Debating going off birth control 11 months before our wedding?

Honestly, I would wait, depending on why you went on the pill to begin with. I went on it when I was in high school for (extremely) heavy periods, acne, and cramps that were bad enough that I had to miss school (and my doctor had me on a prescription for the pain). I went off of it last year, because we wanted to TTC. Not only did I not get pregnant, but my periods, the acne and the cramps came back. We discovered that I have PCOS - hence the horrid periods (which were and continued to be very irregular). My last period, the cramps were so bad that I spent a day vomiting and barely able to stand up.

As a result, we have decided that we can't live like that, and I have gone back on the pill - which is one of the better treatments for PCOS, and we are exploring alternate paths to parenthood. Do you want to be concerned about your period (and everything that goes along with it) on your wedding day? Do you want to possibly be pregnant (or not long postpartum) on your wedding day?

If you have concerns about your health, then I would consult with a doctor.

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think the pill is supposed to stop your period for that long after you've stopped. I'd talk to a gynecologist about switching to a hormonal IUD ( it uses less hormone and stays local to your uterus). Get the numbing shot, I don't know why some doctors don't use it

My husband and I got married in July 2019 and I stopped birth control two weeks prior to the wedding. I had my period in August 2019, but didn't have it again until February when a doctor prescribed me meds to jump start my period. They also did a bunch of tests and it was determined I have PCOS. I was also given meds to help increase my ovulation since we wanted to have a baby. I found out I was pregnant in August 2020 and the date we conceived her was 5 days after our one year wedding anniversary. I was very sad every month I got my period because we wanted a baby so baby. My daughter just turned 3 months elarier this week. I still have a large cyst on my ovary and might need to have surgery to remove it, but they are hoping it will go away on its own. However my husband would like to try for another baby first because he is worried about the risk of surgery damaging my ovary or that my ovary might end up needing to be removed. I'm currently 27 and he's 30. My mom also had uterine cancer really young and given that I also want to try to have all of our children close to together because I'm worried about the possibility of cancer. I will say my husband refuses to use condoms so I suggest talking with your fiance to make sure he's even willing to use condoms because if he isn't then you have to decide the best option for you guys. Good luck 🙂

I personally HATE birth control and haven't been on it in yearsssss. My husband and I have never had any slip ups even though we don't use protection at all. If you want to start trying for a baby soon, my opinion would be to get off soon.

I would go off of it. Many women who have fertility issues don’t find out until after they get off their birth control. It’s the only way you can find out what your body does on its own, and 11 months is enough time to resolve any possible fertility issues before you get married an start trying.


FH and I use condoms. I highly recommend them.

I would make an appointment with your ob/gyn to discuss this, as they are most familiar with your medical history, type of birth control, it’s potential side effects, and what would be considered normal vs. abnormal in terms of ovulation after coming off the pill. Because there are so many factors that can be involved in fertility, I would rely on the advice of your medical doctors.

First, I'm so sorry about your experience with birth control and regaining your normal period. It really stinks to have to go through that.

I would recommend speaking with your ob/gyn about your concerns and seeking their professional option. It can take a while to resolve fertility and hormone issues, so starting now would give you a head start, but there are also some couples who unexpectedly conceive right away when they thought it would take them months or years. You just really don't know what the outcome will be but your doc, who should be familiar with your medical history, would be in the best position to anticipate what the outcomes of staying on BC longer vs going off of it now might be.

IF you go off BC now, I would strongly recommend consistently using a barrier method of contraception prior to your wedding. Plenty of women get married while pregnant, but it doesn't seem to be something most would recommend. Being a pregnant bride means being super cautious about your skincare, makeup, avoiding certain cosmetic treatments like tanning, botox, etc, being careful what food you eat, avoiding alcohol and certain foods, dealing with low energy, morning sickness, mandated bedrest, etc, not knowing how you will feel that day, not knowing how clothes will fit from your shoes to your dress to your rings, etc.

I have never been a fan of hormonal birth control and always recommend that women consider non-hormonal options. I had a copper IUD from age 20-35. I had it removed at the end of last year when my husband and I decided we wanted to TTC. So far we have not been fortunate enough, but we are in our mid-late 30s now so knew there was a chance we would have issues. I do have friends who have gone off BC and conceived right away though, so it is different for everyone. I would just say if you decide you want to start on transitioning your hormones back to normal now, be sure to use another form of contraception prior to your wedding. Good luck!

I seriously worry about this as well because I have been on the pill with no breaks FOR-EV-ER. I've talked to several Dr's and an OBGYN and they said I shouldn't have any issues, but I'm still worried something will come up when the time comes and we try to get pregnant (also going to start trying right after the wedding).

Obviously talk to your Dr and see what advice they can give you, especially since you know you have an underlying condition. I personally, wouldn't stop taking it so far away from your wedding because what if you get pregnant right away and then you have to deal with being pregnant on your wedding day (something I did not want which is why we haven't started trying yet). Maybe a month or 2 before to jumpstart everything, if the advice from your Dr is as simple as that. I've also seen supplements at whole foods that are supposed to help your body regulate after you have stopped taking BC - might be something to check out and talk to your Dr about as well