The Millstone Times January 2020

KIDS

The Millstone Times STUDENT OF THE MONTH By Pam Teel

How to Safely Stop Birth Control By Margaret Dufreney, MD

Women have a variety of birth control options, including oral medications, intrauterine devices, hormonal implants, and injections. These products can help a woman prevent pregnancy, but how long does she need to be off birth control before trying to get pregnant? My patients ask me this question often. The good news is that there isn’t a reason to wait; It’s safe to stop using birth control whenever you choose. The question really is how quickly can you expect to get pregnant after using birth control? Pregnancy After the Pill Oral estrogen and progesterone medications (“the pill”) inhibit ovulation, so when you stop taking them, it can take a few months to start ovulating again. Taking the pill won’t affect your ability to get pregnant, and it’s safe to start trying to get pregnant right away. Most women will begin ovulat- ing again within about 90 days. However, you may start ovulating sooner. When you stop taking hormonal birth control treatments like the pill, there shouldn’t be any hormones left in your system when ovulation re- sumes, so there isn’t any risk to your baby. However, if you suspect that you’ve gotten pregnant while on the pill, stop taking them. Getting Pregnant After Using Other Forms of Contraception Here’s what women using other forms of contraception can expect: aginal ring (NuvaRing) – Once you are stopping using the ring, you should get your period and begin ovulating again in a month or two. • Injections (Depo-Provera) – Fertility can resume within 10 months of your last injection, although it may take up to 18 months. • Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) – IUDs prevent pregnancy by preventing fertilization and/or implantation, not stopping ovulation. Therefore, once the IUD is removed by your doctor, you may be able to conceive right away. • Barrier methods (condoms, diaphragms, sponge, cervical cap) — You should be able to get pregnant once you stop using these methods. See your doctor if you’ve been off birth control for three to six months and still aren’t getting your period regularly. He or she will run bloodwork to check your hormone levels and see if there are any underlying medical issues. If you are ready to start building your family or want to add to it, you can stop using birth control immediately and begin trying. It’s a good idea to see your gynecologist for a preconception check-up to ensure that your body is ready for pregnancy and that you’re giving yourself and your baby the best chance for a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor will probably pre- scribe prenatal vitamins and will check your weight and other medical markers. When it comes to choosing to get pregnant, you’re in control. Dr. Margaret Dufreney, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecolo- gist on staff at CentraState Medical Center. She can be reached by calling 866-CENTRA7.

Six-year-old Rhys Bhatia attends the Millstone Primary School. He is in the first grade. What he loves most about school is Recess and Stem Lab. His favorite subjects are Art, Gym, and Music. He gets excellent grades. He is in the gifted and talented program in school. His favorite book to read is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. His favorite TV show is Big City Greens. He loves to listen to all types of music. His hobbies are hip-hop dancing, basketball, Tae Kwon Do and playing the piano.

If you have a child, friend, someone you know, who loves school and you would like to acknowledge them, please drop me an email. They don’t have to be a straight A student, just someone who works hard and likes learning. Crescent671@gmail.com He also modeled for Target (in store photos) TOYSRUS, Hasbro, Primary, Boscov’s, Amazon, Spirit Halloween Costumes and many other retail brands. Keep up the good work in school Rhys. Stay the sweet young man that you are!!! His favorite places to visit are The Caymen Islands, New York City, and Disney. Rhys lives with his mom and dad and older sister, Kyla. He has a pet fish named Rescue. His favorite holiday is Christmas because he likes to spend time with his family and he likes to open lots of presents. His favorite sports activities are basketball and swimming. His favorite foods to eat are pepperoni pizza and ravioli. When he gets older he would like become a paleontologist and marine biologist. If he had but one wish, he would like to be rich so he could help poor people with food and houses. Rhys also is a model and actor. He acted on TV in a movie called “A kid like Jake” and “Homeland.” Rhys Bhatia

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