Fertility After Long-Term Birth Control: Can You Get Pregnant at 33?

Question
I am 33 years old and have no children.  I've been on birth control for about 15 years.  I was actually put on the pill as a teenager to regulate my period.  I was experiencing extremely long periods (2 to 3 weeks sometimes)  Since then my period has been normal.  Now I am considering having a baby.  Is it too late and is it even possible?

Answer
You can safely conceive and carry a pregnancy to term as long as you are menstruating and have not reached menopause (which is defined as the date of your last menstrual period). I have had patients who have been pregnant and delivered beautifully in their late 40s and early 50s. My oldest patient was 53 years of age, having her 23 child.  The birth control pill is a REVERSIBLE method of contraception. Once you stop taking the pill, you will revert back to your cycle and start to ovulate once more. When you pinpoint the day of ovulation, you can then start trying to conceive. If you have a 28 day cycle (from the first day of your period until the first day of your next period) ovulation occurs on cycle day #14. You can become pregnant if you have unprotected sex on cycle day #13,14,15, or 16 each month, unless your cycle is longer or shorter than 28 days. If so, ovulation occurs ALWAYS 14 days before you start your period. There are ovulation predictor kits and monitors that will help you figure out when you ovulate. So you can, indeed, become pregnant at this time and it is definitely possible.