If you’re a couple that wants to get pregnant, you should stop all forms of birth control. Barrier birth control methods, like condoms or a diaphragm, don’t affect the hormones that dictate a woman’s cycle. Intrauterine devices (IUDs), both hormonal and non-hormonal, do not usually affect ovulation. Technically, a woman can get pregnant right away after stopping these. But hormonal birth control stops the woman’s body from ovulating. Ovulation is when a woman’s body releases an egg. How long it takes for ovulation to return after stopping hormonal birth control depends on the type of birth control. A woman’s cycle typically resumes within a few weeks of stopping the pill, patch, or ring or removing an implant. It can take longer for regular ovulation to resume with the birth control shot — sometimes up to a year. Previous use of hormonal birth control won’t affect your future chances of getting pregnant. When a woman goes off birth control, they’ll eventually start ovulating again, and fertility will return to normal. The gynecologist might suggest waiting up to three months before trying to conceive after stopping hormonal birth control. Use this time to track the menstrual cycle and figure out when ovulation happens. That makes it easier to plan the best times to have sex and to know if you get pregnant. This also gives you time to take prenatal vitamins to optimize your nutrition before conception.