on the pill for @ 13 yrs. Also had the same issue of not having a period when i got off years ago so went back on to get regular. I think the intent of both you and your husband wanting to conceive a child is much stronger thanany side effect.

S.

I wouldn't worry too much about the amount of time you were on the pill effecting how long it takes you to get pregnant. I was on the pill for 4 years and was only off of it for 1 month and we were expecting! But I do understand that everyone is different. Just enjoy the practice!! lol

Hello. We had a similar experience. We went off birth control for a year & a half. We were just going to let things happen naturally---pregnancy wise. But NOTHING happened and my periods were VERY irregular. So the doctor had me go back on the pill. A year later we decided to try to have a baby. It took me less than 4 months to get pregnant that time! :) I know it doesn't help when people say that it will happen when it's "supposed" to happen, but in our case it was true. God's plan was a lot bigger and better than my husband and I's plan.

S.,
I got married when I was 26 and wanted to start having kids when I was 28 or 29. I had been on the pill for 15 years when I went off, to "prepare" my body. I went off the pill about a year before we wanted to start trying. That was the worst thing I did. Apparently I have endometriosis and the pill helped contain it for all these years. This disease is often undiagnosed b/c you have to have surgery to actually diagnosis it. So my advice....Wait and go off of the pill the month you are ready to start trying. Typically it takes a long time to get pregnant. It took me 3 years, but I had endo. and had to have a lot of procedures to combat it.
If you have unprotected sex for 6 months, call your OBGYN and he should start doing some preliminary diagnostic tests to determine if there is infertility.
If you live in the St. Louis area, I have the BEST OBGYN, he is truly amazing.
Good luck!
M.

I, too, had issues with not having a period or at least not a regular one when I was off the pill. It did take a relatively long time (8 months, but it seemed like an eternity) to get pregnant with both of my kids. While I was not infertile, I wasn't regular enough to be able to accurately predict when I was going to ovulate. I ended up taking Provera both times in order to prepare my body for Clomid, but in both cases I never needed Clomid - the Provera was enough to regulate my ovulation and I was able to conceive. It can be scary, but there are a lot of options to help you conceive if you are having trouble and you may not need any at all, so be prepared to get pregnant at any time if you go off the pill. I would talk to your OB/GYN and see what he/she recommends.

I wouldn't be too worried about being infertile. Yes, the pill can mess your body up pretty bad, I didn't have a period for over a year. As far as the time before being able to become pregnant, my dr. told me to take the number of years I had been on the pill, and that was how many months (at least) that it would take to get pregnant. It also depends on the person, I actually was unable to get pregnant for about twice the time my dr. told me to figure on.

If you are REALLY concerned, go talk to your dr. She/he should be able to either get you to a specialist or talk you out of your worries. Also, you could look into Natural Family Planning, supposedly the method they use is pretty good about finding the perfect time to get pregnant, and doesn't take any special equipment, nor is it hard to use. My husband and I are using it to avoid pregnancy, but you can also use it to become pregnant. Many local churches have classes and information on it, you could look into it there, and there is also a website, you'd have to google it, I don't remember what it is.

Good luck!

Hi S.,
You are not alone, I fear the same at times as we are trying for #2 as well now. I am so irregular when I'm off the pill, it's hard to predict ovulation. But I've been working a lot with my doc and battled a cyst recently too. He wants to start me on a fertily pill to regulate me and almost guarentee a baby, maybe even two! But that scares me also.
Anyway, every woman's body is different, every doctor is different. But I don't think you are infertile. It does take a while to regulate without the hormones. My doc told me I could conceive within two months of being off the pill. But you sound like me and need those extra boosts to have a period and to ovulate again.
e-mail back if you want to chat more.

Just remember, it can take a year to get pregnant even if you're NOT on the pill, so give yourself plenty of time.

To be considered infertile you have to have had 12 months of unprotected, timed sex. If you still don't have periods it could be as simple as you are not ovulating and Clomid can fix that. As for when to come off the pill, that all depends on when you want to start TTC. Some take a year some take 2 weeks to conceive when comeing off. I myself have just come off the pill recently. My and hubby have been trying for about a year and I too have a lack of periods, that why I was on the pill. The doctors think that it could be due to anovulaton or a thyroid problem. Hope you and hubby are able to concieve quickly and naturally. If you want more info or to chat just email me at ____@____.com

C.

I have endometriosis and I was told I was infertile. I did get pregnant. I found that as soon as I stopped the Pills that I could get pregnant very easy. I have two children now and this is how I did it. I would stop taking BC and then the next couple of weeks we were pregnant. The BC keeps everything working properly and cycles on time.

Hi S.! I was in a similar situation several years ago. In fact, the only time I ever had regular periods was when I was on the pill. When my husband and I were ready to start trying for a baby, I went off the pill, and after 4 months, when I had not had any period, I called my Dr. She gave me provera to bring on a cycle, tested my blood levels at 21 days, and since the test showed I wasn't ovulating, she prescribed Clomid. (I know a lot of Drs say to wait a year, but her theory was that if I wasn't ovulating, it would just be one frustrating year).

It took two months on Clomid, but I got pregnant with my son (who will be 5 in April). My cycles are still really screwy, but I have 3 children now. My best advice to you would be: 1) talk to your dr. and 2) get the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility." It was the best book... I was so mad that I never knew all that about my body. I plan to give it to my daughter when she reaches puberty (it covers not just getting pregnant, but all issues related to menstruation, preventing pregnancy, menopause, etc).

I spent a lot of time and energy worrying about not being able to get pregnant. Try to relax as you can, talk to your dr. and if that doesn't go well, its time to find a new dr.

Take care and good luck!

Jen in St Louis

No you're not infertile but you probably have poly cystic ovarian syndrome which often says indicates you have lots of places where eggs should have developed on your ovaries but they didn't they developed cysts instead. I have it. It's pretty easy to live with. Getting pregnant with it is a little trickier. It does have a higher chance of misscarriage too but if you get as healthy as possible those risks go down. It's only be cause you may produce less than quality eggs. Getting healthy is the key. Get up or down to optimum body fat, make sure your hormones are working well, even thyroid function can affect this, and cut out all bad habits, including cussing cause soon the little one will learn to talk.

So the things I did, Well in 2000 I tried rebound ovulation, where you go off the pill after only taking them a few months and that first month off you ovulate (which happens before your period each non birth controlled month) and boom you're pregnant. So the week you supposed to take the inert ones just toss the pack. you will have a period then be ready for ovulation. figure to have sex every other day from the week after you start your period until you're getting sick every day.

Okay say this doesn't work, then there are pills that you take between your period and ovulation that build a good egg.

But say you're still not ovulating so there's no reason to take those pills, well there's another pill you can take. Based on a blood glucose test they can prescribe, a pill that helps you work on keeping all of your hormones healthy. It's the same pill diabetics take. It really works.

I tried rebound ovulation many times (every time I would get pregnant but I sometimes miscarried or had ectopics) and I have 2 beautiful little boys soon to be 6 and 3 on the same day. Then I was diagnosed with PCOS and took the Fortmet and when I stopped taking it cause I didn't have any more samples and no insurance I continued to have regular periods every month for a year. I complained the whole time. What was the use to have those lovely peroids when my hushand had a vastectomy? lol.

first off have you talked to your dr about it when you got off the pill.. It can take a while to get off and get AF back! They can give you Provera or Progetergen to get things started up again... It is not a great big deal.. Lots have to have that to get things started... Not sure how long you were on the Pill for.. but Ya.. It can take up to a year to get PG after some Birth control.. I was on Depo Provera.. it took me 14 months that was being very very PRO activa!!!! I have a friend who was on Depo it took her 9 years but her daughter just turned 1 in October so Hey.. she did not give up!!! Lots of Charting and welll It can happen!!! You just need to get OFFFFFF that darn Pill and TALK to DR!!!! But that that out of your body!!!!

Good luck!!!! Ok...!!!!

I personally have never been on the pill. but both of my sisters-in-law have. they have both had trouble concieving. my husband's sister tried for about 4 yrs and finally had a baby last summer. my brother's wife still hasn't gotten pregnant after 3 yrs of trying. both ended up going to fertility drs. i would probably talk to my obgyn about my concerns he may be able to give you some advice or even reconmend a dr for you to see. hope all goes well for you.

Ask your doctor, S.! You might also check out fertilityfriend.com or read Taking Charge of Your Fertility if you just want to educate yourself on the entire process of fecundity. I wish you well!

I would talk to your doctor. Most doctors wont refer you to a fertility doctor until you have been trying for a year with no luck. My husband and I tried for four or five years on our own before seeking help. We finely found out the I don't ovulate which works out well. I don't like what BC does to me. I would think if you want a child in two years you might want to get off and use other methods of control now just to let your body get back to "normal." When you are ready if you don't get pregnant in a year Dr. Reshif at Intregress is really great. One month of treatments and we had a baby girl. After 12 weeks I was released to go to the OB. He is Fantastic.

I was on the pill for 4 years. When my husband and I decided to try to have a baby I went off the pill. We did the whole timing it out just right and I used ovulation test and what ever else we could think of. After about 5 months I figured if it was going to happen it was going to happen and we just quit trying. I just tryed not to even think about it. And about 3 months later I found out that I was pregnant. So I think the best thing for us was to just quit trying so hard. I think we were just putting too much stress on ourselves and that why it wasn't working. I hope this helps you in some way

J.