Pregnancy After Depo Birth Control

I would get off the depo shot, I was on it for a few years and had some serious side effects afterward - it also took me awhile to get pregnant and then I miscarried at 15 weeks. Everyone is different and it is likely you will get pregnant easily with no issues, but the shot has been bad for almost everyone I know that used it.

I'm not trying to scare you but I would advise to proceed with caution.
My sister was on Depo and was cautioned to wait at least six months, and that it may take up to a year, to become pregnant. She ended up getting pregnant within a couple of months. Her baby, my niece, was born with a heart defect and later died at 4 months old. The doctors say that it is a possibility that the shot caused this birth defect but they can not be sure.
I would speak to your doctor about the possibility of birth defects and/or other side effects. They should be able to help you. And I would make sure that the traces of the chemicals, active, or inactive ingredients from the shot are completely out of your system before getting pregnant.
This was obviously a very rare case and circumstance. But for the health of a future child, I would not take any chances.
Good luck you and may you have a healthy & happy pregnancy & baby!

I was on depo for about two years and switched to the pill because of some horrible side affects I'd experienced. I was on the pill for about a year and decided to stop taking it to have our first child. I had my period every six days for an entire year! When I went to see my OB/GYN because of how horrible I felt and worried I was they suggested I go on the pill again. Anyway, it took me a full two years to conceive after stopping the pill. I know of people that hadn't any problems with conceiving after depo, but I will NEVER take it again.

I was on depo for 6 years. I had been off of it for a year before I started to ttc (no unprotected sex in the meantime). After that, it took 20 months of actively ttc to conceive.
My cervical mucous never (or very very rarely) got EWCM though. I don't know if that was due to the depo, or just me. I'm quite sure that had a lot to do with it taking a while to conceive.

My understanding is that even if someone is on the basic pill form of birth control, many doctors will recommend waiting at least a few months before attempting to get pregnant. The reason for this is probably because in helping to prevent pregnancy, one of the functions of the pill is to lessen the quality and quantity of the lining of the uterus so that even if fertilization does occur (because the pill does not necessarily prevent ovulation 100% of the time) then the lining is not rich enough to allow and/or support implantation of the fertilized egg. Thus, waiting several months before attempting conception after ceasing use of the pill allows the lining to better prepare to support conception and a healthy pregnancy. I do not know as much about depo, but I believe it is an even more powerful form of birth control then the pill, and so it seems logical that your body would probably need even more time to prepare before conception. I read some other responses of others' concerns about depo, and while each woman has to make her own decision, for myself I do not like the idea of messing with the way my body is supposed to naturally function.

I got pregnant with my son two months after being off of the depo shot. Good luck!

I was on it for a year and it took me almost 2 to finally get pregnant. Don't lose hope if it takes awhile, just know that the hormones have to work their way out of your body and you body has to get "back on track" so to speak. Good luck!

It took me over a year to get my period after my last shot. Then I had problems ovulating on my own. I was on the shot for 5 maybe 6 years. Good luck

I took the depo for shot for a couple of years after my first child. When we decided to try for our second my Dr. told us to expect it to take 6-12 months before my body was regulated and to really be able to try. That was perfect timing for us. Two months after not getting the shot I was taking a pregnancy test and preparing for baby #2!

After depo, fertility returns at different rates for different women - in some cases it may be over a year, sometimes much sooner. If you are on the fence about a second one, you may want to stop the depo and go on an alternate birth control while making up your mind. If you've definitely decided for the go ahead, then stop the depo, but be prepared that things may take awhile.
Something else to consider is that there can be a lot of side effects to long-term use of depo, not the least of which can be premature osteoporosis or thinning of the bones. Even if you aren't going to try for another one, you may want to consider talking to your doctor about other long-term options such as IUD, pills etc

Hey, S.. I'm sure you've already gotten many responses, but I was actually on the shot for 7 years myself!! I took my last shot almost exactly two years ago. Just to warn you my periods were all over the place for a while and totally brutal!! I'd always had bad cramps before the shot, but they were twice as bad after it. But on the flip side, we got pregnant less than a year after my last shot. From what I hear you're incredibly fertile after the shot. So good luck!!!!!

I have heard that it can take several months to conceive after stopping the depo as well. However, I got pregnant for my daughter less than a month after my shot would have been due! It was quite a shock to get pregnant that quickly...I had been on the shot for 2 years when this happened. Good Luck :)

I was on Depo for several years and it took me a whole year afterwards to even have a period. I got pregnant not long after that, so it just depends on the woman. I will warn those of you out there of something that may be related to the Depo shot & that is Uterus Deterioration. My friend is a nurse and worked in the ER for quite some time, she said there were several women who had this condition with no apparent cause. The only thing they could use to link them all together was that they were all on the Depo shot. These were all younger women, so it is not normal to have this condition. Although it's not been reported I would just use caution since it has not been on the market long enough to know long term side effects.

As with some of the other women here, I suggest getting off the shot now regardless, since it does have some serious long term effects. I was on the depo shot for about 5yrs & immediately went off of it as soon as my husband & I wanted to get pregnant. It took us exactly 9 months to conceive. However I have a friend who was taking it about 4-5 yrs, & she got pregnant within 1-2 mths of stopping. I think it's all in how your body absorbs it. Good luck.

i have been on depo for 4 years now and when i stopped last year briefly i got pregnant immediatyely but its said that it can take from 6 months to a year to be fertile again...hope i was some help and good luck

It took me exactly 18 months to get pregnant after beign on the depo a few years.

I started taking the depo shot when my husband and I got married in 1994. I had my daughter in 1998 and my son in 2002. I didn't have any problems getting pregnant once we started trying. However, I stopped the depo shots each time about a year before we wanted to conceive because I had read that it took that long for the depo provera to be out of your system. I may have been over cautious as my second OB told me I didn't need to wait that long. Regardless, I did not have any trouble with conception after stopping the depo shot.

Just a little aside for the future, I am now 42 and am still on the depo shot. My OB/GYN has suggested a bone density test for me as the depo shot can cause osteoporosis. He said that if the bone density test shows bone loss that he will take me off of the depo shot. Just something to remember for the future.

I was on depo for about four years. I think it took me about 16 months to get pregnant. But a friends daughter got pregnant while still on the shot. Everybody is different. Good luck
C.

Hi S.,
In my experience I was on a birth control pill. We wanted a second child so I went off the pill. Within a few months I got pregnant. At my 2nd triminister I miscarried. A few months later I thought I was pregnant and at 4 months I was showing and was wearing maternity cloths. When I went to the Dr. he checked and found that I wasn't pregnant. The Dr. called it a false pregnancy. I immediately went back to wearing my regular clothes. I wanted another baby but my husband was afraid for my getting pregnant again. To make a longer story short I did get pregnant but I had to have 17 shots to carry the baby. Our son was born and the Dr. said I could never get preg. again. Needless to say almost 3 years later I started feeling what I thought was movement and the Dr. again said NO you can't get pregnant. I was, and we had our third child. WE have our family now and are so HAPPY. This may not help at all but it did me good to tell about my experience. GOOD LUCK K.

I was told now they came out with a new study and women should only be on the depo shot for 3 years. They told me if I stayed on the depo shot any longer than the chances for children were very slim. The depo shot isn't made to be used as your main source of birth control. They worried about me because it was taking calcium away from me like crazy. I stopped taking the shot in March of 2006 and I became pregnant in April of 2007.

I was on depo for a year, then various BC pills for a year and a half...It took us nearly 3 years to get pregnant after that. I am now totally against birth control unless one is absolutely positive they don't want any more children, because of the risks with infertility afterwards. I know it doesn't affect all women this way, but you'd be surprised at how many it DOES affect in this way. And it's heartbreaking to want another baby so badly, follow all the rules, do everything you're supposed to, hit your ovulation days month after month after month, to result in infertility issues. I had NO issue getting pregnant with our first. We had no reason to think it would take more than 6 months to get pregnant once we decided we wanted another. In the end, my boys are now 5½ yrs. apart, because of it.

I think that you hit the nail, every one is different. With my first, I went on the depo at the hospital immed. after birth. We went off of it when we thought of having another. I was on it for almost 3 years. Mt last injection was in Nov., and we were pregnant in Feb. With the last babe, I haven't had an injection since Aug., and still no period. I don't plan on having anymore, so I am still pretty careful. Good luck.

Hi S.. I read your request and had flash backs of last year. Ha! Ha! I was 31 years old with a 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son. I wanted another baby before the age of 35 because all the risks triple at that age. I had been on Depo for about 5 years. My last shot was in Jan. of 2007 and I found out I was pregnant in July of 2007. Everything went fine and I now have a wonderful baby girl! Good luck to you!

I was on depo for 8 years and once I decided to conceive it took 10 months for me to get pregnant. After I had my child I went back on it and then found a new dr and he couldn't believe that I had been on depo for sooo long! I had been back on it for about another year and he about had a heart attack! He told me and showed me in a book of studies about a link between depo and osteoporosis after being on depo for long periods of time. So he ordered me to get a bone scan and sure enough 28 years old and the beginning stages of osteoporosis. So please get off of depo and try to conceive or don't but get on a different birth control.

i was on depo for almost 2yrs and the dr told me to expect 6 months as well b4 i could concieve but i was prego in bout 3 i think it depends on your body and how it regulates itself...

Yes, I do have experience with that. In fact, my story was filed with the FDA. I had a hard time gettting pregnant with my oldest but after him, I didn't want to chance a pregnancy to soon. So I was given depo (too much depo). Anyway, I found through trial and error that I could not tolerate any form of birth control. They tried depo, birth control pills, then had to put me on premarin to try to regulate my body again because of the depo effects. When I tried to get pregnant, about 7 years later, nothing. I had to have surgery to get pregnant. I ended up with polyps in my uterus and cysts on my ovaries. Now I have had my last child who is 20 months old. Just last week my doc informed me that I may have cancer in my ovaries. I exhibit 7 of the 11 signs of advanced cancer. Before I took the depo shot, I was completely healthy. Since that time, I have been diagnosed with a myriad of health conditions ranging from hypothyroidism to panic disorder. I am no longer able to work. I hurt almost all the time. I cannot say without a doubt that the depo caused any of this but it just seems strange that before it, I was fine and shortly after, I was a wreck. After my youngest was born, the doc told me that the chances of me ever being able to have a healthy full term child again, was quite minimal. I opted to have a tubal ligation to save myself any heartache only to find out now that I may need a hysterectomy. I do hope this answers some questions for you. My oldest was born in Oct. 1998. I was off of all birth control by May. 1999. I could not get pregnant until after surgery in 2005. Please research this, especially should you decide to stay on the shot. I truly believe that the depo helped to ruin my life! Good luck, Shannon

I believe it has to do with horomones.
When I had my first daughter, I went on the depo. A year later we decided to have another child. We got pregnant right away. I went back on the depo for 2years, the dad left us and I didn't see no reason to be on the depo shot any longer. I wasn't sexually active. I was off the depo for over 2years when I met another man that I thought we were gonna be together forever. I never went back on birth control and we never became pregnant. I know he's able to have kids, but I don't think I was producing anything. We ended up ending our relationship, because he became very abusive. 2years later I met a really good man. We were together for 6months before we got engaged and decided to get pregnant. It was kind of a surprise due to the fact that he was told that he can not have kids. But we found out that the embryo wasn't growing. We had to abort it. (it wasn't attached to the walls). I still wasn't on the birth control due to the fact that we wanted another child. 2 years later we finally got pregnant. So honestly, I believe that the depo is very good. But coming off of it changes every horomone in your body. If your a smoker and a drinker, I believe it slows down the process as well. Good Luck!