How soon after stopping the Pill can I take a pregnancy test?

**ValerieKay** · 01-03-2011 12:09 AM

Last month I finished my pills and had my period, and I didn't start them again. I had sex several times with a condom over the next three weeks, and then twice unprotected in the last week and a half. I know that ovulation after stopping the Pill varies. It's been 32 days since my period. How likely is it that I'm pregnant and how soon can I take a test?

**ItsASecret** · 01-03-2011 09:21 AM

It can take anywhere from a month to 6 months to have the pill completely leave a woman's body and balance itself out again, there is no way to predict how long that would take. Pregnancy could occur at any point maybe after the first month, the chances of getting pregnant coming right off the pill are slim but still possible. I would keep trying to get pregnant but do not get your hopes up or feel completely depressed if you cannot get pregnant in the next month or so. And if you do get pregnant then obviously things have settled nicely for you

**ValerieKay** · 01-03-2011 01:02 PM

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I'm not trying to get pregnant, so I'm nervous that I might be. I'm glad to hear the chances are small. How much longer should I wait for my period or to take a test?

**WildChild** · 01-03-2011 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by ValerieKay

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I'm not trying to get pregnant, so I'm nervous that I might be. I'm glad to hear the chances are small. How much longer should I wait for my period or to take a test?

Then WHY are you having unprotected sex without any conception control??? That certainly sounds like trying to get pregnant.

**ValerieKay** · 01-03-2011 01:42 PM

My, what a helpful response. Thank you SO much for your insight!

**WildChild** · 01-03-2011 01:58 PM

I'm just curious as to why you would do this to yourself?

**Beautiful Disaster** · 01-03-2011 03:31 PM

HPT's are made now to detect early pregnancy (or alot of them are) some even before you're missed period. Go to the store, grab an HPT and if you're pregnant it will most likely reflect that.

I have known people to get pregnant within a month of going off the pill. I've known people who got pregnant while on the pill and taking antibiotics which means they were only unprotected for 7-10 days (or however long they were on the antibiotics).

Ovulation usually occurs 14 days into your cycle, but this can vary from woman to woman. I've read that a pretty accurate assessment is to subtract your luteal phase (the number of days from the time you start ovulating to when you start your period...ex. 12) from your total number of cycle days (ex. 28) So if these numbers were yours, you would most likely be in your ovulating cycle by Day 16 of your cycle.

If, at ANY point you are having unprotected sex while not taking the pill or using some other form of reliable birth control, you most definitely could be pregnant. Go get yourself a pregnancy test and some condoms and if it comes up negative, take it as a blessing and a lesson learned and put those condoms to use. I'm currently going through the same thing, don't want to take the pill because of the bad side effects and find there aren't many other options. Condoms are without a doubt not near as enjoyable as without....but I have a feeling unwanted pregnancy isn't so pleasant either.

Your guy needs to be concerned with taking some responsibility. Tell him he needs to start bringing condoms or he can forget about having sex.

Good luck!

**WildChild** · 01-03-2011 03:50 PM

A diaphram can be a good alternative too.

**Little** · 01-03-2011 03:59 PM

I got pregnant the first month off BCP's (Ortho Tri Cyclen.) I'd been on it over a year to treat my menstrual symptoms (painful, irregular periods - not indicators of high fertility!)
If your cycles are usually 28 days long, then you are overdue to be able to take a test, as Beautiful Disaster mentioned. Though the final week of your cycle is not a particularly "fertile period," you are still at risk of pregnancy with any unprotected sex.
WildChild brings up an important point! Conception contol is incredibly important. If you don't want to become pregnant, you need to be doing something to prevent it - other than just worrying, shrugging your shoulders, or snapping at strangers on the internet. Obviously, you know that, as you used condoms for some of your sexual encounters ... so what happened the rest of the time? Condoms aren't convenient (or pleasurable) and other methods have nasty side effects, but I guarantee that pregnancy has some side effects of its own that you don't want to go through until you're ready.
I hope that your pregnancy test comes back negative so that you can rethink your contraception methods on your own terms.