How long should you be off birth control pills before conceiving?

Getting Pregnant After Going Off the Pill

IMPROVED ANSWER:
As a physician, I can answer this commonly asked question for you. First of all, you are able to conceive while taking the birth control pill (BCP). However, the statistics show that the rates for conception are very, very low. The only birth control method 100% effective is abstinence. We have to make this clear to all patients...that no prescribed method is 100% effective.

Now, to answer your question...the day that you stop taking your BCP is Day #1 that you are able to conceive. There is absolutely no harm to you or your fetus in conceiving this soon. There will not be any birth defects or congenital anomalies.

The only reason why doctors often suggest waiting two full cycles/having two normal periods is so we are able to adequately date the course of your pregnancy. We need to know the 1st day of your last period in order to give you an estimated date for delivery and also follow the growth of your fetus throughout pregnancy.If you conceive as soon as you come off of your BCP, you do not have the reference of a last menstrual period.


Here are answers and opinions from FAQ Farmers:

• I was on the pill for almost two years.For a personal reason I stopped taking them.That same week was the week of my period(I got it the next day,it was on schedule)That was on the 8th and I finished on the 31st the very next day I got pregnant.They say you should have at least two normal periods before you can get pregnant.I barely even had one.To top it off, the doctor even said I wasn't pregnant (which i was) so all the medical advice and fact isn't always 100% for sure. Because my pregnancy was not even at a time where a doctor could say I had the possibility of being pregnant.

• An uninformed old wives' tale would read something like this: A woman can pregnant very soon after stopping, about 2 weeks, but your should wait 3 months (or 3 normal cycles) after stopping to reduce the chance of a miscarriage. This is not only poorly written but also grossly incorrect. There is no excuse for allowing such a needlessly frightening statement on this page. I'm a frequent Wikipedia contributor, but this utterly wrong "answer" made me sick to my stomach.

I stopped taking the pill about a week early that supposed to. So I got my period earlier, and then I got pregnant right after my period. I was on the pill for about 2 years.