How Long Does it Take to Get Pregnant After You Stop Taking Birth Control?

You've been using birth control for years, but you've decided it's finally time to become a mother.

Congratulations — but what about your ability to get pregnant? Will the fact that your body has gotten used to birth control be a problem?

Fortunately, no: Your fertility rate should bounce back to normal after stopping hormonal birth control. It can take a little longer to conceive as your body's estrogen and progestin levels return to normal. But in the long run, there's no reason to be worried about your fertility.

The good news for people hoping to get pregnant after stopping birth control? One in five get pregnant the first cycle after stopping the pill. More than half get pregnant after six months, and eight in 10 are pregnant at the one year mark.

Method Matters

How long it takes to get pregnant after getting off of birth control depends on what kind of birth control you were using:

1. Combination Pill

Once you stop taking a combination pill, which contains estrogen and progestin, it might take anywhere from one to three months to get pregnant. Most women manage to get pregnant within a year of stopping the combination pill. Surprisingly, women who take the pill for four or more years tend to be more fertile following the end of their regimen than those who take it for two years or less.

2. Progestin-Only Pill

After stopping the progestin-only pill, you may get pregnant sooner than if you stopped the combination pill. A progestin-only pill doesn't stop ovulation entirely, as pills with estrogen do.

Progestin-only pills are often called "minipills," which work by thinning the lining of your uterus. As soon as you stop taking it, the lining of your uterus will thicken, which is important for implantation of the embryo.

3. IUD

An intrauterine device (IUD) is a T-shaped device that is placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Two types of IUDs are available: One is covered with copper, which works by physically blocking sperm from entering the uterus; the other is plastic and releases the hormone progestin.

Many women are able to get pregnant a few months after removing a hormonal IUD. A few women who have the copper IUD removed may be able to get pregnant immediately. Most women are able to get pregnant within six months to a year after removing an IUD under normal circumstances.

4. Shot

The birth control shot is an injection you take every three months to prevent pregnancy. It
contains long-acting progestin, the same hormone as the "minipill."

Out of all the hormonal birth control methods available, the birth control shot has you waiting the longest for your fertility to reappear. If you use the birth control shot, it could take four months to two years for your fertility to return, with the average women ovulating again in about 10 months. If you haven't begun birth control yet and know you might want to get pregnant in the next couple of years, the shot is not your best bet.

5. Patch and ring

Although the birth control patch and vaginal ring look completely different, they work very similarly. Both methods release hormones into the body through the skin — or, in the case of the ring, the vaginal wall — in order to prevent pregnancy. As a result, women who want to get pregnant tend to have similar experiences when they stop using these methods.

Once you stop using the birth control patch or vaginal ring, expect to ovulate in one to three months. Ovulating is necessary for conceiving a baby, even though it does not guarantee it.

Experts used to believe women had a higher risk of miscarriage if they tried to get pregnant too soon after using birth control. But while researchers now realize it's completely safe to get pregnant after using birth control, it doesn't always happen immediately.

Talk to your doctor about what kind of birth control is right for your pregnancy goals, and plan accordingly.