A woman may decide to stop birth control pills when she is ready to have children or she may find the side effects of birth control to be undesirable. Stopping the pill is a relatively simple process that doesn't require medical intervention. It is always a good idea to discuss the plan to stop contraceptives with a health care provider. The provider can help a woman decide when to stop the pill, what the side effects may be and devise a post-birth control plan. When a woman still desires contraception, the health care provider can suggest alternatives to the pill.
Step 1
Continue taking the birth control pill until the end of the current pack or until the menstrual period if the intent is to get pregnant. The benefit of finishing the current cycle is to reduce unnecessary hormone shifts in the body. By stopping at the menstrual period, a woman trying to get pregnant will know when her period can be expected and when ovulation will occur in the coming month. Dating the pregnancy, or determining the due date of the baby, is much easier when a woman knows the exact dates of her period.
Step 2
Stop taking the birth control pills immediately if adverse side effects occur. Discuss these side effects with a health care provider. There can be spotting and some abdominal cramping from stopping the pill immediately but the benefit of avoiding undesirable side effects outweighs these minimal discomforts.
Step 3
Contact a medical care provider if the menstrual period is irregular after two to three months of stopping the pill. It can take one month or more to regain a regular cycle but anything longer than this may indicate another health concern.
