If you are using contraceptives and are planning to
start a family some planning is a must because it
can be terribly unsettling to become pregnant while
using some form of contraceptive. If pregnancy is
high on your agenda, then the right thing to do is
to discontinue oral contraceptives for at least 2-3
months prior to becoming pregnant. Or you should at
least wait for 1-2 normal menstrual cycles before
trying to conceive. But sometimes the conditions aren't
ideal and a woman becomes pregnant while using contraceptives.
What to expect next...
• You should stop the pills immediately if you
suspect you are pregnant
• Conceiving while on the pill makes it harder
to determine the due date. An ultrasound for that
will be necessary
• Evidence suggests that some women are more
fertile and can therefore conceive immediately upon
discontinuing the pill. It does make sense to plan
your pregnancy if you fall in this category and fertility
problems and miscarriage were encountered in the past
• In spite of the warnings on the package and
what commonsense might dictate that most medications
can be potentially harmful to the pregnancy, there
is no reason for alarm or to panic.
• According to stats there is no increased risk
to the baby if the mother conceives while on the pill
• Rest assured stats also show that women on
oral contraceptives do not experience a higher incidence
of birth defects, miscarriage or other pregnancy related
complications than their counterparts who were not
on birth control pills.
• Share your concerns with your doctor.
IUCD (intrauterine contraceptive
device)
Popularly known as the coil, it works by creating
a less than favorable uterine environment which prevents
the fertilized egg from implanting. Still, a small
percentage of women do become pregnant. Removing the
coil is better than leaving it in despite the risk
of miscarriage so that to prevent infection and miscarriage
at a later stage. But this is of course best left
to your doctor's discretion because sometimes pregnancies
fruitfully continue to term despite the IUCD being
in place. And in other situations withdrawing the
coil is advisable.
