Getting Pregnant After Birth Control

If you have decided to try to become pregnant and have stopped using birth control, the amount of time it takes for your fertility to return depends on the type of birth control used and often varies from person to person.

Hormonal birth control methods

It is possible to become pregnant as soon as you stop using combination birth control pills, patches, or rings, which contain both estrogen and progestin. Half of all women who are trying to conceive become pregnant in the first three months after they stop using the pill, and most women are able to conceive within twelve months after discontinuing any form of hormonal birth control.

With the progestin-only birth control pills, also known as the “mini-pill,” it is possible to become pregnant as soon as you stop taking the mini-pill and most women will become pregnant within six months of stopping the mini-pill.

As soon as contraceptive implants are removed, it is possible to become pregnant.

After a woman’s last birth control shot (DepoProvera), it may take three to eighteen months to become pregnant.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

It is possible to become pregnant as soon as one menstrual cycle has occurred after an IUD is removed. This is the case for both the copper (non-hormonal) and Mirena (hormone-releasing) IUDs.

Barrier methods

Barrier methods, such as condoms or diaphragms, only provide contraceptive protection when used during sex, so they do not affect a woman’s fertility.

Tubal ligation

Both tubal ligation is considered a permanent form of birth control that cause a woman to become sterile and unable to conceive. If you desire another pregnancy and have had a tubal ligation, talk with your doctor for more information about the possibility of sterilization reversal.