Coming Off the Pill.

A common question asked amongst women who are trying to conceive (TTC) is "how long after coming off birth control (the pill) does it take for my cycle to regulate itself?"

The problem with that question is it varies from woman to woman, so no one answer can apply to everyone. A few things that should be considered when asking how long it will take for your cycle to regulate, is how long you were on the pill for. There does seem to be a common trend amongst women - those who have been on the pill for years will probably regulate at a slower rate than those who only used it for weeks or a few months. Another point to consider is how long after you come off the pill does the hormone start leaving your body. With the pill, it stays in your system for much longer than other contraception does (i.e. the implanon will be out of your system within 72 hours whereas it will take at least a couple of months for the hormones the pill produces to be out of your system).

It's not uncommon for women's cycles to be all over the place after coming off the pill and it's also normal not have a period for months (which can be frustrating if you want to chart your cycle because you are TTC).

Some women are lucky and they will have a period within just a few days or weeks and their cycle will regulate itself in record time, but once again, there are several things that affect how long it will take for your cycle to regulate.

With the pill, patience is required. You probably won't get pregnant soon after coming off it. Expect to wait at least a couple of months, but it usually does take longer that a couple of months for everything to return back to normal. Don't be disheartened - just find the strength to wait it out.

The Implanon (Contraceptive Implant).

According to many women, the implanon isn't a good form of contraception. I've heard complaints about women gaining extreme weight while on it, but the most popular/ common reason for disliking the implanon are the irregular periods that it causes. Some woman have found that their periods stopped fully whilst on the implanon which can be quite worrying and on the other hand some women have found that they've bled practically everyday since having the implanon fitted.

I personally feel that the implanon has been a good form of contraception for me because although my periods are nonexistent, I prefer it that way because I don't have to worry about irregular and spontaneous bleeding. I chose to get the implanon fitted because it's a long lasting form of contraception and because once taken out, your cycle apparently goes back to normal straight away.

I do realise that everyone is different, so although I have heard that I will have a normal period soon after implanon removal, I have also heard stories about women's cycles being all over the place for up to a year. Nonetheless, I haven't personally experienced any side effects of the implanon and I am content with it. As a word of advice, I would get the implanon taken out a couple of months before (trying to conceive) TTC because every woman is different and although some women's cycles will regulate itself immediately, others might take longer.