Questioni have been on the pill for the last 4 years. I went through a year of taking the pill without any breaks. My doctor warned me to stop this which i did and i came off the pill in March this year. I am now trying for a baby and i am having great difficulty in doing so. I already have a child and i got pregnant with her one month after coming off the pill. I have regular sex with my partner especially during my most fertile time, but have not been able to conceive. I am really worried that being on the pill and not having any breaks have ruined my chances of conceiving again? I have a regular cycle of around 25-28 days and my periods can last for around five days. My periods are very light and most times will disappear for a few days and comes back again. Please I need some help as I am getting desperate now?
AnswerWhen you take the pill continuously, without breaks to cause bleeding, you are seriously interfering with your body's normal rhythms. Some women can handle this and recover quickly, but others can take many months or even years to recover, just as with long-term progesterone contraception (Depo Provera, Mirena, Nuvaring, minipill, etc.). You appear to have fallen into to second group. You say that your periods are still very light and scanty. This tells me that you may not even be ovulating yet.
Your first step should be to confirm whether or not you are ovulating. You can do this using Natural Family Planning methods, particularly using basal body temperature to confirm an ovulation. You may also want to use ovulation predictor tests (similar to home pregnancy tests, but they check for ovulation hormones instead of pregnancy hormones). If you do not see any evidence of ovulation after several cycles, you definitely want to consult with your doctor about how you can get your body back on track. Try to look for methods that correct the imbalance whenever possible, rather than short-term solutions like Clomid; this will reduce your risk of multiples and increase your chances for long-term reproductive health. Merely inducing ovulation does not address the underlying health issues that are causing the anovulation and can lead to serious long-term repercussions.
If you are ovulating, continue to chart for the next six months. You only have a 20% chance of conceiving in any given cycle, even if you are ovulating and you are having sex during your fertile times. You are not considered infertile until you have gone a year without conceiving, while ovulating and having sex around ovulation. If this deadline passes and you still are not pregnant, it's time to look at either mechanical problems (blocked tubes, hostile uterine lining, etc.) or male problems (low sperm count, poor sperm quality, etc.). Again, consult with your doctor to find the solution that is best for you and your situation.
Good luck!
