[FrenchSoda]

Hi there,
I am going to stop taking the pill (Yasmin) after my next packet and commence charting (but not TTC until June). Silly question I'm sure, but should I finish the entire pack or just the active (yellow) pills? And should I expect my usual withdrawal bleed (assuming I stop after the last active pill)? If anyone here charted after coming off Yasmin, I'd be very grateful to hear about your experiences!
Thank you

[caninestorm]

Yes, you only need to finish the active pills, as the non-active week is just sugar to help us remember to take our pills You should expect your regular withdrawl bleed a few days after finishing.

I was on a different pill, but if you follow the link in my sig to my chart and scroll down to the bottom, you can see what my body did after going off the pill. My first month was anovulatory which is common but many women also get pregnant the first month after stopping the pill. Everyone is different

Good luck!

[Impatientmummy]

I just stopped when I finished the active pills, DD was conceived 2nd cycle Good luck!

This post has been edited by Impatientmummy: 29/12/2012, 10:01 PM

[nothing123]

Good plan to stop a while before starting to TTC. Some women experience a luteal phase deficiency for up to 6 months after stopping the pill. So know that this is normal to see confusing ovulation symptoms and temperature rises while your body gets back to normal. You may also experience a few long cycles and some cycles where you don't ovulate - again normal.

If you had cycle issues before going on the pill then they will probably resurface.

[WithSprinkles]

Yep, just finish the active tablets then expect your regular withdrawal bleed. I came off the same pill around 3 months before TTC so that I could chart for a bit and get to know my body's general pattern (as i had been on some sort of the pill for 9 years so really had no idea what my cycles would be like).
My first cycle was 5 weeks long (took 3 weeks to ovulate), all cycles after that were 4 weeks. I fell pregnant the first cycle trying. Hopefully you will experience similar!

[FrenchSoda]

Thanks so much for your replies, so helpful.
My cycles were like clockwork before going on the pill about 6 years ago, so fingers crossed they're not haywire for long when I come off! However my skin was atrocious pre-pill, so here's hoping that now that I'm no longer in the wake of puberty, it will behave!
A follow-up question: did you see your GP when going off the pill or for a pre-TTC appointment? I've been making sure I'm in tip-top health in the past couple of months (dental, skin cancer check, pap - and got the all-clear on a minor gyno issue) and was planning to go back to the doctor to let her know I was starting FAM (and prenatal vitamins, etc), but I'm wondering if it's necessary? I had thought maybe I should because I've had some vitamin deficiencies before, and my mum is rh-negative but I don't know my blood type, so perhaps the doctor would want me to get a blood test. Or she may just say come back when you're pregnant/been trying for 12 months?

[little lion]

A GP check up is a good idea. I think mine did a blood test tO check on vitamin deficiencies and thyroid function. I was on Yasmin for a few years and stopped taking it in March 2011. It took six cycles (seven months) to fall pregnant. I had a miscarriage and it took a further six months to get pregnant again, resulting in my son. I had a long first cycle off the pill, maybe 54 days. But I only used OPKs and did SMEP most of the time, as luck would have it, I became pregnant the first cycle I charted.

On the skin topic, I found my skin was pretty pimple prone after stopping Yasmin, even though it'd been fine when I started taking it. During pregnancy my skin cleared again and fingers crossed it is seems ok now.

Good luck!

This post has been edited by little lion: 30/12/2012, 08:37 AM

[WithSprinkles]

Probably a good idea to go to the GP so that you can confirm your blood type, check your vitamin levels and immunity to rubella etc (also you might want to have a whooping cough booster if yours isn't up to date).

It is particularly useful to have your blood type on record incase you have any bleeding in your first trimester as I did (apparently it is quite common), as often a doctor will just do a urine test to confirm pregnancy and you may not have a full blood test until closer to 12 weeks when you are going through the NT testing (well that's what happened in my experience anyway, I'm sure doctors do things differently though).

Unfortunately I did get some pimples after coming off the pill but they cleared up during my pregnancy (they are back now that I have had DD and am breastfeeding so can only take the minipill, but I think to a lesser degree than before).

Good luck

[Impatientmummy]

I had a check up as I get low iron so wanted to be sure it was ok, I had been on pregnancy multi vitamins for 2 months prior as we planned to start ttc after we got married My cyles were clockwork pre pill & were 2 days shorter when I went off it.

[lsolaBella]

As PP said go to Dr for some blood work. Get tested for Chicken pox immunity, rubella immunity, vitamin D levels and iron. Also get your blood type as if you are RH - like you mum you will usually need to get an Andi D shot if you have bleeding during the first trimester (very common..., I had bleeding in two out of three pregnancies). I am RH- so I needed the shots. I also had DH tested as if he was RH- too I would not have gotten the shots, but alas he was RH+.