If you've been on the Pill for a while and are worried about conceiving, Dr. Gill Lockwood, medical director at Midland Fertility Services, has some good advice

Young women today often spend ten or 15 years on the oral contraceptive pill before they decide the time is right to stop taking it and have a baby. Although many women will fall pregnant immediately, for others it may take significantly longer. It may even take a while for them to restart their periods. They worry that the Pill may have reduced their fertility, while forgetting about the years of painless regular periods, and protection from pelvic infections and unwanted pregnancies.

They can be reassured that experts are agreed that There is no evidence that the Pill causes infertility'.

>Menstrual influence
Most women who had regular periods before starting the Pill will find that regular ovular cycles return within six months of stopping it. Irregular cycles before the Pill may indicate PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), with the cyclic hormones in the Pill regularising cycles. Weight, health, stress and exercise can also influence a woman's pattern of menstruation, as the following stories illustrate.

Jenny's story
Jenny was 15 when she went on the Pill to control her irregular, painful periods, which were disrupting her social life and schoolwork. She also suffered from bad teenage acne, and the GP hoped an anti-androgen pill like Dianette would help her complexion.

At 25 she married Mark and they decided to try for a baby, so Jenny came off the Pill. Her periods didn't come back, she put on two stone in weight and her skin became greasy and spotty again.

Her GP explained that women with polycystic ovaries have a hormone imbalance, which causes irregular periods and weight gain. The increased levels of testosterone in their circulation can give them acne and excessive hair growth on the face and tummy.

Following a low-fat diet and regular exercise regime will help PCOS sufferers regain their proper weight and they can be helped to ovulate regularly with Clomid tablets or Gonadotrophin injections.

Jenny began exercising and lost some weight. Her periods remained a little irregular and unpredictable, but she conceived on their first wedding anniversary.

Julie's story
Julie started the Pill when she was 16, as she was keen on sport and competed at county level in swimming and cross-country running. At 28 she had competed in the Olympics and decided to retire from competitive sport and start a family with her partner Jonathon.

When she stopped the Pill, her periods didn't restart and she saw her GP after six months. He found that she was very stressed and although she was very fit, she was considerably underweight. She was still working out at the gym and training for three to four hours a day.

The GP explained that very low body weight and excessive exercise combined can interfere with ovulation and he recommended that she reduce her workout programme and eat more high-calorie foods. As she slowly regained a healthy weight, her periods returned and she got pregnant.

A weighty matter
Fertility is higher and pregnancy is healthier when a woman has a BMI (Body Mass Index) between 20 and 25. BMIs are calculated by comparing the ratio of the height and the weight.

Height	Max Ideal Weight
5ft (1.52m)	9st 3lb (58.5kg)
5ft 3ins (1.59m)	10st 3lb (64.8kg)
5ft 6ins (1.67m)	11st 3lb (71.2kg)
5ft 9ins (1.75m)	12st 3lb (77.5kg)

BMI = weight in kg divided by height in metres squared.The maximum ideal BMI is 25kg/m2

Are you fit to be pregnant?
Pre-conception care can be as important as antenatal care for ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Follow these steps and boost your chances of a bonny bump:

Stop smoking
Smokers take twice as long to conceive as non-smokers and have a higher miscarriage rate.

Cut down on alcohol
Teetotallers conceive more quickly than even light drinkers. We don't know what is a 'safe' level, but it's probably only two to three units per week.

Start taking folic acid
Take iron as well if you have heavy periods and extra Vitamin C if you miss out on fresh fruit and vegetables. Do not take extra Vitamin A or D as they are toxic to unborn babies.

Get plenty of fresh air and exercise
Stuffy offices and crowded commuter trains reduce the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream and make you tired and less fertile.

Practise stress management
Techniques like yoga, meditation, auto-hypnosis or Pilates. High stress levels can interfere with ovulation and make it harder to conceive.

Stay out of saunas and steam rooms
This is especially important if you think you may be pregnant, as the high temperatures can cause increased miscarriage rates.

Have sex more often
Many couples using temperature charts and ovulation predictor sticks will often miss 'the fertile period' completely. The best way to make babies is to have sex three times a week from the end of one period to the start of the next.

Encourage your partner to keep cool.
The testes dangle down to keep them one degree below body temperature. If your man sits in hot baths, drives long distances without a break, and wears tight underpants, he is not going to make top-quality sperm.

Try to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.
Crash dieting and yo-yo dieting are bad for your health and for getting pregnant.

Don't panic.
Ninety per cent of normally fertile young couples will get pregnant within a year of trying. If you think you may be at risk of fertility problems (irregular periods, pelvic pain, surgery or previous infections) see your GP.