Jump to content

Irregular Period After Stopping Birth Control? Or Pregnant?


vunit05

Recommended Posts

Forgive me (male poster) for intruding but I'm hoping some more experienced women can provide some insight to me. Long story short, my current girlfriend cycled off of BC this past fall. We are not trying to conceive and I have been using both condoms and withdrawal (consistently and together) to avoid pregnancy. My girlfriend's last period came on Christmas day. She took a HPT on February 7 which was negative (so she took this 43 days or so after her last period on Dec. 25th). Still, I'm concerned (even though she isn't) that her period has not returned. She thinks that it's because her cycle is screwed up due to having cycled off of the pill. Am I right to be concerned? Given how safe we were and the fact that she tested negative, everyone (including her) think I'm worrying unnecessarily about pregnancy. But, I'm not sure. FWIW, she hasn't experienced any symptoms (no sickness or extreme fatigue), although she has gained some weight (mainly due to diet and stress in her life right now). Thoughts/advice?

Link to comment
She could be pregnant, but her body may be freaking out. I suggest you both go see her Gyn and talk through your current birth control methods and your concerns.

 

What do you mean her body may be freaking out? Are Home Pregnancy Tests usually accurate when taken 14 days after a missed period? Again she tested negatively. Unfortunately she doesn't have a gyn here in the USA (she's studying from abroad). Also, she's simply not concerned and doesn't want to see anyone. She says I'm being irrational because I've never ejaculated inside of her and always worn a condom and with her negative test she simply thinks I'm nuts and overly paranoid. So back to my original question: does cycling off birth control lead to irregular periods ever?

Link to comment
What do you mean her body may be freaking out? Are Home Pregnancy Tests usually accurate when taken 14 days after a missed period? Again she tested negatively. Unfortunately she doesn't have a gyn here in the USA (she's studying from abroad). Also, she's simply not concerned and doesn't want to see anyone. She says I'm being irrational because I've never ejaculated inside of her and always worn a condom and with her negative test she simply thinks I'm nuts and overly paranoid. So back to my original question: does cycling off birth control lead to irregular periods ever?

 

Cycling off birth control frequently and harmlessly does indeed lead to irregular cycles, as well as changes to one's cycle, itself.

 

HPTs are astonishingly accurate when used correctly, and it certainly sounds like you have. At two weeks after her missed start date, *if* she were pregnant, she would already be gestationally pregnant for four weeks, not just two, so yes, more likely than anything else, the test was reporting correctly.

 

I strongly suspect that she is not pregnant.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment

Body freaking out = hormones out of whack. I was PMSing last week and there was a marginally, remotely, sort of cute moment on TV and I cried. There was no reason I should have cried.

 

My skin got upset.

 

I had weird cravings.

 

And that was just a normal hormone cycle. Imagine how cutting off hormonal BC can impact things.

 

She's in the US? Then check out Planned Parenthood. Don't need a designated gynecologist to go there.

 

ETA: it could impact periods, but I don't know. Which is why you need to go to a Dr *together*

Link to comment
I'd say you are fine if you look at the facts that you stated. Why is she getting off the birth control if you have this paranoia?

As an international student her health coverage here in the US didn't cover it. So, we've been using condoms religiously and consistently. Moreover, I've never -- not even once -- ejaculated inside of her during intercourse. So, we're VERY cautious. I just don't have a lot of experience with this (obviously... I'm a man) so hearing that your partner hasn't had a period for a long time was concerning. After she took the HPT (and it was negative) she's 100% sure she's not. I'm, admittedly, a pretty paranoid person =)

Link to comment
You don't need health insurance for PP. I went and it was something like $80 for an annual plus one month BC. A month of BC thereafter runs something like $30?

 

Honestly, if she wants to be on the pill, there's no excuse.

 

Please. Look in to Planned Parenthood.

 

Okay. Thanks. Honestly, I've always felt safer using condoms and not ejaculating inside during intercourse than relying on my partner to consistently taker her BC pills. I know the stats favor BC slightly, but it assumes consistently taking the pill. At least with condoms and pulling out together I know what I am doing and have control. Anyway, sounds like the consensus is that the negative HPT combined with the other issues at play mean we're most likely safe here.

Link to comment
As an international student her health coverage here in the US didn't cover it. So, we've been using condoms religiously and consistently. Moreover, I've never -- not even once -- ejaculated inside of her during intercourse. So, we're VERY cautious. I just don't have a lot of experience with this (obviously... I'm a man) so hearing that your partner hasn't had a period for a long time was concerning. After she took the HPT (and it was negative) she's 100% sure she's not. I'm, admittedly, a pretty paranoid person =)

 

You are doing well. You are not being paranoid - it sounds like the two of you are just trying to be smart and responsible.

 

And you care about your partner's health. Never a bad thing!

 

I think that you are in the clear. HPTs are remarkable in their accuracy, for the most part. Including those you can buy at discount and dollar rates, save for for the display (the higher end ones often have a digital result window), the technology is effectively the same.

 

False negative results on a HPTs are even more rare, as compared to false positives, but both of them are statistically a low risk when the test is performed correctly.

 

Try not to worry!

Link to comment

She could take another pregnancy test given it's been another month since her last test, of its still negative, I'd trust it. Not that I wouldn't trust the first one. But just to be sure.

 

Other than that, if you've always used condom religiously, and it never broke (that you're aware of), then no reason to be worried.

Link to comment

Why did she go off? Was there a problem? Is she going back to the doctor to find another method? You are using condoms and the hpt was negative so relax a bit this could be her hormones from the bc thing. Ask her to see her doctor about it.

my current girlfriend cycled off of BC this past fall. We are not trying to conceive and I have been using both condoms and withdrawal to avoid pregnancy. I'm concerned (even though she isn't) that her period has not returned. She thinks that it's because her cycle is screwed up due to having cycled off of the pill.
Link to comment
Good news. Apparently, she got her period last Tuesday. She wasn't nervous/worried so she never even told me. I'm relieved (to say the last). Thanks for everyone's encouragement.

 

Excellent!

 

And thank you sincerely for your time in updating us! I wonder about posters so much longer than they often tend to need feedback and it's so encouraging when things turn out well.

 

Cheers!

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...