Off the pill - trying for a family

Sunset_Eyes · Mar 5th, 2008, 08:24 AM

Yup, so i have stopped the pill that i was on since 2005 and we have decided to start trying for a family. But i have a couple of questions, and would be grateful for all your views/opinions and help.

I have just been prescribed folic acid and have started taking it - how long should i take it for?

I have been told to use extra precauations now since coming off the pill for my natural period to come. What if i dont? Would that be ok? Inshallah, if i get pregnant will they be able to establish the due date or will it cause any probs (God forbid) if i am a pregnant? I have a friend who is a midwife and she informed not to worry about extra precautions and start trying...as the docs will be able to establish the due date easily.

Since i have been on the pill since 2005, will it take a long time to concieve?

Any other vitamins that i should take now?

Oh i cant wait to have a baby inshallah..please pray for me and your help would be very much appreciated!

nuzhat · Mar 5th, 2008, 09:26 AM

I have a friend she get pregnent 2weeks after she stop eating pills..thats very fast....Inshallah u will get pregnent soon,,I will pray for u..Im pregnent and inshallah after 3 weeks i gona have my baby in my arms..I cant wait...

Gemini the Great · Mar 5th, 2008, 09:35 AM

I have just been prescribed folic acid and have started taking it - how long should i take it for?

until you get pregnant and then even after that when you will be breastfeeding your baby.. folic acid is a requirement for every human being but it doubles during pregnancy and later.

I have been told to use extra precauations now since coming off the pill for my natural period to come. What if i dont? Would that be ok? Inshallah, if i get pregnant will they be able to establish the due date or will it cause any probs (God forbid) if i am a pregnant? I have a friend who is a midwife and she informed not to worry about extra precautions and start trying...as the docs will be able to establish the due date easily.

I dunno what precautions are you talking about.. due dates are established not only based on your last period but also the ultrasound.. if there is any doubt, doctors usually go for the ultrasound to see the development of the baby and then decide the due date.. nothing much to worry about.

Since i have been on the pill since 2005, will it take a long time to concieve?

God knows.. usually it's between 3 months to 1 year but don't count me on it.. it all varies from person to person.

Any other vitamins that i should take now?

ask your doctor so he/she could suggest depending on your health and needs.

Oh i cant wait to have a baby inshallah..please pray for me and your help would be very much appreciated!

good luck.. may Allah Taala bless you with a healthy and a beautiful baby. :-)

Ira · Mar 5th, 2008, 10:02 AM

ditto to everything Gemini said. Also, i may have missed it in your post, but are you taking prenatals as well? THose are a must too.

And to save you a lot of heartache, i would suggest not assuming that you can get pregnant the cycle coming off the pill. It takes teh body some time to adjust itself and come back in the normal routine. This could take a month or a year. So dont worry, just relax and chill.

Mamaof3 · Mar 5th, 2008, 10:25 AM

good luck to you! may you be blessed soon with a larger family!

The docs say to wait a bit after stopping the pill so that your hormone levels normalize. You've been taking extra hormones for a while so your natural hormone levels need to get back to normal to help you have a strong, healthy pregnancy. Thats why they ask that you wait and to use extra precautions, I think its 3 months. After you wait the 3 months, you can start trying and if you do not conceive within a year, they would send you for testing - its 6 months if you are over age 30.

Take a good multi-vitamin along with the folic acid. You should take both through the entire pregnancy. Folic acid prevents a somewhat rare but very serious birth defect called spina bifida. This develops in the first trimester of pregnancy but since it doesnt hurt to keep taking it, its always recommended to take it the whole 9 months.

They can determine the due date based on ultrasound in early pregnancy. The fetus is measured and those measurements give the age of the fetus.

Again, best wishes to you!

Afro-Sheen · Mar 5th, 2008, 10:57 AM

As everyone else said, keep taking the folic Acid, take multivitamins....but also eat healthy. Just develop a healthy lifestyle if you don't have 1 already. If your physically fit, and eating right that also helps once you do get pregnant.

Just keep making dua, each person is different.

Afro-Sheen · Mar 5th, 2008, 10:59 AM

Oh and ive probably said this before in some other thread...but visit
www.babycenter.com & make an account, I think it is a great site for to-be mothers/mothers. Great source of information, and Inshallah when you do get pregnant, it actually gives you a weekly update email about where in pregnancy you are, symptoms, how to deal with, all this relevant information per week. I know it was nice when i was pregnant.

Sunset_Eyes · Mar 5th, 2008, 04:40 PM

Thank you to everyone for their replies. Really appreciate it.

Nuzhat - Mashallah thats so nice to hear. I hope everything goes ok inshallah and may Allah bless you with a beautiful family.

GTG - Thank you again for your reply. Regarding precautions, i have been told to use *****ms (sorry i jst dont like using that word @ all) after i come off the pill so i can come on my normal period.

Ira - i am only taking pre natel folic acid and that is all. BUT is there any need to use other form of precautions if the body is going to take a while to get rid off all the chemicals etc?

Mama - thank you again for your advice but what would happen if we dont use any other precautions? Thats what i want to know.

Afro - Thank you to you. Alhumdullilah i do do my exercise and alot of walking. Will def look into this website.

Again, thank you for all your duas...hope they come true Inshallah...Ameen.

Sahar02 · Mar 5th, 2008, 05:42 PM

Hi guys,

My gyno told me that as long as your multivitamin has folic acid in it, you don't need to take any more. Is that true?

Ira · Mar 5th, 2008, 08:50 PM

Sunset, i am not a doctor, but i thought there was no need to use other forms of protection when coming off the pill? I would think that when your body ovulates, it means its ready to concieve. Allah knows best. Although, i do know of several people who started trying right after stopping the pill. I personally dont think there is a need but then i am not a doctor.

Sahar, my ob/gyn prescribed extra folic acid along with my prenatals since i have had a miscarriage before. That doesnt mean the m/c was becayse of lack of folic acid but like mamaof3 said, it prevents a neural tube defect called spina bifida in children. So i guess it is good to take it as an extra precaution. It doesnt hurt to take more since i believe whatever doesnt get absorbed by your body is discharged anyways.

Ira · Mar 5th, 2008, 08:58 PM

Btw i like the babycenter website. It does have a lot of good info. I am currently signed up on ovusoft.com but its only helpful if you are charting basal body temps and cervical fluid to help you get pregnant. These are things mentioned in Toni Welscher's book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility or TCOYF. I highly reccommed it to anyone who wants to go that route. Its basically figuring out when your bodyis most fertile and taking advantage ofthat time, if you know what i mean. Charting your temps can also indicate if you are ovulating or not. Although i would reccomend against it if you have just started trying and get highly stressed out about this stuff since some people can get stress out about whats happening and when its going to happening.

Mamaof3 · Mar 6th, 2008, 10:17 AM

"Mama - thank you again for your advice but what would happen if we dont use any other precautions? Thats what i want to know."

If you dont use other precautions, you can possibly conceive as soon as you stop taking the pill and likely would go on to have a healthy pregnancy. Docs just recommend that you give your body a couple to a few months to let the hormones normalize. This does help to ensure a healthy pregnancy and in some rare cases, can help to prevent miscarriage.

As far as the folic acid, if you take a "Prenatal Vitamin", those usually do have enough Folic Acid. But regular multi-vitamins do not. You need lots extra during pregnancy.

Good luck!

Sunset_Eyes · Mar 7th, 2008, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira

Sunset, i am not a doctor, but i thought there was no need to use other forms of protection when coming off the pill? I would think that when your body ovulates, it means its ready to concieve. Allah knows best. Although, i do know of several people who started trying right after stopping the pill. I personally dont think there is a need but then i am not a doctor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira

Sahar, my ob/gyn prescribed extra folic acid along with my prenatals since i have had a miscarriage before. That doesnt mean the m/c was becayse of lack of folic acid but like mamaof3 said, it prevents a neural tube defect called spina bifida in children. So i guess it is good to take it as an extra precaution. It doesnt hurt to take more since i believe whatever doesnt get absorbed by your body is discharged anyways.

Hmm...interesting Ira! I had an appt with the doc last week and she confirmed that i dont need to use extra precautions but there are contradictions. Some people say to use them so you can determine the due date and now some are saying there is no need. I personally think there wouldnt be any harm in not using extra prec as when your body is ready, it will concieve inshallah.

Snow White · Mar 27th, 2008, 04:20 PM

Sunset_Eyes, Try taking Pregnacare tablets with your folic acid. Also Evening Primrose Oil capsules are great for hormonal balance/regular monthly cycles.. hope dat helps!