WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for March, 1997: Re: birth control pills and pregnancy

Re: birth control pills and pregnancy

From: D. Ashley Hill, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 19 Mar 1997 21:04:14 -0600 (CST)

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In reply to: Lynn: "birth control pills and pregnancy"

At Wed, 19 Mar 1997, Lynn wrote: >
>I have been on birth control pills for 11years Could I really
>be pregnant anyway or are my periods still irregular from the pill? Is
>it true that you should wait until you have 2 regular periods before
>trying to conceive?

Lynn-

This is a good opportunity to discuss some of the common misperceptions about birth control pills. Contrary to popular belief, oral contraceptives do not cause periods to be irregular after you stop taking them, except perhaps for the first cycle or two. Furthermore, the idea that once should "take a break" from the pill after many years is not true, and many women stay on the pill for decades without harm.

The more likely situation (but impossible to tell over the internet and without a thorough history and physical examination) is that you have irregular cycles from another cause, most likely anovulation (where an egg is not released each month) and the pill was "masking" this while you were on it. The next step is to see a physician for an evaluation to determine the cause, and, if necessary, to provide you with medications to stimulate egg release.

Finally, the reason we ask women to wait 1 or 2 cycles after going off the pill to attempt conception is not because we want the pill to be "out of the system" (because, in fact, it is out of the system within days of stopping it). Rather, it is because knowing the exact date of the first day of your menstrual period is very important for determining the due date of the baby, which itself is important to know!

Good luck on your pregnancy plans.

--
Ashley Hill
D. Ashley Hill, M.D.
Assistant Director, Department of Ob/Gyn
Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency
Orlando, FL
dahmd@gate.net

Next message: D. Ashley Hill, M.D.: "Re: WOMENS-HEALTH digest 22"
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In reply to: Lynn: "birth control pills and pregnancy"

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