The Pill Before the Pregnancy

For women who have been on the pill and wish now to conceive, it is suggested that they give themselves a minimum of one month to "clean out".

Women have greatly varying times for ovulation to re-establish. Some women may ovulate two weeks after discontinuing the pill while others will require a longer period of time. The reasons for this are poorly understood. Perhaps, some women did not ovulate regularly even before going on the pill? In any case, these differences do not seem related to length of time on the pill.

To have the very, very best chance at conception, a woman might want to discontinue the pill up to 6 months before the desired date of conception and substitute barrier methods, like the condom or diaphragm. A woman's lifestyle and how important it is to conceive on a specific date or time of year will factor in this decision. To increase chances of conception women should ask their doctor about the physical signs of ovulation and keep track of them . Drugstore ovulation predictor kits also help predict ovulation. Husbands or partners should wear loose clothing, including loose underwear, and try to refrain from ejaculating a few days to a week before the expected window of fertility in the desired month of conception.

REFERENCES
a listing of scientific articles and texts used.