Now, you're not so sure you were all that lucky. You've been trying to get pregnant for months, and it just isn't happening. Could using birth control have affected your fertility?

If you used the Pill, it's unlikely that your fertility was affected, according to The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In most cases, once you stop taking it, fertility returns within a cycle or two. In fact, the FDA notes that the Pill has been shown to prevent endometriosis and possibly reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life.

The so-called 'mini-pill' (which contains no estrogen ) is also not shown to have adverse affects on the return of fertility, says the FDA. And like the "bigger" combination pill, the mini-pill also has been shown to reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.

Other birth control methods can affect the return of your fertility for longer periods of time. Not surprisingly, the manufacturers don't always advertise that information in their full color ads in your favorite magazines. Worse, your own doctor may have information that is outdated or just plain wrong.

When Jessica tried the Depo Provera shot after the birth of her first child, she experienced heavy bleeding for 3 months. She tried going on the Pill to regulate her cycle – a common solution – but found that it made her sick. "My doctor gave me an information sheet which told me it might take 'up to 6 months' for my fertility to return after the shot 'wore off,'" she says. She had a second shot.

Three months later, Jessica began suffering from uterine infections, break-through bleeding, and 20-day periods. Worst of all, even a year and a half after her shot was supposed to have worn off, she still wasn't ovulating. "I was convinced I would never get pregnant again. My OB/GYN said the horrible words: 'secondary infertility' and my heart stopped."

The manufacturers of Depo Provera now admit that it can take up to 18 months for menstruation to return after you stop receiving injections. Their Web site explains that the shot "causes a resting state in your ovaries...preventing your egg cells from ripening. If an egg is not released from the ovaries during your menstrual cycle, it cannot become fertilized by sperm and result in pregnancy." Remember, too, that the return of menstruation does not necessarily mean the return of ovulation – so it may take longer than 18 months for you to be able to get pregnant. For more information on how the menstrual cycle works, see The Cycle Daily.

When Lisa tried the Depo Provera shot, she also bled for 3 straight months. "My option was to get another shot (increasing the dosage slightly)," she says. "I declined that, as I wanted to try to get pregnant. At my 6-week checkup, when I got the shot, I really wasn't thinking about when I wanted another baby, only that I wanted one eventually. After I got the shot, I read the literature and found out that sometimes the shot can be effective for up to a year. At that point I was really upset with myself that I wasn't completely informed about the drug."

When she was still bleeding at the 3-month mark, Lisa finally decided to go on the Pill for a short time to regulate her cycle. Fortunately, she had no problems conceiving afterwards.

Melissa conceived her first two children with no problem. Then she decided to try the Norplant implants. "After Norplant it took me 4 years to conceive a child. I had Norplant in for 2 years. Two years of non-stop bleeding." At the time, her doctor convinced her that her symptoms were normal, but she has since learned otherwise. In fact, there are several class-action suits against Norplant's manufacturer, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, with plaintiffs complaining of dizziness, nausea, excessive bleeding and other side effects.

"I am having trouble conceiving now," Melissa says. "I had two miscarriages in 2 years." Eventually, she was able to carry her son to term. But even after 4 Norplant-free years, she is still experiencing problems conceiving a fourth child.

After the birth of her second child, Sal thought she didn't want any more children. She decided to have a tubal ligation. "Before I could make the appointment, my son died at 8 months old. I'm glad I didn't have the tubal done." Instead, after she had a third child, she chose to try the 10-year copper intra-uterine device (IUD).

Having an IUD put in "hurts terribly," she says. "It's a bit like giving birth in reverse. They insert a thin metal rod into the cervix to 'measure depth.' Then they insert a hollow plastic tube and push the IUD into the cervix where it springs open." She advises women considering the IUD to be aware of all the possible side effects. "I received a pamphlet after I had it done. I might not have done it had I seen it first. Now I live in dread of scar tissue, punctured walls, infertility and surgery to remove the IUD. Those are just four of the 30-plus possible side effects."