Eric R Goldberg, MD - Fertility after the pill
"I've been on the pill for years and now I want to get pregnant. Will it be hard for me to conceive?" This is an incredibly common question. The answer depends on many factors. The main determinants of fertility are age and the regularity of ovulation before and after oral contraception use.
The amount of time a woman used oral contraceptives prior to attempting conception has little to do with time to recovery of their prior cycle. Most physicians recommend waiting for a period off the pill prior to starting conception, however, it is possible to get pregnant right away. Therefore, if you do not wish to get pregnant right away, an alternative, non-hormonal, method of contraception is recommended.
Oral contraceptives use hormones to suppress ovulation. If a woman does not ovulate, she can not get pregnant. Once oral contraceptives are stopped, the hormones from the pill are out of the system in 3-4 days. After that, the body's own hormonal rhythm takes over. So, if a woman had a regular ovulatory cycle prior to starting the pill, it is reasonable that she will resume that cycle shortly after stopping. If the pill was being used to regulate an irregular cycle, then the ovulatory issues that existed prior to the pill will need to be addressed after the pill.
Fertility after the pill is mostly determined by fertility prior to the pill. Duration of oral contraception use is not a major factor. It takes the average couple about 8 months to conceive, so fertility testing prior to 1 year of attempting conception is not recommended unless there is an underlying issue that may be contributing to infertility.
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Jermuaria,
Fevers are very common in children, and they can often get quite high - 103-105 F are not uncommon. What is more important than the number, is how the child is acting. If they are cranky but alert, this is less worrisome than if they are less interactive or confused. In the second case, medical evaluation is recommended.
As far as a bath goes, it will not hurt the child to be placed in a cool bath. It does not need to be ice or near freezing - if the body's temperature is over 98.6 F, then water in the 60-70 F range will help draw off the heat without being too uncomfortable. If you are in a situation where rapid fever reduction is necessary, then your child should be seen by a doctor as well.
Acetaminophen can also be used to lower temperature, but again, check with your child's doctor before giving any medications.
I got a few other comments on this topic on TheVisualMD.com Facebook page. Readers were concerned about the temperature of the water harming the child or maybe even putting a child in shock. It is unlikely that very cold water temperatures will harm the child for a BRIEF exposure, but you will have a very unhappy child with very cold temperatures!!!
Regards,
Dr. Goldberg
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