1. I stopped taking the Pill. I now have missed a period/or have had very long cycles. Could I be pregnant?
Commonly, after stopping the oral contraceptive, there is a period of time which the body needs to adjust to its own cycle again. In this time, periods may be irregular or may not come at all. It often takes three months for the cycle to regularise. Most women do not fall pregnant in this time, though there are, of course, instances where pregnancy does occur. If you have a delayed period soon after stopping the Pill, it is probably a good idea to do a pregnancy test so as to know where you stand. Bear in mind, however, that it is more likely to be due to a readjustmen

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t of the hormones. If this persists beyond three months, a gynaecological check-up would be advisable.

2. When does ovulation occur and when is the best time to have intercourse in order to conceive?
The length of the menstrual cycle (the time from the start of one period to the start of the next) varies from person to person. Anything from 21 - 35 days is normal. On average, most women have cycles of about 28 days. In this case, ovulation occurs on Day 14. If your cycle is not 28 days, the way to work out the time of ovulation is to subtract 14 days from your cycle length, i.e. for a 30 day cycle, ovulation should occur on Day 16 (30-14). The best time to have intercourse would be starting two days before the expected ovulation to two days after. Bear in mind that not all women ovulate at the expected time, so this is not an absolute rule. Unless you are having difficulty conceiving, regular intercourse about three times per week will catch the ovulation period.

3. What are the early symptoms of pregnancy and when is the earliest one can do a pregnancy test?
The best symptom of pregnancy is missing a period. Before this happens, there are no symptoms as the hormonal changes have not really started yet. Common symptoms of early pregnancy are morning sickness, sore breasts, backache and dizziness. These can start from five weeks but, in many cases, only start later. Many women do not have any symptoms at all. The blood pregnancy test can be positive a day or two before the expected period. However, it is usually better to wait to see if your period comes, or you will be spending lots of money unnecessarily. The home pregnancy tests can be positive a day or two after missing a period. Once again, it is better to wait four to five days before testing, or you may have a false negative result because of testing too early .

4. How long should it take me to fall pregnant if I have never been on contraception and how long would it take after stopping contraception?
A normal healthy couple who have never been on contraception can take up to a year to conceive. The reason for this is that conception does not result from every episode of intercourse, even if it occurs at the time of ovulation. There are many reasons for this. For example, the sperm which reaches the egg first may not be able to fertilise it, the egg may fertilise but not implant, the fertilised egg may abort very early, often because of a genetic abnormality. If you have been on the Pill, after the three months adjustment time, your chances would be the same as that of someone who has never been on contraception. If you have used the injectable, it could take up to a year for your periods to return. From the time that you have regular periods again, it may still take up to a year to conceive, the same as any other couple on no contraception.

5. What are the symptoms of thrush, how can it be treated and how does one prevent recurrent thrush?
The typical symptoms of thrush are itching of the vulva and a thick white discharge. Thrush can be treated with antifungal creams or pessaries, such as Canesten. Oral tablets such as Sporonox or Diflucan can also be used (not in pregnancy). Recurrences are common as the spores are very resistant to treatment. The following measures can help prevent recurrent thrush. Wear cotton rather than nylon underwear. Avoid tight jeans, g-strings or pantihose which cause sweating in this area. Ensure that your partner is also treated to prevent reinfecting each other. Boil all underwear and towels initially to get rid of the spores. The time around menstruation is particularly vulnerable, so it is useful to use the pessaries before menstruation for about three months after an attack. Yoghurt douches may also be of help. If there are frequent recurrences, this may indicate a problem with the immune system. Diabetes and HIV should then be excluded.
 

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