Many couples opt for delayed childbearing due to financial, emotional and work-life balance. Security for self & children is very important and that is why the use of birth control measures. However, the gravity of the impact of such decisions on childbearing must be fully understood by the couples before they proceed. Let us understand the impact of birth control from 2 aspects: a. Effect of the delay on your childbearing ability b. Effect of the birth control hormones on your fertility a. Delayed childbearing definitely will affect your chances of success if the female partner is nearing 35 years of age. That is because nature has designed the human anatomy in such a way that the woman’s egg quality and quantity both get depleted rapidly after 35. This means there is a conspicuous drop in her fertility after the age of 35. In many cases, this happens much earlier due to conditions like ‘Premature Ovarian Failure’ and there is no way to know this unless you carry out specific tests. So if you are planning to delay your baby, consult your gynaecologist about your current fertility status. If it is already waning, IVF technology can help you create and store your embryos indefinitely & safely, until you are ready to start a family. Mind you, as the woman ages above 35, other factors come into the picture like overall health and the increased risk to the woman during pregnancy and delivery. Many women also develop ailments like fibroids as they age, which may interfere with their fertility. b. Effect of the birth control hormones on your fertility There are different methods of Hormonal contraception, which may be pills, patches, rings, injectables, implants or hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs). Loss of fertility is a concern in every couple’s mind, which we will address here and help you to take informed calls. What we do know clearly by now is, hormonal birth control works by several mechanisms, including shutting down brain-ovarian communication which can stop the process of ovulation, alteration in the cervical mucus, and thinning of the endometrial (uterine) lining. The above statement is true in every situation when women of any age have used different methods of contraception. When the primary health goals of birth control pills are to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies and abortions, more efficient birth control measures are being developed which are not only useful in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies but safe to have pregnancies in future. Let’s address a few concerns Does birth control affect fertility? Journal of Contraceptive Reproductive Med. 2018 clearly stated in a report that,” Contraceptive use regardless of its duration and method or preparation does not hurt the ability of women to conceive after stopping of use and it doesn’t significantly delay fertility. Therefore, appropriate counselling is important to assure the women to use the methods as to their interest.” Birth control pills just stop ovulation and do not interfere with fertility. A 2018 report published in the BMJ, on JULY 23 concluded that “contraceptive use, regardless of its duration and type, does not have any significant negative effect on the ability of women to conceive. Can birth control cause infertility in the future? Birth control cannot cause infertility in the future. Research says Women who have used hormonal birth control are as likely to conceive as women who have never used hormonal contraceptives. A three-year study of 3,727 participants found that long-term use of oral contraceptives did not affect their ability to conceive in the future. Are there any menstrual irregularities due to hormonal birth control? The pills do have the hormones progestin and estrogen and help stop ovulation besides thickening the cervical mucus; so sperm can’t travel easily to fertilise the eggs. Regular use can affect the menstrual cycle with either partial or complete suppression of the normal cycle. After stopping the pills, it will take some time to reset the menstrual cycles. This probably results in the misconception that taking the pill might make them infertile. How much time does it take to regularise the menses after stopping contraception? Research says, most users “regain or resume the normal hormonal balance within 3 to 6 months of stopping contraceptives.” What are the concerns I can face if I want to go off birth control to conceive? Since the pills are often prescribed or used for contraception, the entire communication is centred on them. You may experience a few of the symptoms like irregular periods, menstrual cramps, weight changes, mood swings etc. Consult your doctor as you need to make some changes in diet and overall lifestyle, like getting adequate sleep and balanced nutrition as birth control pills cause depletion of vitamins B2, B6, and B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate etc along with blood glucose monitoring. How long should you wait for conception after stopping birth control pills It may take from a few months to a year for the woman to get back to her full conception health. Along with other research, it also found that the duration of contraceptive use had no impact on conception time. So, if you’ve been a long-term birth control user, you don’t have to worry about it. If you are on birth control and now wish to stop it to get pregnant, you must seek a gynaecologist’s advice to realise the dream of parenthood. Your a gynaecologist can best guide you about when you can realistically hope to get pregnant after stopping birth control and regarding the diet and lifestyle changes that you may require to make. Do birth control pills affect egg quality? Higher dose oral contraceptives suppress ovarian function, However, that doesn’t mean these women’s egg quality has declined. Instead, hormonal birth control simply slows the egg maturation process in an earlier stage. so it doesn’t affect egg quality. In a nutshell, let’s summarize, Birth control measures have been studied extensively for their action, use as well as side effects too. Just remember, contraception cannot cause infertility. If you are experiencing a problem in conception, the problem lies somewhere else. We at Pearl Women’s Hospital have seen and treated many such cases where couples were on birth control pills and received the gift of joyful
