Pregnancy after depo

I wanted to post this for women who were on the depo shot (birth control) and trying to conceive after use. I found myself in this position without much information about bouncing back and how long it would take to normalize my body.

I’ve been on birth control a long time. Over 8+ year. I stopped getting it administered in Dec. 2017. Me and my DH/SO were talking about starting a family and we heard it took about a full year for women to bounce back. To help come off depo and restart my period up again, I started taking the pill for 3-4 months. I never got my period while on depo, and being on the pill helped regulate my flow.

By April 2018 we stopped taking any form of birth control. My period was regular. I was ovulating, but I wasn’t getting pregnant. By Jan. 2019 I started to be more vigilant on trying to get pregnant. It was getting stressed, because my girlfriends who just started trying to conceive got pregnant on their first try. It felt like other people were getting pregnant as ease around me and that something was wrong with me.

I started tracking and charting. Using opk kits, reading, propping myself up right on a pillow after sex. I went to a gyno had everything check, sonogram, blood work, anything I could think of.

March 14, was my ovulation day. We tried and felt so much pressure riding on this. It was staring to feel like a business transaction - we decided that we weren’t going to be so focused and fixated on trying to conceive and just have fun with it. No matter what it started with us.

My period was supposed to come March 27th and I took a test the 25th. Negative. Wasn’t bummed out. I decided not to worry about getting pregnant and just taking whatever came. Focus on myself.

By March 30th (today) I was 3 days late. I didn’t automatically think pregnancy, because I was experiencing period cramps and I’ve been late a couple of days before that resulted in a period. Just to be sure though and peace of mind - I test and got a BFP!!!

To all the women out there who are trying and stressing - just have fun!

It took an entire year to come off depo, but you can definitely bounce back! I thought for sure it would take me 2+ years from all the stories I heard/read.

Sending you my prayers and love. Keep your spirit up. It’s true when you forget about it and give up, that’s when it happens!