Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow It WorksSide EffectsStopping Depo-ProveraGetting PregnantTips for Getting PregnantSigns of PregnancyWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderDepo and Infertility
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How It Works
Side Effects
Stopping Depo-Provera
Getting Pregnant
Tips for Getting Pregnant
Signs of Pregnancy
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Depo and Infertility
Signs of pregnancy after Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone) may include a missed period, nausea, frequent urination, and breast tenderness. Many people are able to get pregnant 10 months after their last Depo-Provera shot, but it may take up to 18 months.
Depo-Provera is an injectable birth control given as a shot every three months. It is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.It can be hard to know when Depo-Provera is out of your system and when ovulation will return. If you’re considering pregnancy, see your healthcare provider.
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You should get your first Depo-Provera shot during the first five days of a period to ensure you’re not pregnant. (If you get the shot at any other time in your cycle, get a pregnancy test first.) When given during the first five days of a person’s period, Depo-Provera provides immediate pregnancy protection.
Before starting Depo-Provera, it is important to discusspotential side effects.
These may include:
Getting Pregnant After Depo-Provera
Fertility returns once you’ve stopped getting Depo injections, but it will take a few months for you to start ovulating.Ovulation is when your body releases an egg (usually each month), enabling you to become pregnant. Although each Depo-Provera injection lasts about three months, it takes an average of six months or more to begin ovulating after discontinuing this birth control method.
How long it takes for ovulation to return depends on several factors, including a person’s weight, age, and the dosage level they were taking. One study found the average time was 170 days (five to six months) for people taking the 45 milligram (mg) dose, and 226 days (more than seven months) for those who had been on a 75 mg dose.
Ideally, you should stop receiving Depo injections about one year before you want to become pregnant. An estimated 50% of people who stop using Depo-Provera will get pregnant within 10 months, and the majority do so within 18 months after their last shot.
Signs of OvulationIt will take several months for ovulation to return once you stop taking Depo-Provera. You can watch forsigns of ovulationincluding:Bloating and/or abdominal painChanges in cervical mucusChanges in your basal body temperatureApps and home ovulation tests can help you keep track of signs and symptoms, or test for a rise inluteinizinghormone (LH) that occurs right before ovulation.
Signs of Ovulation
It will take several months for ovulation to return once you stop taking Depo-Provera. You can watch forsigns of ovulationincluding:Bloating and/or abdominal painChanges in cervical mucusChanges in your basal body temperatureApps and home ovulation tests can help you keep track of signs and symptoms, or test for a rise inluteinizinghormone (LH) that occurs right before ovulation.
It will take several months for ovulation to return once you stop taking Depo-Provera. You can watch forsigns of ovulationincluding:
Apps and home ovulation tests can help you keep track of signs and symptoms, or test for a rise inluteinizinghormone (LH) that occurs right before ovulation.
Tips For Getting Pregnant After Depo-Provera
It may take some time to get pregnant after Depo-Provera. Here are some tips for conceiving:
Signs of Pregnancy After Stopping Depo-Provera
You’ll want to watch for signs of pregnancy after Depo-Provera injections have stopped. Earlysigns of pregnancyinclude:
If you suspect you may be pregnant, take anat-home testor see your healthcare provider.
If you’re considering pregnancy, discuss your plans with your healthcare provider. They can help assess your overall health and suggest lifestyle changes and prenatal supplements.
When you’ve stopped taking Depo-Provera but feel you’re still not ovulating, be sure to schedule an appointment. That’s especially true if:
Can Depo-Provera Cause Infertility?
Taking Depo-Provera does not usually lead to permanent or long-term infertility. It’s normal for people taking the shots to not have their periods, and there typically is a delay in the return of ovulation once you’ve stopped taking the shots.
However, the infertility that Depo-Provera causes is temporary. In most cases, the common signs of ovulation return, and infertility does not last more than two years.
Summary
After stopping Depo-Provera, it will take a few months for someone to start ovulating and have regular periods again. To become pregnant, people should stop using this form of birth control as soon as possible and begin tracking their ovulation.
The majority of people become pregnant within 10 to 18 months of their final Depo-Provera injection. See your healthcare provider if you don’t conceive within a year after you start ovulating again (or six months if you’re 35 or older), or if your cycles are still irregular after two years of stopping birth control.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: Depo-Provera- medroxyprogesterone acetate injection, suspension.American Academy of Family Physicians.Depo-Provera: An injectable contraceptive.Dennerstein, G., Fernando, S., Teo, C., Gorelik, A., Vollenoven, B., Fraser, I., Wark, J..Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Bone Mineral Density. Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics, North America, 7, nov. 2018.Singata-Madliki M, Carayon-Lefebvre d’Hellencourt F, Lawrie TA, Balakrishna Y, Hofmeyr GJ.Effects of three contraceptive methods on depression and sexual function: an ancillary study of the ECHO randomized trial.Int J Gynaecol Obstet.2021;154(2):256-262. doi:10.1002/ijgo.13594American Pregnancy Association.Ovulation: Frequently Asked Questions.Halpern V, Fuchs R, Brache V, Bahamondes L, Miranda MJ, Lendvay A,et al.Suppression of ovulation and pharmacokinetics following subcutaneous administration of various doses of Depo-Provera®: a randomized trial.Contracept X. 2021 Oct 2;3:100070. doi:10.1016/j.conx.2021.100070.Pfizer.Depo-Provera.Su HW, Yi YC, Wei TY, Chang TC, Cheng CM.Detection of ovulation, a review of currently available methods. Bioeng Transl Med. 2017 May 16;2(3):238-246. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10058. PMID: 29313033; PMCID: PMC5689497.National Library of Medicine.Steps to Take Before You Get Pregnant.American Pregnancy Association.How to Get Pregnant—Best Tips to Help You Conceive.National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy?Damtie Y, Kefale B, Arefaynie M, Yalew M, Adane B.Fertility return after hormonal contraceptive discontinuation and associated factors among women attended Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Dessie model clinic, Northeast Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 11;18(7):e0287440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287440. PMID: 37432916; PMCID: PMC10335688.Additional ReadingCornet A.Current challenges in contraception in adolescents and young women.Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2013;25:S1-S10. doi:10.1097/GCO.0b013e32835e06fd
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: Depo-Provera- medroxyprogesterone acetate injection, suspension.American Academy of Family Physicians.Depo-Provera: An injectable contraceptive.Dennerstein, G., Fernando, S., Teo, C., Gorelik, A., Vollenoven, B., Fraser, I., Wark, J..Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Bone Mineral Density. Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics, North America, 7, nov. 2018.Singata-Madliki M, Carayon-Lefebvre d’Hellencourt F, Lawrie TA, Balakrishna Y, Hofmeyr GJ.Effects of three contraceptive methods on depression and sexual function: an ancillary study of the ECHO randomized trial.Int J Gynaecol Obstet.2021;154(2):256-262. doi:10.1002/ijgo.13594American Pregnancy Association.Ovulation: Frequently Asked Questions.Halpern V, Fuchs R, Brache V, Bahamondes L, Miranda MJ, Lendvay A,et al.Suppression of ovulation and pharmacokinetics following subcutaneous administration of various doses of Depo-Provera®: a randomized trial.Contracept X. 2021 Oct 2;3:100070. doi:10.1016/j.conx.2021.100070.Pfizer.Depo-Provera.Su HW, Yi YC, Wei TY, Chang TC, Cheng CM.Detection of ovulation, a review of currently available methods. Bioeng Transl Med. 2017 May 16;2(3):238-246. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10058. PMID: 29313033; PMCID: PMC5689497.National Library of Medicine.Steps to Take Before You Get Pregnant.American Pregnancy Association.How to Get Pregnant—Best Tips to Help You Conceive.National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy?Damtie Y, Kefale B, Arefaynie M, Yalew M, Adane B.Fertility return after hormonal contraceptive discontinuation and associated factors among women attended Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Dessie model clinic, Northeast Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 11;18(7):e0287440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287440. PMID: 37432916; PMCID: PMC10335688.Additional ReadingCornet A.Current challenges in contraception in adolescents and young women.Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2013;25:S1-S10. doi:10.1097/GCO.0b013e32835e06fd
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
DailyMed.Label: Depo-Provera- medroxyprogesterone acetate injection, suspension.American Academy of Family Physicians.Depo-Provera: An injectable contraceptive.Dennerstein, G., Fernando, S., Teo, C., Gorelik, A., Vollenoven, B., Fraser, I., Wark, J..Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Bone Mineral Density. Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics, North America, 7, nov. 2018.Singata-Madliki M, Carayon-Lefebvre d’Hellencourt F, Lawrie TA, Balakrishna Y, Hofmeyr GJ.Effects of three contraceptive methods on depression and sexual function: an ancillary study of the ECHO randomized trial.Int J Gynaecol Obstet.2021;154(2):256-262. doi:10.1002/ijgo.13594American Pregnancy Association.Ovulation: Frequently Asked Questions.Halpern V, Fuchs R, Brache V, Bahamondes L, Miranda MJ, Lendvay A,et al.Suppression of ovulation and pharmacokinetics following subcutaneous administration of various doses of Depo-Provera®: a randomized trial.Contracept X. 2021 Oct 2;3:100070. doi:10.1016/j.conx.2021.100070.Pfizer.Depo-Provera.Su HW, Yi YC, Wei TY, Chang TC, Cheng CM.Detection of ovulation, a review of currently available methods. Bioeng Transl Med. 2017 May 16;2(3):238-246. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10058. PMID: 29313033; PMCID: PMC5689497.National Library of Medicine.Steps to Take Before You Get Pregnant.American Pregnancy Association.How to Get Pregnant—Best Tips to Help You Conceive.National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy?Damtie Y, Kefale B, Arefaynie M, Yalew M, Adane B.Fertility return after hormonal contraceptive discontinuation and associated factors among women attended Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Dessie model clinic, Northeast Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 11;18(7):e0287440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287440. PMID: 37432916; PMCID: PMC10335688.
DailyMed.Label: Depo-Provera- medroxyprogesterone acetate injection, suspension.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Depo-Provera: An injectable contraceptive.
Dennerstein, G., Fernando, S., Teo, C., Gorelik, A., Vollenoven, B., Fraser, I., Wark, J..Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Bone Mineral Density. Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics, North America, 7, nov. 2018.
Singata-Madliki M, Carayon-Lefebvre d’Hellencourt F, Lawrie TA, Balakrishna Y, Hofmeyr GJ.Effects of three contraceptive methods on depression and sexual function: an ancillary study of the ECHO randomized trial.Int J Gynaecol Obstet.2021;154(2):256-262. doi:10.1002/ijgo.13594
American Pregnancy Association.Ovulation: Frequently Asked Questions.
Halpern V, Fuchs R, Brache V, Bahamondes L, Miranda MJ, Lendvay A,et al.Suppression of ovulation and pharmacokinetics following subcutaneous administration of various doses of Depo-Provera®: a randomized trial.Contracept X. 2021 Oct 2;3:100070. doi:10.1016/j.conx.2021.100070.
Pfizer.Depo-Provera.
Su HW, Yi YC, Wei TY, Chang TC, Cheng CM.Detection of ovulation, a review of currently available methods. Bioeng Transl Med. 2017 May 16;2(3):238-246. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10058. PMID: 29313033; PMCID: PMC5689497.
National Library of Medicine.Steps to Take Before You Get Pregnant.
American Pregnancy Association.How to Get Pregnant—Best Tips to Help You Conceive.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy?
Damtie Y, Kefale B, Arefaynie M, Yalew M, Adane B.Fertility return after hormonal contraceptive discontinuation and associated factors among women attended Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Dessie model clinic, Northeast Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 11;18(7):e0287440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287440. PMID: 37432916; PMCID: PMC10335688.
Cornet A.Current challenges in contraception in adolescents and young women.Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2013;25:S1-S10. doi:10.1097/GCO.0b013e32835e06fd
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