What Happens When You Stop Taking Birth Control?

Maybe you’ve taken birth control pills for years, and you’re now ready to try to get pregnant. Or maybe you’re interested in using another form of contraception.

Whatever your reason, you may wonder what happens when you stop taking birth control pills, especially if you’ve been on them for a long time.

The short answer? It depends.

“The pill is a type of hormonal medication,” says Ob/Gyn Salena Zanotti, MD. “Everyone reacts differently to going on the pill and then coming off it. You may notice big changes, or very little difference.”

What happens to your body when you quit birth control?

When you stop taking the pill, your body begins returning to its natural cycle. That means you can get pregnant right away. It can also change your period, mood and sex drive.

Here’s what you may experience.

Your fertility comes back

This is perhaps the most important thing to know: You can become pregnant very soon after stopping birth control.

The hormones from the pill leave your body within days. That means you can ovulate (release an egg) and get pregnant very soon after.

“There are some who go off the pill and never even get a period because they get pregnant right away,” Dr. Zanotti shares.

If pregnancy isn’t your goal, have another method of contraception ready when you stop taking the pill. That could be barrier methods, like condoms, an IUD or another reliable method.

Your period can be delayed

Your menstrual cycle might pick up right where it left off without much fuss. Or it may take some time to fall into a predictable pattern.

You may begin having regular periods soon after stopping the pill, or you may not have a period for the first few months.

If your period hasn’t returned after three months of being off the pill, Dr. Zanotti recommends making an appointment with a women’s healthcare provider.

And if there’s a possibility you could be pregnant, take a pregnancy test.

Your period can be heavier or longer

The pill may have come with lighter, shorter and easier-to-predict periods. After stopping birth control, your natural periods may feel like quite a change.

“Once those hormones are gone, you might notice a change in flow and duration,” Dr. Zanotti says.

Your cycle may be less predictable. And you may have heavier or longer periods.

In many cases, this isn’t a new problem caused by stopping birth control.

“The pill can override your natural menstrual pattern,” she explains. “Once you stop taking it, that old pattern can return.”

You may have PMS symptoms

There’s a reason healthcare providers prescribe birth control for more than preventing pregnancy.

“Many women go on birth control to help with premenstrual symptoms, like cramps, bloating and nausea,” Dr. Zanotti notes. “If that was the case before you started taking the pill, those side effects will probably return after you stop taking it.”

You might also notice PMS symptoms like breast tenderness, mood changes or irritability before your period. If you experienced menstrual migraines before taking birth control, those may return, too.

Your sex drive may change

Stopping birth control pills may give your libido a boost, particularly if you had a lower sex drive while taking them.

“The pill can cause vaginal dryness,” Dr. Zanotti says. “Stopping it can change your natural lubrication and increase your libido.”

But there isn’t one universal response. Just as some women experience different sexual side effects while taking birth control pills, their experience after stopping them can be different, too.

How to go off birth control

If you take the pill, you don’t need to slowly reduce your dose or do a so-called “birth control cleanse.” You can simply stop taking it.

But a little planning can make the transition easier. Consider these tips:

• Have another form of birth control ready if you don’t want to get pregnant. There’s no required “break” between birth control methods. You can transition directly from one method to another. And because your fertility can return quickly, don’t count on having a grace period after your last pill.
• Finish your current pack. It’s generally safe to stop the pill at any point. But finishing your current pill pack may make it easier to gauge when you should get your next period.
• Track your periods and symptoms. Make note of when you bleed and symptoms like cramps, headaches or mood changes. It may take some time for your cycle to become regular again, and keeping track can help you recognize your new pattern.
• Check in if your period doesn’t return. If you haven’t had a period within three months of stopping the pill, Dr. Zanotti recommends taking a pregnancy test and seeing a healthcare provider.

If you’re considering stopping or switching your birth control method, talk with a healthcare provider. They can talk to you about what to expect and discuss other birth control options if you’re not planning to get pregnant.