Was it the BC's fault?

[Carita]

Conceiving #1 took 3 years (actually 4, but we were only trying for 3 of them). I never charted - way too stressful for me -, but had period regularly, though often skipped a month. After year 2, I saught some acupunture, and between that and the herbals she gave me, it took about another year, and I was pregnant. I was on Depo Provera prior to TTC - I had heard that it could delay pregnancy for up to a year, but my doctor insisted that it couldn't be responsible for my 3 years of TTC. This time I got pregnant in 3 cycles with # 2, and that is with breastfeeding a 2 year old.

Now I have another friend - similar situation, she is charting, seems to be ovulating, now over 1 year of TTC. She was not on Depo, but a patch that contained progestin as one of the active ingredients.

I can't help but think that my temporary struggle with infertility was caused by my choice of BC, and that because I didn't go back on hormonal BC that that is why I got pregnant so quickly again. Well and a little addition to some soy lattes - I feel so much more normal now - my whole family are the fertile type, and I was feeling left out!

Anyone have similar stories and/or blame their BC for their infertility?

[nyteacher]

I often wonder if BC interfered with me as well. From 6th grade until i started taking BC i was regular with AF-then was on the pill for 10 years. Last year when i got off and started ttc i have not gotten my period on my own since without it being induced by the provera drug.

Ahh! i just want my cycle back like it was prior to BC.

[lifeguard]

I'm VERY certain that b/c was the catalyst for my pcos & resultant struggles with fertility. Everything was pretty good until I started messing around with artificial hormones.

I personally think we (our culture) is way too flippant about b/c pills/patches/injections & the potential problems.

[JenBuckyfan]

Just as a comparison of sorts, I was off BC 5 years prior to ttc and it still took us 22 months to conceive. I also had 6 months of weekly acupuncture and chinese herbs followed by 3 months of monthly acupuncture, as well as a therapist by the final few months. I wouldn't doubt though that BC could affect some people; our systems are so different and complex that maybe some systems are more sensitive. I would find it hard to believe that it would affect fertility for 3 years because I wouldn't think the hormones stay in the body that long after stopping. Maybe it just takes longer for the body's normal hormones to get back into balance.

[ScarletBegonias]

hormones are stored in fat, so yes, it is entirely plausible that there are still synthetic hormones in your body even years after stopping bc.

i took the depo shot once, and i didn't have a period for 18 months. my cousin took depo for 6 years and it took 4 years ttc and aggressive fertility treatments (ART) to conceive again. i have heard so, so many similar stories.

[Carita]

good to know i am not alone...

i wanted to wish everyone luck on their journeys through infertility. I thought the second time around, it would take me at least 3 more years, and I was pleasantly surprised...

[smeep]

I have a strong feeling that the BC was at least in part responsible for the problems I've been experiencing.

Lost DS2 at 6.5 wpo in April '08 (hadn't been on BC since DS's conception in March '05). Got on BC for 2 months, off for another couple (didn't get around to getting more, though I did take the Plan B pill in late July/early August, literally 2 days before getting my new bc script) and from August last year through February of this year. I had annovulatory cycles until June (2 weeks after starting vitex and some others), my EWCM is a big fat JOKE (I am lucky to catch 1 or 2 barely-there strands of stretchy cm a whole cycle, and I've seen the tiniest bit of what was maybe ewcm ONCE). I know bcp can cause annovulatory cycles, and I read in another thread a mama mention her ewcm was whacked after getting off the bcp. And I've been noticing odd cm since October of last year. And I am insuranceless right this moment so I can't see my midwife to have her run basic tests (pap, check for any infections, etc.).

And my friends think I'm crazy for REFUSING to get on bcp again. I'd rather, A) have the occasional "surprise" baby on NFP, or, B) be frickin celebate, than get on bcp again. I'm only 24. I should be so fertile I'm popping babies left and right even with NFP. God/dess knows I was when DS1 & 2 (though 2 was a loss) were conceived. They were total "Holy, $@%^!!!" situations. No charting, not even aware of how long my cycles normally were, no clue when I normally O'd, and DS2 was conceived with a "one-time donation" iykwim.

Granted, there is (that I know of) one other factor that's irrelevant to the bcp, but DS2 was conceived with that in play. I do wonder if that contributed to my possible chemical pregnancy this last cycle (still not sure if it was one, but I'm assuming it was as motivation to rid the factor), but it could have as easily been anything else.


Anyways, so yeah, bcp can definitely mess up things long term I think. No good. I wish more women knew the heartbreak and frustration that comes with the risks if those risks become reality.