Understanding ovulation when you stop taking birth control

Perhaps you’re thinking about stopping birth control because you want to get pregnant. Or maybe you’re experiencing side effects and want to try another form of contraception. You might even have just been on the pill for several years with no issues but are considering taking a break from it. 

Either way, it’s a good idea to understand ovulation and when it kicks back in after you stop taking birth control. If pregnancy’s not on your to-do list right now, you might be surprised to know that fertility can return pretty quickly once you stop taking the pill. 

“Regular daily birth control pills are out of your system very quickly,” says Dr. Allison Rodgers, reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, obstetrician, and gynecologist, Fertility Centers of Illinois, Illinois, US. “Other options such as an IUD (intrauterine device) reverse as soon as it’s removed. For injectable medications such as Depo Provera, the effects are supposed to stay in the system for 12 weeks but often can last much longer, even six months.”

Key takeaways about signs of ovulation after stopping the pill

• Fertility can return quickly after you stop taking hormonal birth control. So if you’re not planning a pregnancy, you should consider other contraceptive options. 
• The only exception is the birth control shot. It can take around three months for the hormones to clear from your body. However, if you don’t want to become pregnant, you should use another form of birth control during this time. 
• Withdrawal bleeds on the contraceptive pill aren’t quite the same as periods. So you might find that your periods are a bit different from the ones you had on the pill when you come off it. 
• Birth control isn’t linked to long-term fertility issues. If you have any questions about getting pregnant and your cycle after coming off birth control, you can speak to your doctor. 
• Similarly, you can use an app like Flo to better understand when ovulation might happen for you and what’s going on in your body at that time. 

How long does it take for your period to come back after stopping hormonal birth control?

Theoretically, your period should return and be regular as soon as you stop taking the birth control pills, says Dr. Rodgers. But if you didn’t have regular periods before birth control, they will likely go back to the way they were, she adds. 

“One major misconception is that it takes your body some time to get back to normal,” Dr. Rodgers reveals. “You should see your provider if your period doesn’t come back within six weeks of stopping.”

Did you know that the “periods” you have on the contraceptive pill aren’t actually periods They’re withdrawal bleeds: the bleeding that occurs during the week you take inactive pills (or take a break from pills completely). It’s your body’s response to stopping the hormones. This bleed might be quite different from the periods you usually experience when you’re not on contraception. 

Sometimes people find that their withdrawal bleed is lighter or less painful than a period. That’s because birth control pills keep the lining of the uterus thin, explains Dr. Rodgers. 

“And because birth control pills stop ovulation and give you normal cycles while you are taking them, it can mask cycle irregularities,” she explains. “When people do stop their pills, they see what has been masked.”

If you’ve been taking a long-acting method of birth control like an IUD or contraceptive shot, it might take a little longer for your periods to return. Research shows that 25% of people using a hormonal IUD get their period within a month of removal, 14% after two months, and 20% in three to six months.  

How long does it take to get pregnant when you stop hormonal birth control?

Fertility is a personal journey, and the time it takes to conceive when you stop hormonal birth control varies from person to person. There are lots of factors that can impact your fertility, from how soon you start ovulating again to age, lifestyle factors, and more. 

If you’re curious when you might start ovulating after stopping birth control, it’s worth knowing that some progestin-only forms of birth control like the mini pill don’t always prevent you from ovulating. 

But with the combined pill, patch, or ring, ovulation often resumes after the birth control has left your system, so you could get pregnant pretty much right away if you stop and don’t use another form of birth control. 

The main exception is the birth control shot, which can take three months or more to clear from your body. 

Research suggests that most people get pregnant within 12 months of stopping birth control — a similar time frame to people who weren’t using hormonal contraception. So rest assured, birth control isn’t linked to long-term fertility issues, Dr. Rodgers stresses. “The big difference is that you are older now than you were when you started birth control. Age is the biggest predictor of fertility.” If you’re at all worried about getting pregnant or you’ve been trying to conceive after coming off birth control and have questions, speak to your doctor. 

What happens to your body when you stop hormonal birth control?

It’s hard to say exactly what you might experience when you come off hormonal birth control. It depends on the reasons you went on it in the first place. But here’s what you might notice as your body finds its natural cycle rhythm again.

Period changes 

As we explained up top, the periods you experience on hormonal birth control are actually withdrawal bleeds. It means that when you come off birth control, you will get your actual period again. It might be heavier, longer, more painful, or more irregular than when you were on contraception. But it all depends on what you experienced before you went on birth control. 

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Birth control helps control the hormones that can cause PMS symptoms like bloating, nausea, and tender breasts. So if you experienced these before you went on birth control, you might find that these reappear after stopping it. 

Acne

Some people find that birth control (especially combined hormonal methods like the pill, patch, or ring) improves their acne. So some people do find that their acne returns when they go off birth control. The good news is that there are plenty of other acne treatments you can try. 

Sex drive changes

Some people report a spike in their sex drive when they stop taking birth control. So if you find that you feel sexier than before, it’s not unusual. 

What happens to your body when you stop nonhormonal birth control?

Using nonhormonal birth control like condoms, a copper IUD, or spermicides doesn’t affect your body on a hormonal level. So you can get pregnant as soon as you stop using it. 

What are the signs of ovulation after stopping the pill?

Stopped contraception and wondering if you’re ovulating again yet? There are a few body clues you can look out for. The signs of ovulation after stopping the pill are the same as regular signs of ovulation. Here’s what you might notice:

• Cervical mucus changes: Just before you ovulate, your discharge (also known as cervical mucus) goes through some changes. Throughout the first half of your cycle, the cervical mucus will be thick, white, and dry. Then, just before and during the day of ovulation, it will turn clear and slippery, a bit like raw egg whites. This is to help make it easier for sperm to swim through your reproductive tract and meet an egg. Clever, right? 

  The egg white discharge usually lasts for about four days, signaling that it’s time to have unprotected sex if you’re trying. After ovulation, your discharge will become dry until you get your period a couple of weeks later. 

• Change in basal body temperature: Did you know that ovulation can make you slightly warmer? Basal body temperature (BBT) is your temperature when your body is completely at rest. Just after you ovulate, your BBT increases by 0.4ºF to 1°F (0.22ºC to 0.56°C). So, measuring your BBT every day — using a special thermometer with two decimal places — can help you learn when you tend to ovulate.

Some people also say they feel: 

• Breast soreness or tenderness: The hormonal changes that trigger ovulation can also cause sore boobs. 
• Pelvic or abdominal pain: Some people notice a little bit of cramping usually on one side of their abdomen around ovulation. Doctors call this mittelschmerz. 
• Bloating: Bloating around ovulation can happen too. This is likely related to hormonal shifts. 
• Light spotting: About 5% of women notice a bit of light bleeding around ovulation.

Preparing to stop taking hormonal birth control

If you’re preparing to stop taking hormonal birth control, the important thing to know is that you should consider other contraceptive methods right away if you’re not planning to get pregnant. 

If you are embarking on a journey to parenthood, you might want to consider using an app like Flo’s ovulation-tracking tool to help you understand your most fertile days as your body starts to ovulate again. 

And it’s always worth spending some extra time on self-care if you’re coming off birth control, as the possible symptoms might feel a little tough to deal with while your body settles back into its usual pattern. So set time aside to do things that make you feel good, be that reading your favorite book, hanging out with friends, or moving your body if you can. 

If you have any questions about birth control and fertility — or you’re not sure if you want to stop your contraception or not — don’t be afraid to reach out to a health care professional. They’ll be happy to guide you.