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Yes it does help a lot actually! I have read another post of yours and you had kind of explained what your body goes through with releasing certain hormones when you come off of birth control. That's also where I had read that missing the first week is the "worst week". Do you think you could explain that to me a little better? Because I understand the ovulation days for a woman when she is not taking bc but I know the pill and coming off of it changes everything. Thanks again!
August 2, 2009 - 12:37pmThis Comment
I am not sure I can explain it any better in general terms, but I'll give it a try! You said you know that ovulation is different in these circumstances for women:
a) when a woman is taking bcp (ovulation is prevented)
b) when she is taking bcp and abruptly stops them (the process of hormones being released, leading to ovulation, is begun)
c) when a woman is not taking any bcp (ovulation occurs around the middle of her cycle, on average...can occur much earlier or later for some women)
The worst week to miss bcp is said to be the 1st week, because the prior week (week 4) was the week that did not contain any hormones in your pills (assuming you are taking 28-day cycle pills). Does that make sense?
Week 1: pills contain hormones
Week 2: pills contain hormones
Week 3: pills contain hormones
Week 4: pills contain NO hormones and you experience bleeding
Week 1 (of new pack): if you miss this entire week, you have been "hormone-free" from pills for 14 days.
Your confusion may be that you assume you can only ovulate during/near "day 14" of your cycle (which would be "Week 2"), and you assume this would be the worst time to miss a pill? If that's were the confusion is, it makes sense. But remember, your body does not have a "day 14" similar to women who are not using bcp. "Day 14" is only for women who are not taking hormonal contraception....they are ovulating, among other things. Your body only responds to the hormonal contraception you are taking to tell it to not mature an egg; not to release an egg, etc. When the hormones from your bcp abruptly stop, then your body kicks in and you begin this process. Your body has technically had 14 days to mature an egg and release an egg (ovulate), which is were the "chance of pregnancy" comes in with unprotected sex.
I can see from your perspective that the timing may not make sense, but please know that women's bodies are not like clockwork, and we can not 100% depend on any specific timing to dictate what our bodies are doing. Some women ovulate early in their cycles; others late in their cycles for no reason. This can be the same with you: you may ovulate "earlier" when you abruptly stop using bcp...it can not be predicted without testing hormone levels, etc.
August 2, 2009 - 2:52pmThis Comment
Ya thanks that makes a lot more sense to me now. Thank you so much its been hard to actually find information about what your body goes through if you abruplty stop using birth control. I guess time will tell. Would you say that if I miss my next period I should take the pregnancy test? I've also heard that women on birth control may still have a period and be pregnant and should test after as well? Is that true?
August 2, 2009 - 3:26pmThis Comment
Hi all, so on tuesday 7th july i decided to skip my period but couldnt find my new perscription so i had a new one printed on wed so i had 2 days of no pills, and then took 3 pills on the thursday (the two i had missed and the pill i would take that morning so three) and then asked a nurse who said to wait 7 days before having unprotected sex so the following wed late at night i had unprotected sex so it had only been 6 days almost seven and then the next day (so the seventh day) that night i had unprotected sex. I am on yasmin and have been on it for about 2-3 years now. On the thursday of the week i took three pills i got a period pretty much and this stopped and i just had normal discharge. Today though i realised i have the slightest light brown tinge occasionally to my discharge and i just want to put my mind at rest is there a great chance i could be pregnant for only waiting 6 days almost 7?
July 19, 2009 - 5:45pmThis Comment
hi, i'm on loestrin 24 and have a question. i missed two pills in a row in my 3rd week. i was told by a friend to take 2 one day, and 2 the next. and then continue as normal, which i did. i then read, later on, that i should have actually thrown the pack away and started a new one. i just continued the pack, finished, and started a new one friday, meaning i'm 2 days into my new pack. am i ok again? how long should i wait before the birth control is normal and effective? or, was i okay from the start because i continued to take the pills? thanks for any help!!
July 19, 2009 - 10:54amThis Comment
Hi, Anon,
Most likely you were protected the entire time. Since the pills you missed were in week 3, you were probably past any chance of ovulation. And since you continued taking pills the entire time, you were just as protected as if you'd started a new pack.
Did you have a period between packs or did you skip the reminder pills and just start the new pack?
January 15, 2010 - 8:34amThis Comment
OK, this may be hard to follow. After having a baby a few months ago, I started back on the pill and had a normal 1st month (I am a Sunday starter). The 2nd month, I missed Sunday-Friday's pills due to the pharmacy (they placed my pack in the holder upside-down so I was unknowingly taking the placebos that first week). I realized this mistake on Saturday night and took that pill. Then on Sunday AM I took Fridays pill. I was going to do this to play catch-up but then started with a period on Monday/Tues and it was exactly like a normal period. The Sunday following, I continued taking active pills from the pack as if I'd have started a new pack, b/c I didn't have a new one and all of my pills have the same hormone level. I took 1 pill daily until I ran out, which was week 2 by then and I could get a new pack, and then started on the correct day of week 2. I had unprotected sex during that 1st week of botched pills, but haven't done anything since then even tho I've been taking pills for 2 weeks now. I'm worried I could be pregnant but now confused b/c I had a normal "period", even tho it was early and likely b/c I'd missed so many. It's been 1 mo. since this happened and I took a preg test and it was neg, but I am not due for my new period for another 2 weeks. Does this make sense? I have been feeling nauseaous on and off but would I have that as a symptom even before a HPT would turn positive? In the past, my nausea hasn't come until after I've tested positive and I wonder if my nerves are making me sick? Help!
July 18, 2009 - 7:00pmThis Comment
If you have had a normal menstrual period (or, rather "withdrawal bleeding") after all of your missed pills, then this indicates that you do not have a viable pregnancy.
You are worried that an early period is a sign of pregnancy? Your body is going to be adjusting for a few months, and is unpredictable when you may ovulate (if you were not on the pill) or have a "period" after having a baby only a few months ago, and starting on hormones again.
July 19, 2009 - 8:05pmThis Comment
I was reading all the posts and still want to be sure if what I'm doing is right.
I'm a Tuesday starter and just recently i missed 3 days of my pill in a row (missed Sunday to Tuesday) so on Wednesday I took the 3 pills plus my 1 pill on Wednesday. This was on Sunday and Monday of the 2nd week and Tuesday on the 3rd week. Is that ok?
Also today (Thursday) I saw a little bit of bleeding this morning, should I be worried?
Oh and in case you're wondering I'm on Tri Cyclen.
Please help!
July 16, 2009 - 10:50amJessica
This Comment
I have a question, i take Desogen as a birth control method. I had so much going on in my life that i completely forgot to take it for the last couple of days since Monday, today is Thursday, i started bleeding and realized i had no taken my pill for the last couple of days so i immediately took the one for Thursday and they told me at Planned Parent Hood that i had to throw away the pack and start a fresh pack, I'm assuming i usually start on Sunday' so i believe that i have to take the pack i currently have till Sunday. I was on the second week of the active pills, so does this mean that i will have a full period? Or what are the possibilities of getting pregnant? Please can some one help.
Thanks.
July 16, 2009 - 9:42amThis Comment