Birth control pills, when taken as directed, are highly effective in preventing pregnancy. When a woman decides she is ready to become pregnant she will need to discontinue the pill. The pill prevents the release of an egg by the ovaries and makes it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, if one were to be in the uterus, explains Planned Parenthood. Birth control pills don't diminish a woman's ability to conceive in the long term, but getting pregnant shortly after stopping the drug can take time.
Step 1
Consult a medical professional to discuss stopping the birth control pill and preparing for pregnancy.
Step 2
Stop taking birth control pills the week that you take inactive, or reminder pills. Women taking progestin-only pills will stop at the end of a month's pack since there aren't inactive pills with this type of contraceptive. Stopping the pill at the end of the cycle can improve the accuracy of dating a pregnancy when it occurs and give a woman a starting point for identifying when she will ovulate. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that some women may have irregular menstrual cycles for one or more months following the discontinuation of the birth control pill. If this persists for six months or longer, consult a physician about potential hormone or menstrual irregularities.
Step 3
Implement a conception plan using a natural family planning method. This consists of tracking bodily changes like temperature or cervical mucus, explains FamilyDoctor.org. When using body temperature to identify ovulation, a woman must take her temperature every morning before getting out of bed with a basal thermometer. When her temperature rises about 0.9 degrees, she is ovulating. When tracking her cervical mucus, a woman must look for her vaginal secretions to become slippery and egg-white like in texture. This indicates that beginning of ovulation.
Step 4
Participate in unprotected sex at least every other day beginning five days before ovulation and ending three days after. Ovulation can be tracked using a natural family planning method or by using an over-the-counter ovulation test. When using natural family planning, a woman can predict her ovulation times for the future month and plan intercourse at the most effective times.
Step 5
Consult a health care provider if pregnancy hasn't occurred after 12 months of trying. The length of time to conceive can be greater than 12 months even if a man and a woman have no fertility issues. After a year of trying, a fertility evaluation, including a man's sperm and a woman's hormone levels and ovulation patterns, can identify potential problems that require treatment.
Things You'll Need
- Basal thermometer
- Calendar
