Your body is truly an incredible piece of machinery – not only does it have what it takes to keep you alive, it has the capacity to support an entirely new life. Thanks to advances in modern technology, there are lots of ways to prevent conception if you're not ready for a family. If you've been taking hormonal birth control, is there anything you need to know before you stop taking it and start trying for a baby?
Although there is a chance that you could get pregnant immediately after stopping oral contraceptives – or even while you're still taking them, if you miss a pill – it does take some women slightly longer to conceive after stopping birth control. This is because it can take a few months for some women's cycles to return to normal once the hormonal treatment has ended.
Experts used to recommend that women wait a few months after stopping the pill to start actively trying to conceive, but these days it's generally accepted that conceiving immediately after ending oral contraceptive use doesn't pose any harm to an unborn child. Some women, however, still choose to wait a few months so they can have a more accurate idea of their due dates and dates of conception, notes BabyZone.