Are you trying to conceive after taking the Depo-Provera shot?

If you are, don’t worry—it’s totally doable, although it may take time.  

Depo-Provera, or the Depo shot, is a form of contraception that suppresses ovulation and thickens cervical mucus to prevent pregnancy. The shot can also suppress the menstrual cycle, sometimes stopping a woman’s period entirely. Each shot lasts for ninety days, so it’s near impossible to get pregnant during the three-month window after a shot is administered. After that ninety day period, it can take a while for the body to resume normal fertile patterns, especially for women who have been on Depo-Provera for a year or more.

When women on Depo decide to stop the shots and start trying to conceive, it usually takes a few more months after the most recent shot for the Depo hormones to flush out of the system. Once natural hormone levels resume, a woman will start ovulating again. This return to natural hormone levels typically takes between four months and a year, so don’t expect to get pregnant immediately after stopping the shot.

How do you know if your body has returned to normal?

Ovulating and having regular periods are two obvious signs that things are back on track. You can test to see if you’re ovulating by tracking your cycle, basal body temperature, and cervical mucus via the Glow app. Some people use ovulation predictor kits to confirm that they’re ovulating, a study in the journal of Contraception found.

Most past Depo users start ovulating again after about six months, and 97.4% of past Depo users ovulated again after 12 months, according to a 2004 study in the journal of Contraception.

When we asked the same question of the Glow Community, the majority of women reported becoming pregnant more than a year after stopping their Depo shots.

Sure, the Depo shot tends to have a bad reputation among women who are actively trying to conceive, but trust us: There’s really no reason to regret this birth control choice. There is no association between the use of the Depo shot and long-term infertility according to scientists, so chances are you’ll get pregnant eventually! Be kind to yourself, and make sure to allow plenty of time to achieve this important goal.