How long period after stopping birth control

If your menstrual cycle hasn't returned to normal after a few months, your doctor will test your hormone levels, including human chorionic gonadotropin HCG , to check for pregnancy. Testing other hormone levels can tell if there's a problem with other endocrine glands such as the pituitary gland , for example. No matter what your reason for deciding to come off the pill — from wanting to become pregnant to choosing an alternative method of contraception — talk to your doctor first.

Every type, dose, and brand of birth control pill works differently. Meeting with your doctor can help you get answers to any questions or concerns you have about what will happen to your body, especially your reproductive system. This visit will also give you the opportunity to discuss other forms of contraception if you don't wish to become pregnant. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Health Topics. For example, people may experience :. If someone previously used contraceptives to manage the symptoms relating to their period, those symptoms may return after stopping birth control. Examples include:. Similarly, people who used birth control to manage a health condition may find the symptoms return. Examples of conditions this may apply to include:.

In some cases, using a hormonal contraceptive can also delay a diagnosis of these conditions, particularly if a person began using the contraceptive as a teenager. This is because some of the symptoms of these conditions, such as irregular periods, are more common in young females.

However, if a person experiences persistent or severe symptoms after they stop birth control, this could indicate an underlying condition. The length of time it takes for periods to resume varies from person to person based on a number of factors. Stress, exercise, body weight , and overall health can all influence when periods will return and how regular they will be.

In the absence of another health condition, though, normal fertility -— including regular ovulation and periods — usually resumes within 3 months. A systematic review and meta-analysis of people who stopped using hormonal contraceptives in order to conceive found that This suggests that for most people, fertility and periods return to normal within the space of 1 year, and often sooner than this.

Other causes for late periods after stopping birth control include :. Even if pregnancy seems unlikely, it is worth getting a pregnancy test. After stopping birth control, the risk immediately becomes higher, even if someone is not yet experiencing regular periods.

Additionally, spotting is common early in pregnancy, so light or irregular bleeding does not mean a person is not pregnant.

People who miss their periods should consider regularly testing for pregnancy until periods return. Most people find that their cycle returns to normal soon after stopping birth control, so there is often no need to try any specific techniques to help the body adjust.

However, there are a few things people can do if they want to generally support balanced hormones. They include:. It is common for periods to be late, absent, or irregular after stopping birth control. For most people, they will return to normal after a few weeks or months. People may also experience symptoms such as menstrual cramps, changes to the skin, or PMS as their period returns. Stopping hormonal birth control may cause headaches, menstrual changes, and other health issues.

You might notice your period is more irregular than you remember because of that. Dweck says is usually immediately , you might begin to ovulate, which means you can get pregnant right away, she says. No period in sight?

Says Dr. A lot of people take birth control pills to ease acne, but unfortunately once you stop taking them, the acne could return. Bhardwaj previously told Health. If you're worried about hormonal acne , talk to your dermatologist about alternatives, one as simple as switching your skincare products.

If you dealt with hormonal-related hair loss as a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, for example before you went on birth control, going off of birth control might bring it back. This switch could trigger telogen effluvium, a temporary condition that causes your hair to shed.

Thankfully, telogen effluvium doesn't last forever, subsiding usually within six months, and stress is also a factor. However, this isn't super common. This is especially problematic for women who are trying to conceive, since vitamin D helps support the fetal skeleton in pregnancy. When talking to your doctor about going off birth control, ask about ways to increase your daily vitamin D intake. Many women report achy breasts before their period, thanks to the spike of progesterone that stimulates breast milk glands.