“How to get off birth control?”

Thank you for this question. You complete a package of pills and you will get a period. Suggest that you attempt to conceive, get pregnant when you are no longer under the influence of pills. Your body may ovulate as soon as 14 days after the start of the period but in some people, it can take up to three months for ovulation to take place. Pregnancy takes place after you ovulate (release an egg from your ovary). It is not dangerous if you do become pregnant without waiting for a period but it may be more difficult to determine when you conceived and became pregnant. This information is helpful to determine how old the fetus is. However, ultrasound is very effective in determining the age of a pregnancy, especially in the first 3 to 4 months of the pregnancy.

You can come off your birth control straight away if you intend to fall pregnant. Please start prenatal vitamins.

You do not need to wean off a birth control pills, but I would suggest finishing the birth control pack to maintain regulation of your period. Once you stop taking them, they do not stay in your body so you do not need to be concerned regarding lingering effects of birth control pills.

Omnia M. Samra-Latif Estafan MD, MPH, FACOG, FAARM, NCMP