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Preconception planning: Is your body ready for pregnancy?

What type of birth control have you been using?

If you've been taking combination birth control pills — whether conventional or extended cycle — your period is expected to return within 30 days after stopping the pill. You don't need to take a pill-free break before trying to conceive.

However, it'll be somewhat easier to estimate when you ovulated and when your baby is due if you have at least one normal period before conceiving. If you plan to wait a few months, use condoms while your menstrual cycle gets back to normal.

If you've been using certain types of long-term birth control, such as progestin injections, your return to fertility might take somewhat longer. Still, 50% of women who discontinue progestin injections to become pregnant conceive within 10 months after the last shot.