Birth control pills offer women significant flexibility in preventing pregnancy until it is desired. By taking the pill once a day, a woman stops her ovaries from releasing an egg. When she decides she is ready to get pregnant she simply has to stop taking the medication. Women should still consult with a health care provider before discontinuing the pill and before trying to conceive. It is possible to have some side effects of stopping the pill. These effects should be discussed with a health care provider, especially if it includes a lack of menstruation for more than six months.
Step 1
Speak with a health care professional about your intentions to stop the pill and get pregnant. The provider can go over the specific risks that apply to your specific brand of birth control. Most pills have minimal side effects when stopped.
Step 2
Continue taking the birth control pill until the week of the menstrual period. When taking combination pills that contain estrogen and progesterone, this means taking active pills until the week of the period and either taking the last week of reminder pills or throwing the pack out. WIth progesterone-only pills, the woman will stop taking the pill the week of her period or on a date that she and her provider have determined.
Step 3
Note the date of expected period and the date the pills were discontinued. It is important to keep these dates in mind during attempts to conceive to help chart ovulation and for estimating the due date of the pregnancy when conception occurs.
Step 4
Review natural family planning methods or purchase an ovulation predictor kit. The American Pregnancy Association explains that women should have a 28- to 32-day menstrual cycle for the natural family planning methods to be entirely reliable.
Step 5
Begin charting basal body temperature by using a basal thermometer first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. Record the temperature on the calendar. Also note the cervical mucus consistency each day.
Step 6
Continue charting for at least three months in to reliably predict future ovulation. Women will notice an increase in body temperature when ovulation is occurring. The cervical mucus will also become greater in volume and slippery. FamilyDoctor.org points out that when a woman is ovulating the mucus will resemble raw egg whites.
Step 7
Chart the date of menstruation and duration. Combining the rise in body temperature and the change in cervical mucus, a woman can predict ovulation.
Step 8
Have intercourse at least every other day beginning five days before predicted ovulation through three days following ovulation. It is important to have intercourse when ovulation is predicted even if other symptoms have yet to occur. This suggests that the window is very small by the time a woman notices the changes.
Tips and Warnings
- Discuss concerns with a health care provider, especially if the menstrual cycle fails to regulate for more than six months after the discontinuation of the pills. Continue tracking ovulation and having intercourse. Many couples try for a year and sometimes longer before succeeding. Women with long cycles can rely on cervical mucus and basal body temperature to track ovulation even if the menstrual cycle is greater than 32 days.
Things You'll Need
- Ovulation predictor kit or journal
- Basal thermometer
- Calendar
