Fertility After Depo Provera: Can You Get Pregnant?

Question
Hey there. I havnt been on the jab now for 10 months. I have been trying to have a baby but im not getting any periods. Before stopping the depo, i was on it for a year and a half. Can i still get pregnant? Wil i be able to have a concieve a baby this year?

Answer
Dear Cassie,

If you have resumed normal, regular menstrual cycles, you should be fertile and able to conceive. The most fertile time of your cycles will be cycle days 10-21 - particularly  CDs 11-17. I typically suggest that couples who are actively trying to conceive have sex every other day from CDs 10-22. This allows for any variation in your ovulation day and also gives your partner's body time to build back up his sperm stores.

If you have not returned to regular menstrual cycles, unfortunately conceiving a pregnancy may be more difficult. This can be an effect of Depo Provera use that women don't think much about when they start using it.

The side effects of Depo Provera may linger until the drug is completely gone. After the last shot of Depo Provera, it can take over 6 months for the drug to leave the body. For many women who eventually decide to have a baby, this ends up being a big issue since those effects will often also affect their fertility for several months after the last shot. And, in my experience, the longer Depo is used, the longer it can take for regular menstrual cycles to return to normal. If this is the case for you, I would simply suggest having sex every 2-3 days in order to try to ensure that your chances of having sperm present when you ovulate is high.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda