OK, stupid question alert...!

[ILoveShoes]

Hello again!
I'm going to sound like a total idiot now, but here goes...
I took my last contraceptive pill last night.
How do I know how long my cycle lasts, and when I'm most fertile? Could someone really break it down for me please?
I promise I'm not thick, it's just that I've spent so long trying not to get pregnant, I don't really know what's what.
Thanks in advance.
xxx

 

[jules22]

That is such a good question. So,...when I first got off the pill i thought I would have a regular cycle...you know 28 days. Not the case. It takes 3 months on average to get your cycle regular again. It is kind of a hit or miss kind of thing. My cycle lenth is about 36 days. However, some people, rare but some, can get preggers right after taking the pill. I'm not so lucky haha

 

[Mrs Dot]

I was exactly the same as you but after a few months ttc I've come to the realisation that what happens happens and the more I get hung up about it the less likely it is to happen! Best thing to do is BD as much as poss at around cycle day 10 onwards for about a week for your first cycle, and you never know you might get lucky! If not just keep an eye on when your cycle starts and finishes and how you feel in between.

I've found loads of help on here and I think I'm finally starting to get my head around it all! And don't be frightened of putting any question on here either as there's sure to be someone who will have an answer!

 

[SarahMelissa]

I was the same as you, i was on the pill for nearly 11 years without ever having a break, i took the last active pill on the 9th January and had the usual withdrawal bleed that started on the 12th January. I had absolutely no idea what to except, when i would get a period, when i would ovulate, etc. However I got my first "normal" period on the 12th February, the next one on the 12th March and now again on the 11th April so it appears i came off the pill expereince fairly well and i am having regular cycles straight away, but everyone is definately different, others can be waiting months before they get that first real period. I hope you get your cycle back quickly. If you are not doing so already i suggest using fertilityfreiend.com to track your BBT and other fertile signs to help you know what your body is doing. Good luck!

 

[amerikiwi]

I have also found charting with FertilityFriend to be a great way to gain insight on what my cycles are doing, and when to focus my BD efforts. They also have an online free course to teach you the basics of charting!

Good luck.

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

Your first proper cycle starts when you get your first true period after your withdrawal bleed from the pill. So if you took your last pill yesterday and then you have a withdrawal bleed for a few days your first "true" period will be roughly a month afterwards but they can take quite a while to settle down after bcp, mine still aren't 100% regular 8months later. Ov usually happens 14 days before your AF but in some people it can be sooner or later than that, if you want to know when you Ov with accuracy it can be worth buying OPKs which tell you when you ovulate. Then you'll know what your luteal phase length is (the time between ovulation and your period) xx

 

[JayDee]

I don't think the first month you can know at all, unless you use ov tests and stuff. What I did was assume that I would have a regular 28 day cycle (I wasn't far off, it was 30 days) and marked the middle week (which would be about 10 days after the last bleed started) as when I would be most fertile.

As you can see, I'm still not pregnant, but I have no idea of knowing whether that's cos I got the timing wrong/whether I didn't ov or what.

Hope you get into a regular cycle soon (or better still, catch the first egg!) x