Birth control pills provide women with a reliable method of preventing pregnancy until it is desired. The pill works by delivering hormones to a woman's body to prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg to be fertilized by a man's sperm. Without this process, called ovulation, a woman can't get pregnant. Starting and stopping the pill is relatively easy, but should be done under the advice of a health care professional. Minor side effects can occur when the woman's body begins adjusting to the change in hormones associated with stopping the pill.
Step 1
Talk to a health care professional about your plans to discontinue the birth control pill.
Step 2
Select a date to stop the pill. It is best to stop at the end of a pack when possible, but if the pill is being discontinued due to adverse side effects, stopping immediately is best.
Step 3
Take the pill as you normally would until the end of the current pack. For combination hormone pills, this means taking active pills until the week of your period. Normally inactive reminder pills will be taken during the week of the period. The pack of pills can be thrown out at this time, and no more pills need to be taken. Progesterone-only pills should be stopped the week of the expected period.
Step 4
Monitor menstruation for the next several months. Some women may not have a period for three to six months after stopping the pill, especially when using progesterone-only pills, because hormone levels are kept at a stable level throughout the month.
Step 5
Report moderate or severe bleeding, especially when accompanied by abdominal cramping. Some spotting is to be expected. Discuss any other side effects with a health care provider.
Tips and Warnings
- Stopping the pill at the end of the pack or when menstruation is expected is important when attempting to get pregnant. Ovulation patterns can be tracked sooner and should pregnancy occur shortly after stopping the pill, the woman will have a date of reference when trying to determine the estimated due date.
