Now that you’re off birth control (or thinking about it!), you may be wondering how soon you can get pregnant. Here’s how long it takes to get pregnant after the pill, an IUD, the patch, the ring, and other birth control methods.
For many people who decide they want to get pregnant, the first step on the journey to pregnancy is stopping birth control. Regardless of the reason you were using birth control—maybe it was to prevent pregnancy, or to help manage a health condition—stopping birth control is necessary for conceiving. But how long does it take to get pregnant after birth control?
Here’s a reminder of what you need for pregnancy to happen (hint: ovulation), and a rundown of how long it takes to get pregnant after birth control, whether you were using the pill, an IUD, the patch, condoms, or any other form of contraception.
What happens when you stop using birth control? First, a quick reminder about a necessary piece to the pregnancy puzzle: ovulation .
Ovulation is the moment in your cycle when your ovaries release a mature egg, which can then be fertilized by sperm. In order to get pregnant, you have to ovulate.
Hormonal birth control methods work by stopping ovulation from occurring, or by blocking the functions around ovulation and fertilization. (Barrier methods, on the other hand, block sperm from entering your reproductive system, but you continue ovulating.)
Without ovulation, there’s no egg. With no egg, there’s nothing to fertilize, and pregnancy doesn’t happen.
In other words, if and when you want to get pregnant, the first step is stopping your birth control so that ovulation returns.
Keep in mind that you can start ovulating before you get your period, meaning it’s possible to get pregnant even if your period hasn’t yet returned. This, and other factors, can make it hard to tell whether you’ve started ovulating again, but other signs of ovulation after birth control can let you know your body is ready for pregnancy.
Does birth control affect your fertility? It’s a common worry that birth control can affect your fertility, and that as a result it might take longer to get pregnant after birth control. But that’s a myth!
While some birth control may take a bit longer than others to leave your system, birth control does not affect your fertility in the long term , regardless of type and duration of use.
You should be just as fertile after stopping birth control as you were before you started using it.
>>MORE: How To Get Pregnant Quickly After Birth Control
How long does it take to get pregnant after birth control? Timing by birth control type You’re off birth control, you’re ovulating again, and you’re having sex regularly during your fertile window (aka the five days before ovulation, and the day of ovulation). Now, how long does it take to get pregnant after birth control?
The answer is, it depends! It depends on your life circumstances and your body. It also depends on the type of birth control you were using, including whether it was hormonal or barrier.
Though the exact number of days or months to pregnancy may vary, research has shown that most people will get pregnant within a year of stopping birth control.
Here’s a general sense of how soon you may be able to get pregnant after birth control of various types, including:
The pill An IUD The implant The patch The ring The shot Barrier birth control (condoms, diaphragms, and spermicide) How long does it take to get pregnant after the pill? The pill is a hormonal method of birth control that stops ovulation (aside from certain progestin-only pills, or POPs, which only partially block ovulation), and blocks sperm from passing through the cervix by thickening cervical mucus. The pill is only effective if you take it daily.
You can get pregnant immediately after you stop taking the pill.
Compared to other types of ovulation-suppressing hormonal contraception (like the shot), oral contraceptives have a short half-life , meaning they don’t stay in your blood as long. This is partly why you have to take the pill daily—and why pregnancy is theoretically possible immediately after you stop taking it.
For many people, though, time to pregnancy will likely be a bit longer. It’s only normal—the hormones that the pill was releasing need to leave your system for your body to reset itself, including resetting reproductive factors like your ovulation, uterine lining, and cervical mucus.
On average, ovulation returns within one to three months of stopping the pill, meaning you may be able to get pregnant anytime around then.
>>MORE: What Are the Signs of Ovulation After Stopping the Pill?
How long does it take to get pregnant after an intrauterine device? An intrauterine device, or IUD, is a small T-shaped device inserted into the uterus. IUDs can be either hormonal (made of plastic) or copper. Both types work by blocking sperm, and by thinning your uterine lining to prevent implantation.
You can get pregnant immediately after your IUD is removed, regardless of the type of IUD.
Neither IUD type suppresses ovulation—they only affect the situation inside your uterus and cervix.
Still, pregnancy may not happen the very next day. Your cycle, including ovulation, usually returns to normal within one month of IUD removal.
How long does it take to get pregnant after the implant? The birth control implant is a small, plastic rod placed under the skin of your upper arm. It releases hormones that suppress ovulation and block sperm.
You can get pregnant immediately after the implant is removed.
It may take a bit more time than that, however, for your body to readapt, since the implant affects your ovulation, your uterine lining, and your cervical mucus.
Ovulation usually returns to its pre-contraception regularity within one month of removal.
How long does it take to get pregnant after the patch? The birth control patch is a small, plastic square that you stick to your skin for a week at a time. It releases hormones into your body through your skin, stopping ovulation and blocking sperm.
You can get pregnant right after you stop using the patch.
Still, the patch suppresses ovulation and impacts your uterine lining and cervical mucus, and its effect on your reproductive system may briefly continue as your body resets itself.
On average, regular ovulation returns within one to three months, so it’s possible that time to pregnancy will be at least a few cycles.
How long does it take to get pregnant after the ring? The vaginal ring is a small, flexible, plastic ring that you place inside your vagina for three weeks at a time. The hormones that it releases suppress ovulation and block sperm.
You can get pregnant right after you stop using the ring.
The ring acts on your ovulation, your uterine lining, and your cervical mucus to prevent pregnancy, and its impact on your reproductive system may briefly persist as your body readjusts.
Regular ovulation generally returns within one to three months, meaning it may take a few cycles to get pregnant.
How long does it take to get pregnant after the shot? The birth control shot is a hormone injection that you get every three months. It suppresses ovulation and blocks sperm.
It takes a bit longer to get pregnant after the shot. Some people are able to get pregnant within 10 months of the last injection, but for others it may take up to 18 months for fertility to return.
The shot is intended to last 90 days. The higher hormone dosage, which stays in your system for longer, can lead to a longer period before you can get pregnant. In fact, the shot can still be detected in your body 120-200 days after injection, or around 3 to 6.5 months.
If you’re planning on getting pregnant soon, you may want to consider stopping the shot earlier, or switching to a birth control method with a shorter return to fertility.
How long does it take to get pregnant after barrier birth control? Barrier birth control, like condoms, diaphragms, and spermicide, work on a case-by-case basis and only prevent pregnancy during sex.
If you’re not on any other birth control, you can get pregnant any time you have sex without barrier birth control.
How long does it take to get pregnant after birth control? The bottom line The earliest you may be able to get pregnant after birth control can vary depending on the birth control you were using, ranging anywhere from immediately after stopping to a few months after stopping.
With most contraception, ovulation and fertility return within a few months, and many people get pregnant within a year of trying to conceive.
Keep in mind, though, that each person is unique, and each timeline to pregnancy is different. No need to panic if your timeline is longer than a few months—it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an issue, it might just mean you need more time.
If, however, it’s been one year and you haven’t gotten pregnant (or six months, if you’re over 35), consider making an appointment with a fertility specialist to see if you may need a bit more help along your fertility journey. If you have an AMAB partner (assigned male at birth), they should see a specialist , too.
