Chemical Birth Control & Infertility

By Sams Mom Jul 30, 2018

So my question is:

Do you feel like being on some kind of chemical/hormonal birth control caused issues becoming pregnant?

I know that lots of people get pregnant fairly quick after coming off of BC. And some of my "hang up" is probably that my mom always told us girls that adding hormones to your body is going to cause issues getting pregnant. But the fact that I had never been on BC before I had my son, only used NFP method/pull & pray; then had Nexplanon put in at my 6 week check amkes me wonder. I had it in for a year almost exactly, before TTC #2.

Or is this just looking for a reason for why I'm not pregnant yet, and want something tangible to blame?

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poll: Do you think chemical/hormonal BC led to fertility issues?
Yes : (5 votes)

12 %

No : (37 votes)

88 %

42 votes

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25 comments

skinnycow
pear / 1728 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I don't think so, but obviously I'm not 100% sure. I was on and off BC for about 7 years before I conceived my daughter on the first cycle trying. I conceived pregnancy #2 (ended in MC) on month 3 of TTC. I was on BC for about 4 months prior to trying again and am now on month 3 of TTC again.

Long story short - I've been on BC a decent amount of time and haven't experienced real fertility issues yet.
BadgerMom
persimmon / 1385 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I don't know... I've been on some form of hormonal birth control on and off, but mostly on since I was 17. I got pregnant on the first try with my first, but I was probably off the pill at least a year before we started trying. I got an Mirena IUD after DS was born, and had that in for about a year. I noticed my cycles were a lot lighter/shorter than they used to be after getting my Mirena removed. I got my Mirena removed about 6 months before we started trying and it took us 6 months of trying to conceive. During that time I definitely wondered if the Mirena messed up my cycles, but my shorter/lighter periods could also be due to a natural change in my cycle due to aging. I really don't think there's anyway to know for sure.
Sams Mom
grapefruit / 4492 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@skinnycow: That is probably the case, next month is my final round of Clomid before question mark... So I just wish I had something to fix, hell even something to blame myself for.
Sams Mom
grapefruit / 4492 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@BadgerMom: Nexplanon or childbirth? shortened my cycles in general and my periods.
mrskansas
nectarine / 2813 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I have never taken hormonal BC and conceived my daughter on our first cycle. TTC #2 is 2 years and counting... with three unexplained losses in that time.

I have been diagnosed with unexplained IF so I totally understand wanting a reason.

I don't think BC is usually to blame for fertility issues.
skinnycow
pear / 1728 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Sams Mom: Totally understand. So far I haven't had issues conceiving but I definitely looked for something to blame after my miscarriage. For some reason it seems like it would help to know!

Fingers crossed the next round of Clomid does it for you!
kayla0416
apricot / 275 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I know there's no proof of this out there (that I've been able to find), but I truly believe that was my experience. I was on hormonal birth control for 12 years before ttc. My cycles were all over the place after coming off, and took a long time to regulate to "normal" 30-35 day cycles. Had an ectopic, and a year of trying for my first. Just did NFP in between because we wanted to conceive again quickly. Conceived #2 on the 2nd month trying (with bad timing!). We want a 3rd, and this time I got the Paragard IUD because we want a little bit bigger age gap, and I refused to do hormonal birth control before ttc again. After #3, I plan on doing the pill again for a short time just til DH can get snipped. But we are definitely not doing more than 3, so I won't care at that point.
Mrsbells
squash / 13199 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Sams Mom: I have never been on a hormonal birth control for this expect reason. It might just be a myth but I always felt uncomfortable with all the side effects and worried it would affect us TTC later. Of course many people use hormonal birth control and have no issue coming off it but I was always s bit skeptical how it would affect me personally
bhbee
cantaloupe / 6086 posts

Jul 30, 2018

Obviously I know it’s all speculation and too complicated for anyone to ever test out. But I definitely think it had an impact ... I have wondered if the more internal methods make more of a difference especially reading about iud experience on this thread. I was on the pill with seemingly no negative effect on my cycle. Then I switched to nuvaring for about 3-4 years. When I went off ... nothing. No cycle. After 6 months I had an ob induce one, then I went another 90 days or something and induced another. It was just never normal again, I had various doctors say pcos or not but mostly unclear. Post my first birth (through clomid) I did go back to having a cycle, but kept experiencing losses - that I don’t really blame on the nuvaring, just age and bad luck. Who knows but I always feel like the nuvaring at least exacerbated an underlying problem. I refuse to mess with any hormonal bc again even though we’re done having kids after this one.
Calibee
apricot / 286 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I was on the pill for 10 years. Got pregnant the month I stopped taking it.

Then I went on the mini pill after I had my daughter. It took 5 months to get pregnant the second time. I was losing my mind because I got pregnant so fast the first time. But for me, I couldn’t get pregnant until I was down to only breastfeeding one time per day. As soon as I got down to one feeding per day, I got pregnant again.

Just another thing to consider in case you’re still nursing.
Sams Mom
grapefruit / 4492 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Calibee: I wish that was the case, but I weaned my son 17 1/2 months ago and I got my period back 4 1/2 weeks postpartum.
EmmaNZ
grape / 86 posts

Jul 30, 2018

Yes ! In my case absolutely I believe this. But - I will qualify this by saying I had underlying hormonal issues /PCOS. I was out on oral.birth control at age 16 because I didn't have regular cycles... instead of ever having it investigated. I came off 10.years later after getting married. My.period took 18 months to return!!!!! That was agonising. I did all sorts of research and changed my lifestyle.majorly. it finally returned but was very irregular for the first year. I conceived my first daughter after about a year
My period took 18 months to come back after her birth (returned after i stopped breastfeeding) and we practised natural family planning until we were ready to try again..no way I will.ever go.near hormonal birth control again!
Calibee
apricot / 286 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Sams Mom: Do you mind if I ask how long to have been trying for number two?
Sams Mom
grapefruit / 4492 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Calibee: I don't mind at all. I'm at the end of my 16th cycle, and 5th round of clomid.

Which I know isn't forever, but when your first baby was a surprise from one miscounted cycle it seems like an eternity
MamaBear87
nectarine / 2288 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I took bcp for 3ish years before having my lo. Got off in October, we decided to try in January and got pregnant first try. Did the pull out method in between, we're now on month 8 of trying so maybe I should have gone back on bcp
Calibee
apricot / 286 posts

Jul 30, 2018

@Sams Mom: I’m sorry. That must be so frustrating.

No clue whether BC plays a role, but it seems like there can be such a wild difference in the time it takes to get pregnant for different pregnancies. Hoping you get to share happy news soon
periwinklebee
grapefruit / 4466 posts

Jul 30, 2018

I'm sorry We tried (with opks and careful timing) for a little under a year, certainly not super long but also not great. I was on birth control for a decade previously, but I kind of doubt this contributed. My cycle went right back to clockwork as soon as I came off and I had no diagnosable issues. Probably just less than great eggs, and it was a matter of playing a numbers game until we got lucky with one of the remaining good ones.
Emileecatherine
pea / 7 posts

Jul 31, 2018

I don't think hormonal BC caused my issues (short luteral phase/ unexplained infertility) but I don't think it did me any favors. Before BC I always had very regular 31 day cycles. In 18 TTC cycles I've never had a luteral phase of more than 10 days except the cycle I got pregnant with DD using clomid.
Mamatimes3
apricot / 264 posts

Jul 31, 2018

For me, it had zero impact. I was on it for about 13 years straight before I had my 1st. I stopped taking it, waited about 2-3 months, started tying, and got pregnant 1st month trying. I went back on birth control when DS1 was about 4 weeks. To prepare for baby #2, I stopped taking it, waited about 2 months, and got pregnant 1st month of trying. Did the exact same thing for baby #3.

I think there are so many different things that can affect fertility. While it didn’t make a difference for me, maybe it would for someone else?
snowjewelz
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

Jul 31, 2018

Personally it was't the case for me. I had been on BC for over a decade and was pregnant when TTC #1 within 3 months coming off of it.
LadyDi
persimmon / 1381 posts

Jul 31, 2018

Not for me personally. I was on the pill without fail from 16-27, then had Mirena from 27-29, got pregnant after one cycle after having Mirena removed. I did not go on BC between having my two children, but got pregnant quickly with my second, despite semi irregular cycles.
LabradorLover
kiwi / 548 posts

Jul 31, 2018

I have always sort of wondered the same thing...I went on BC at like age 12 (got my period at 9 and had awful cramps). Was on the pill for about 11 years before my doctor said it could be causing my blood pressure issues so then I switched to Mirena. Had that for about 2 years and took it out right after our wedding to start trying...1.5 years later, with some intervention towards the end, I was finally pregnant. So it always makes me wonder.

I have definitely thought about whether or not I will go back on BC after this pregnancy and I am leaning more towards no just in case!
Sams Mom
grapefruit / 4492 posts

Jul 31, 2018

@LabradorLover: You perfectly described my thoughts on it. Like, yea, maybe it didn't cause it; but maybe it did. Having a hard time now has definitely made up my mind that if for some crazy reason we want a third, I won't be going back on hormonal BC.

The funny thing is for all the times my mom told us not to use hormonal BC, she was on it before each pregnancy and was pregnant the first month twice and the second month once.
pachamama
nectarine / 2436 posts

Jul 31, 2018

I don't think there's anyway we could alternate our bodies hormonal stasis for 15+years and not be affected. I do think it's more long term cancer/hormone diseases than fertility issues. I just know too many women who took hormonal BC for years and had absolutely no problem conceiving. I think the main issue is age- we are most fertile starting around age 19 or so and (in my area at least) a lot of us hold of til our 30s .
MaryM
pomelo / 5129 posts

Jul 31, 2018

I wonder about this...along with other environmental factors (soy consumption, plastics, etc.)

One of my IF issues was pretty out of whack hormones. I don't think taking man-made hormones for years did my body any favors.

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