Birth control stopping

How soon can you get pregnant after you stop
using birth control? It depends on what kind of
birth control you use. The barrier methods —
such as condoms, diaphragms, and spermicides
— work only as long as you use them; as soon as
you stop, you’re fertile. Hormone-based
medicines — including the Pill, Depo-Provera,
NuvaRing, and the birth control patch (for example,
Ortho-Evra) — take longer to get out of your system.
You may ovulate very shortly after stopping the Pill (weeks or days, even). Usually,
hormones from pills aren’t detectable several days after the last active Pill or the last
patch. On the other hand, it can take three months to one year to resume regular
ovulatory cycles after stopping Depo-Provera.

We know of no hard-and-fast rules about how long you should wait after stopping
birth control before you start trying to conceive. In fact, you can start
to try to conceive right away. If you’re Fertile Myrtle, you may get pregnant
on the first try. But keep in mind that if you haven’t resumed regular cycles,
you may not be ovulating each month, and it may be more difficult to time
your intercourse to achieve conception. (At least you can have a good time
trying!) If you get pregnant while your cycles are irregular, it also may be
harder to tell exactly what day you conceived and, therefore, to know your
due date.

If you use a non-hormone intrauterine device (IUD), you can get pregnant as
soon as you have it removed. With hormone containing intrauterine devices
or with sub-dermal implantable devices, fertility may take 3 to 12 months to
resume after removal. Rarely, a woman conceives with her IUD in place. If
this happens to you, your practitioner may choose to remove the device, if
possible, because getting pregnant with your IUD in place puts you at risk of
miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that gets stuck in the fallopian
tube), or early delivery. Getting pregnant with an IUD in place more than likely
doesn’t put the baby at increased risk of birth defects.

Safe medications for pregnancy

Many medicines — both over-the-counter and
prescription — are safe to take during pregnancy.
If you’re taking medications essential for your health,
discuss them with your physician prior to stopping
them or changing your dose or regimen. But a
few medications can cause problems for the baby’s
development.

So let your doctor know about all the medications you take. If one
of them is problematic, you can probably switch to something safer. Keep in
mind that adjusting dosages and checking for side effects may take time.

Exposure to the following drugs and chemicals is considered to be safe
during pregnancy:(Safe medications for pregnancy)

✓Acetaminophen
✓ Acyclovir
✓ Antiemetics (for example, phenothiazines and trimethobenzamide)
✓ Antihistamines (for example, doxylamine)
✓ Low-dose aspirin
✓ Minor tranquilizers and some antidepressants (for example, meprobamate,
chlordiazepoxide, and fluoxetine)
✓ Penicillin, cephalexin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin,
and several other antibiotics
✓ Zidovudine

The following are some of the common medications that women ask about
before they get pregnant:(Safe medications for pregnancy)

✓ Birth control pills: Women sometimes get pregnant while they’re on
the Pill (because they missed or were late taking a couple of pills during
the month) and then worry that their babies will have birth defects.
But oral contraceptives haven’t been shown to have any ill effects on a
baby. Two to three percent of all babies are born with birth defects, and
babies born to women on oral contraceptives are at no higher risk.

✓ Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil): Occasional use of these and other nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory agents during pregnancy (for pain or inflammation)
is okay and hasn’t been associated with problems in infants. However,
avoid chronic or persistent use of these medications during pregnancy
(especially during the last trimester) because they have the potential
to affect platelet function and blood vessels in the baby’s circulatory
system, and because your baby’s kidneys process them just like your
own kidneys do.

✓ Vitamin A: This vitamin and some of its derivatives can cause miscarriage
or serious birth defects if too much is present in your bloodstream
when you get pregnant. The situation is complicated by the fact that
vitamin A can remain in your body for several months after you consume
it. Discontinuing any drugs that contain vitamin A derivatives —
the most common is the anti-acne drug Accutane — at least one month
before trying to conceive is important. Scientists don’t know whether
topical creams containing vitamin A derivatives — anti-aging creams like
Retin A and Renova, for example — are as problematic as drugs that you
swallow, so consult your physician about them.

Some women take supplements of vitamin A because they’re vegetarians
and don’t get enough from their diet, or because they suffer from
vitamin A deficiency. The maximum safe dose during pregnancy is 5,000
international units (IU) daily. (You need to take twice that amount to
reach the danger zone.) Multiple vitamins, including prenatal vitamins,
typically contain 5,000 IU of vitamin A or less. Check the label on your
vitamin bottle to be sure.


If you’re worried that your prenatal vitamin plus your diet will put you
into that “danger zone” of 10,000 IU per day, rest assured that it would
be extremely difficult to get that much vitamin A in your diet.

✓ Blood thinners: Women who are prone to developing blood clots or who
have artificial heart valves need to take blood-thinning agents every day.
One type of blood thinner, coumadin, or its derivatives can trigger miscarriage,
impair the baby’s growth, or cause the baby to develop bleeding
problems or structural abnormalities if taken during pregnancy. Women
who take this medicine and are thinking of getting pregnant should switch
to a different blood thinner. Ask your practitioner for more information.

✓ Drugs for high blood pressure: Many of these medications are considered
safe to take during pregnancy. However, because a few can be
problematic, you should discuss any medications to treat high blood
pressure with your doctor

✓Antiseizure drugs: Some of the medicines used to prevent epileptic seizures
are safer than others for use during pregnancy. If you’re taking any
of these drugs, discuss them with your doctor. Don’t simply stop taking
any antiseizure medicine, because seizures may be worse for you — and
the baby — than the medications themselves

Evaluating your current health before pregnancy.

Most women contemplating pregnancy are perfectly healthy
and don’t have problems that can have an impact on
pregnancy. Still, a preconceptional visit is very useful because
it allows you to make a game plan and find out more about
how to optimize your chances of having a healthy and
uncomplicated pregnancy. You can discover how to
reach your ideal body weight and how to start on a
good exercise program, and you can begin to take
prenatal vitamins with folic acid.

Some women, however, do have medical disorders that can
affect the pregnancy.

Expect your practitioner to ask whether you have any one of a list
of conditions. For example, if you have diabetes, optimizing your blood
sugar levels before you get pregnant and watching those levels during your
pregnancy are important. If you’re prone to high blood pressure (hypertension),
your doctor will want to control it before you get pregnant, because
controlling hypertension can be time-consuming and can involve changing
medications more than once. If you have other problems — epilepsy, for
example — checking your medications and controlling your condition are
important. For a condition like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), your
practitioner may encourage you to try to become pregnant at a time when
you’re having very few symptoms.

You can expect questions about whether you smoke, indulge in more than
a drink or two a day, or use any recreational/illicit drugs. Your practitioner
isn’t interrogating you and is unlikely to chastise you, so you can feel comfortable
answering honestly. These habits can be harmful to a pregnancy,
and dropping them before you get pregnant is best. Your practitioner can
advise you on ways to do so or refer you to help or support groups.

You also need to discuss any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you take
regularly and your diet and exercise routines. Do you take vitamins? Do you
diet frequently? Are you a vegetarian? Do you work out regularly? Discuss all
these issues with your practitioner.

Symptoms and Considerations During Pregnancy

These are general descriptions, meant to give you an idea of what is normal and when you should be concerned.

As always, if you have a question or become concerned, you should contact your doctor.

In the sections that follow you will find guidelines for nutrition and exercise, and a lot of helpful information on the changes that occur during each trimester.

And you’ll find out how to take care of your body and adjust your schedule and your life style during each stage of your pregnancy.

After you find out you are pregnant, after the excitement and buzz has worn off, you should expect the physical reality to set in.

During pregnancy you may experience fatigue, tenderness in your breasts, morning sickness, etc. Not every woman has every symptom.

Some women SAIL through pregnancy and others seem to endure lots of little problems that don’t amount of anything serious, but are enough to disrupt life in general

Here are some of the things you may encounter during pregnancy:

 

Fatigue – You may feel ‘bone tired’ or become easily fatigued during pregnancy, especially in your first trimester.

Remember that your body is working harder producing certain hormones and supplying blood and nutrients to your baby in the womb.

One of the hormones, progesterone, is a central nervous system depressant, so this hormone can make you feel drowsy or sleepy.

Try to pamper yourself during this time. Many women find that after their first trimester, they have renewed energy and stamina. In the meantime, take naps or just rest if you can.

Bleeding – It is not unusual to have a small amount of spotting or bleeding early in pregnancy – around 10 to 14 days after conception.

This bleeding is a bit earlier, spottier and ‘pinker’ in color than a usual menstrual cycle and it doesn't last very long.

Talk to your doctor and let him know about this, but don’t be concerned unless the bleeding is heavy and lasts a long time. You may also get a bit of cramping early in pregnancy.

Morning Sickness, Nausea and Vomiting - Typically confined to early pregnancy, though some women experience this symptom for up to six months.

Most women encounter morning sickness for about a month during their first trimester, and symptoms can start as early as 14 days after conception.

Morning sickness is not always confined to the morning, and it results from the changing levels of estrogen in the body.

Some women experience morning sickness with no trigger, while others will become nauseous from certain smells like cigarette or cigar smoke, strong perfume, coffee or the smell of certain foods cooking.

Headaches - Many pregnant women complain of mild headaches that occur frequently, early in pregnancy. These headaches occur because of increased blood circulation caused by hormonal fluctuation and changes in the body.

Constipation and Bloating – Constipation is common during early pregnancy because of an increase in progesterone that slows digestion. Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and help ease constipation and bloating.

Knowing when to see a doctor about infertility

Infertility, or sub-fertility, is a problem that is
affecting more couples than ever before, as
people wait longer and longer to have children.
One in ten couples older than 30 has trouble conceiving.
After age 35, the ratio is one in five. Of
course, age isn’t a problem for everyone. Some
women reportedly get pregnant even in their
50s. (According to Guinness World Records, the
world’s oldest spontaneously pregnant mother
was 571/2 when she conceived.) But face it:
Spontaneous pregnancy in a woman’s late 40s
and 50s is rare.

When should you seek a doctor’s help?
Generally, after you’ve been trying unsuccessfully
to get pregnant for six months to a year.
But if you have a history of miscarriages or
difficulty conceiving, if you’re older than 35,
or if you already know that your partner has
a low sperm count, you may want to get help

before six months are up. No matter what your
situation, don’t despair. Reproductive technologies
become more sophisticated — and more
successful — with each passing year. At this
point, couples can try various techniques with
complicated-sounding names — ovarian stimulation
with fertility medications, intrauterine
insemination (with or without sperm washing),
intracytoplasmic sperm injection, use of donor
sperm or donor eggs, and in vitro fertilization
(and its many variations) — depending on their
particular cause of infertility. For a couple that
has trouble conceiving right away, chances are
better than ever that they will eventually become
pregnant.  If you’re having trouble getting pregnant 
and you’re not sure whether it’s time to see an 
infertility specialist, discuss it with your practitioner.

Getting Ready to Get Pregnant: The Preconceptional Visit

By the time you miss your period and discover you’re pregnant, the embryo,
now two weeks old or more, is already undergoing dramatic changes. Believe
it or not, when the embryo is only two to three weeks old, it has already
developed the beginnings of its heart and brain. Because your general health
and nutrition can influence the growth of those organs, having your body
ready for pregnancy before you conceive really pays off. Schedule what’s
called a preconceptional visit with your practitioner to be sure your body is
tuned up and ready to go.

Sometimes you can schedule this visit during a routine gynecological
appointment: When you go in for your annual PAP test, mention that you’re
thinking about having a baby, and your practitioner will take you through the
preliminaries. If you aren’t due for your annual exam for several more months
and you’re ready to begin trying to get pregnant now, go ahead and schedule
a preconceptional visit with your practitioner, and bring along the father-tobe,
if at all possible, so both of you can provide health histories — and know
what to expect from this adventure.

Taking a look at your history

The preconceptional visit is a chance for your practitioner to identify areas
of concern so she can keep you and your baby healthy — even before you get
pregnant. A multitude of factors come into play, and the practitioner is likely
to ask you about the following:

Previous pregnancies and gynecologic history: Information about previous
pregnancies can help your practitioner decide how best to manage
your future pregnancies. You’ll be asked to describe any prior pregnancies,
any miscarriages or premature births, any multiple births — in
short, any situations that can happen again. Knowing whether you had
problems in the past, like preterm labor or high blood pressure, is helpful
for the practitioner. Your gynecologic history is equally important
because information like prior surgery on your uterus or cervix or a
history of irregular periods also may influence your pregnancy.

Your family history: Reviewing your family’s medical history alerts your
practitioner to conditions that may complicate your pregnancy or be
passed on to the developing baby. You want to discuss your family history
because you can take steps before you conceive to decrease the
chance that certain disorders, such as having a family history of neural
tube defects (spina bifida, for example), will affect your pregnancy (see
the sidebar “Why the sudden hype on folic acid?” later in this chapter).
In Chapter 8, we discuss in more detail different genetic conditions and
ways of testing for them.

For those of you considering the use of donor eggs or sperm, keep in
mind that the donor’s genetic history is just as important as any other
biological parent’s. Find out as much as you can.

Looking at your ethnic roots: Your preconceptional visit involves questions
about your parents’ and grandparents’ ancestry — not because
your practitioner is nosy, but because some inheritable problems are
concentrated in certain populations. Again, the advantage of finding out
about these problems before you get pregnant is that if you and your
partner are at risk for one of these problems, you have more time to
become informed and to check out all your options