Reasons to stop taking birth control pills

2. You Can Still Get Pregnant — Even Before Your Next Period

Most birth control pills contain synthetic forms of two hormones: estrogen and progestin.

These hormones work together to prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary), thicken cervical mucus to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg, and alter the lining of the uterus to make it less receptive to implantation of a fertilized egg, notes Carlson.

Essentially, birth control pills say to the brain “we already ovulated, no need to release another egg,” explains Erica Cahill, MD, a clinical associate professor and an ob-gyn at Stanford Health in Palo Alto, California.

Though it can take two to six weeks for your period to return, depending on when you stopped taking the pill and how long you’ve used it, you can become pregnant even before your next period, cautions Dr.

Cahill. “If that’s not your plan, think about using other methods in the meantime.”

3. Your Menstrual Cycle Will Eventually Come Back

Once you stop taking the pill, y

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