Depo question

I was due for my 3rd depo shot after the birth of my son, but we were on a cross country move and I missed it I had a period at the time I should have had the shot but nothing since. It has now been 3 months months since my last period. My husband and I are not using any other forms of birth control so I am wondering how long does the depo usually stay in the system.

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you were my patient, I would advise you that the depo shot was designed to last for 12 weeks.  Usually there is a margin of error of about 2 weeks after the first date that the shot was due.  In other words, if your shot was due July 15 you could probably still expect it to hold out until the end of the month.  After that all bets are off.  Some women ovulate immediately and become fertile right away.  Others don't get regular cycles back for 12-18 months.  I would definitely recommend a pregnancy test though!
AND getting back in for your next shot if the test is neg.
Good luck!
Dr B