Do you ovulate when taking birth control?

Answer 1

If taken correctly, the answer is no (most of the time, read on to find out why). The purpose of the pill is to prevent ovulation from occurring, so typically an egg is not released therefore pregnancy will not occur. Another thing that the pill does is make the vaginal mucus thicker preventing most sperm from entering the cervix.

Factors such as diarrhea, vomiting, missing a pill, etc. may allow the egg to be released which is the reason why there is a failure rate with the pill. Another factor that happens to any woman is ovulation occurring even if the pill is taken correctly, so basically even if everything is perfect ovulation may still occur while on the pill.
The Birth Control pill is designed to prevent ovulation.

Answer 2

The combination pill works in several ways to prevent pregnancy, the most important of which is preventing ovulation. Occasionally, though, ovulation may still occur, so the pill also thickens your cervical mucus to keep sperm from entering your womb, and thinning the womb lining so the fertilized egg can't implant.

If you are on a combination (estrogen and progesterone) pill, it works by preventing ovulation (no egg, no fertilization, no baby) If you are on a progesterone only pill you still ovulate but other changes in your body prevent sperm from getting to the egg. In either case you still have a period because your body continues to produce and shed the lining that would nurture the fertilized egg if it were present.

If you are not on the pill, each month your brain tells your ovary to release an egg. After it has been released, the hormone levels in your body go up, which make the brain stop "telling" the ovary to release an egg (otherwise you'd just keep ovulating)

When you are on the pill, the hormones in it make your brain think you have already ovulated. So your brain doesnt tell your ovaries to release an egg.

However, occasionally, a woman might have a 'Breakthrough" ovulation while on the pill. This is why the pill also works by changing the cervical mucus--to make it hard for sperm to get throuh, in case you have a breakthrough ovulation.

Hope that helps! :)

The previous is not accurate. The reason ovulation occurs is by a 20 fold increase in estrogen. This causes a positive feedback, causing the pituitary (brain) to release LH which causes ovulation.

Here is the basic principle. First the ovary begins to develop a primary oocyte, (FSH does this). As this occurs (days 1-13 of the menstrual cycle) these cells divide more and more forming a mass of cells called granulosa cells. ALL of these cells release estrogen. as more cells divide estrogen levels go up.

Once a 20 fold increase in estrogen occurs the Pitutary (brain) releases LH. This causes ovulation. As the oocyte brakes through the ovary it enters the uterine tube. The granulosa cells (secreate estrogen) CHANGE into the coupus luteum. Now these cells start making and secreating Progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium (site of implantation) to add more blood vessles and glucose (actualy called glycocalx). This will provide the egg food (glucose) and nutirents/oxogen (blood vessels).

Current research suggest that PMS is caused by this rapid change in hormomes, after ovulation. (Drop in estrogen, increase then drop in progesterone)

Finally, the "tricking your body that you are pregnant" when on birth control. If you were pregnant your body would maintian a low to medium level of estrogen because the fertilized egg would be secreating estorgen and hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophen). This keeps the courpus leuteum working, AND prevents the ovary from making another fallicle to fertilize (supresses FSH or Falicle stimuating hormone). When you are on the pill. You maintain this low level of estrogen (sometimes with progesterone) and your body never reaches the 20 fold increase in estrogen that will cause ovulation.

Bottome line: No egg is matured and developed (supress FSH), No ovulation (No LH), and no chance of a baby. The progesterone only birth control is correct above. As it preps the endometrium for implantation it increases the thickness of the mucus. Normally, 200-300 million sperm (spermatazoa) enter the vagina, and only 300-500 reach the site of ovulation, and only 1 breaks into the egg to fertilize it. SO the odds are already bad. Make the mucus extreamly thicker, and none of the sperm will make it up to the site of fertilization.

Answer 3

Hi, No you cant. Birth control pill works by tricking your body into thinking it is pregnant and also stops your body from Ovulating. If you want something to help you ovulate, then see your doctor. Otherwise you'll have to track your ovulating days by investing in a ovulation predictor kit.

Answer 4

The two hormones in the combined oral contraceptive pill, estrogen and progestogen, work on several levels to prevent pregnancy. Primarily, the Pill works by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). If an egg is not released then of course conception cannot take place. As a back-up, the Pill also makes the mucus released by the cervix thicker so the sperm cannot get through and thins the lining of the uterus so a fertilised egg has difficulty implanting.

Anytime you miss more than 2 pills in a pack or start the next pack of birth control late, there is a chance of the hormones dropping low enough to allow ovulation. In this case you take the pills as soon as you realize and then use back up again, until you have taken 7 pills in 7 days.

Normally, a woman on birth control pills does not ovulate. This is the primary mechanism of action with the birth control pill - to prevent the ripening of a follicle that leads to ovulation.

Answer 5

some do
The combined pill has three actions. 1) Prevents ovulation by fooling the brain into thinking the body is already pregnant so it does not release the hormone which initiates ovulation. 2) Prevents the sperm getting into the uterus by making the cervical mucus very thick and sticky. 3) Prevents implantation by preventing the lining of the uterus from thickening so it is not receptive to a fertilised egg. The progesterone only pill (mini-pill) does not prevent ovulation but it has actions 2 and 3.

Answer 6

BCP actually suppress ovulation, but they will regulate your cycle - many women trying to conceive use the pill for a cycle or two if they are irregular - once off the pill ovulation kicks in and hopefully their cycles stay regular long enough for them to get pregnant.

Answer 7

They say it can, because some women who are planning In Vitro will be told to be on the Pill for a short while so they can expect when to ovulate after coming off of it, I have heard.

Answer 8

That is the whole purpose of it, dear.