How long before I want to be pregnant should I stop my birth control pill if I want to be pregnant in 6 months?

Hello,

Generally, it takes a few cycles (months) for your natural hormone levels to balance out when you stop your birth control pill. So, it is more rare (but possible) for a woman to get pregnant within a month of stopping the birth control pill. On the other hand, it usually takes about 3-6 months for your body to get back into balance on a hormonal level and for your menstrual cycle to stabilize.

So if you want to get pregnant in 6 months, you can stop the pill within the next few weeks to increase your chances. However, of course, even when you go off the second method of birth control (I'm assuming it's a condom?), it may take a while to get pregnant even if your menstrual cycle is back to normal. It depends on the patient! For some patients, pregnancy happens on the first try, while for others it takes longer.

I would also advise you to discuss this with your community pharmacist. He or she can make sure that you are not taking any medication that is not recommended for pregnancy. He or she can also prescribe vitamin supplements to start at least 3 months before pregnancy.

Hoping to have been able to help you,

I wish you good luck in this beautiful project 😊

Noémie Maurice, Pharmacy student, supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, Pharmacist