Irregular Periods After Stopping Loestrin: What to Expect

Question
I have been off of Loestrin for 4 months (5 months at the end of July).  I got my period as normal for the first 2 months, but then last month it was 3 days late and this month I have yet to get it (it's 2 days past when I ended up getting it last month).  I am trying to chart my cycle, but that really hasn't been any help.  I took a pregnancy test this afternoon (before I went on the pill, I was never late) and it came back negative.  Is this normal?  What is going on?  It's making it really hard for my husband and I to conceive a baby when I can't figure out my own body....

Answer
Dear Andrea,
It may be that you're not ovulating every month now, since ovulation is what causes regular periods.  Your system may have changed since before you were taking the pill (and you wouldn't know it until stopping the pill).  I would recommend seeing your doctor, who can help to make sure that you're ovulating every month.  If not, there are pills (clomid) you can take each month to help ensure that you ovulate each month.  If you are ovulating every month, but not very regularly, your doctor can help you to figure it out as far as doing ovulation predictor tests.  Good luck.