How long should I wait after stopping contraceptive pills before trying to get pregnant?

Doctor's Answer

You can start trying to conceive as soon as you stop taking the oral contraceptive pills.

There is no need to wait or delay if that is your intention.

The fact that you need to consume the oral contraceptive pills on a daily basis in order for it to work means that these pills only work for that day that you are taking them.

If you stop or forget to take the oral contraceptive pills then there is a possibility of getting pregnant which accounts for oral contraceptive pill failure.

The hormonal effects of the oral contraceptive pill therefore only last for 1 day in your body. Whether you can conceive or not is then another matter and this would then depend on other factors like:

  • when you start to ovulate again
  • timing of your intercourse
  • tubal patency and
  • the quality of your partner's sperm

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