Should You Be Concerned if Your Period Stops after Birth Control

One of the most common symptoms after stopping birth control is the absence of menstruation. It is a term referred to as post-pill amenorrhea and is the act of the body restoring hormone levels. Hormones will regulate ovulation and determine menstrual cycles in women.

Hormone pills or birth control will have women on a regular and predictable cycle with medical control and stopping the birth control will actually replace this responsibility back to the body’s natural functions. Everyone may not respond the same and it can take a varied amount of time for the body to return to its normal function.

On average most women will respond within 4 to 6 weeks as their bodies cycle once without the aid of the medical hormones used in birth control. Some women may typically wait to up to 3 months without worry or concern. It is important to calculate and monitor when one quits the birth control and the active cycle resumes.

Every woman and their bodies can respond differently and it may also be determined by the type or strength of the birth control that will affect the cycles return. A stronger form may cause the body to take longer than a smaller dosage as the body will have to adjust and correct a larger gap of hormone replacement. Many birth controls can have information that can help determine the expected wait for a menstrual cycle to return. One can check this information online or with a health professional such as a doctor or pharmacist.

If you think it has been too long then it may be necessary to perform an at home pregnancy test to determine if one could actually have reason for not having a menstrual cycle. It could be safe precaution to check for pregnancy as soon as one quits birth control to help determine ovulation and chances of pregnancy and cycle of the pregnancy. 

To monitor for possible pregnancy it may be necessary to perform a pregnancy test every week to 2 weeks until the menstrual cycle returns, this will help in also determining the time of conception and date of pregnancy.  It is not uncommon for a woman to become pregnant soon after stopping birth control while some may take longer than normal to become pregnant. This is not only determined by the woman and her natural hormone levels but also by the types of birth control and their strengths.

There are some health factors that could be present if it has been longer than 6 months that could cause alarm and may require a visit to a gynecologist. There are tests that can be performed to insure that hormone levels are current and the body is not suffering from any type of disease or cancers. Although it is not uncommon for a woman to not return to normal for that long and even up to a year without complication.

Some women who suffer from stress or low weight can see longer delays in their cycles return as their bodies will have a harder time in restoring natural functions. It is important to monitor your body and its changes and to seek professional aid if questions or concerns may arise.