Contraceptive methods and fertility
Coming off contraception is one of the first things you need to do if you're planning on getting pregnant.
The type of birth control you use will affect how long it takes for your fertility to return to normal.
Non-hormonal contraceptives
Stopping some methods will mean you can get pregnant straight away. These are non-hormonal and include:
Hormonal contraceptives
Other contraception methods work by changing the levels of certain hormones in your body. These are known as hormonal contraceptives.
These can affect the length of time it takes for your fertility to return to normal.
Hormonal contraceptives include:
- the 'pill' (the combined oral contraceptive pill)
- the vaginal ring
- contraceptive patch
- the mini-pill (or progesterone-only pill)
- intrauterine system (IUS)
- contraceptive implant
- contraceptive injection
Hormonal contraceptives are reversible. This means that after stopping them, your fertility will return to normal.
Irreversible and hard to reverse methods
Other types of contraception include tubal ligation or vasectomy. It is not easy to become pregnant after these procedures.