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Ok, so I'm 17 and I started taking birth control in July of 2008, i started off with Yaz then switched to Levora about 6 months ago. I just started a new pack on Friday July 24. When i went on a trip i forgot to take my pack with me and i missed two pills- sunday and monday. today, i took my pill at my normal time. i keep reading that i need to take two today and two tomorrow but i already took one today at my normal time. what are my chances of getting pregnant since i missed two in the first week?
my boyfriend and i had unprotected sex on saturday and sunday
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haha OFCOURSE i have more questions.
July 28, 2009 - 1:56pmok so you said that when we miss these hormones that the birth control gives us, our body is gettingback into the "groove" of doing things normally.
would it kind of be like your body doesnt know when the "second week" is, so it is ready to start the process of ovulation when the hormones stop?
so since ive missed two, what are the chances? like how many days would it take me to ovulate. i know you dont know exact. but you said you wouldnt ovulate right away.
also, (ofcourse i dont want to get pregnant) but IF it happens, it wouldve been from the two days i missed in the FIRST week. but i'm going to be taking the rest of the pack normally so could that harm the baby?
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You ask really good questions--here's some information that I hope is helpful.
I probably mis-spoke previously, as when I said "ovulation is a process", it is actually a process that is continually occurring in our bodies from the start of one period to the start of our next period. It has taken me years to fully grasp this cycle; I'm not sure why it's so complicated! :-)
Hormonal contraception ("the pill") works by introducing synthetic hormones (estrogen and progestin) into our bodies that prevent our pituitary glad from releasing the hormones LH & FSH. If we are trying to prevent a pregnancy, we want the synthetic hormones from the pill in our body in a consistent manner, because if "word" (hormones from our pill) does not get to the pituitary gland to stop the release LH & FSH, then those hormones are going to start getting to work. LH & FSH send signals to our ovaries to start maturing an egg, and this then leads to the release of the mature egg (ovulation). Does that make sense?
So, in other words, if you miss a few pills in a row, you are not going to start ovulating immediately---but your pituitary gland may release LH & FSH into your bloodstream, and your ovaries may begin maturing an egg. It is unlikely that this would all occur with just 1 or 2 missed pills, but if you think about the pill having a 0.1% failure rate when used consistently and correctly, it makes sense that our bodies work in mysterious ways. Missing 3 or more pills increases the chance of the pituitary gland kicking in with the release of LH & FSH.
I hope that is more clear, as this is what I meant by "ovulation is a process". The actual release of an egg (ovulation) takes 12-24 days and is a process in-and-of-itself, but our bodies are continually going through the Menstrual Cycle every day.
Here are some great sites that actually illustrate (in animated cartoon-format) how the hormones work and when menstruation happens; also what happens in our body when we are using hormonal contraception:
July 29, 2009 - 8:11pm- Menstruation Cycle: How Hormones Work to Prevent Pregnancy
- The Menstrual Cycle Graph
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sorry one more question. ok so bc pills stop you from ovulating and if you ovulate then the lining is thinner... blah blah blah. but... i read that you ovulate in the second week so why is it so bad to miss the pills in the first week? wouldnt it be worse like the day before suspected ovulation?
July 28, 2009 - 11:55amim just curious because i dont understand... like if i keep taking my pills and say (just guessing) i would ovulate sometime next week, how could i ovulate if the hormones are back in me? sorry i have a lot of questions.
and thank you. i called my doctor and she said that i just need to double up and use a condom for 7 days or even 2 weeks to be extra safe.
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oh good, I'm so glad you called your doctor! Keep the questions coming...that's why I'm here!
Pills work in several ways, and since our bodies are all different, we can not absolutely know if the pill has worked in our body on this particular day to:
- Prevent ovulation
- Alter the lining of the uterus so a fertilized egg could not implant (in case ovulation did occur)
- Thicken the cervical mucus to "disable" sperm and make it difficult to enter
So, that's the basics of how the hormones in the pills work. However, when you miss pills, then it signals to your body to begin these processes (ovulating, creating a "welcoming" environment for sperm in the uterus and cervical mucus).
What you are referring to is what women who are NOT on the pill experience. Some women on a perfectly normal, regular 28-day cycle probably ovulate around the 2nd week of their cycle, and have their period during the 4th week.
What women who use hormonal contraception experience is typically no ovulation, as well as no period. The bleeding that occurs during your 4th week of the pills is not menstrual bleeding (that would require ovulation), but rather a withdrawal from the medication. Crazy, right?
So, does that make sense? You do not have the typical "ovulate during 2nd week", so when you abruptly stop taking the hormones, your body gears up to begin the process of ovulation, changing cervical mucus and a million other things. It is not likely that you would ovulate so quickly, as it is a process that takes several days. However, the other factor is the sperm, of course. Sperm in a "welcoming" environment in your body can live up to 3 days (I've read some sources say up to 5 days) waiting for an egg to be released. And, as discussed, this welcoming environment may occur when the pills are missed for several days-in-a-row.
This all adds up to equal a chance of pregnancy when missing pills, regardless of the week that is missed.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
July 28, 2009 - 12:21pmThis Comment
Hi,
You are right--you do need to "double-up" and take two pills to make up for the two that you missed. Did you not understand what that meant in your pill instructions?
Read the instructions again; it tells you to take 2 pills for the next 2 days to make-up for the ones you missed for a 28-day pack. Please call your doctor if your specific prescription says something different. Your instructions probably also say you can take the pills spaced out a few hours (they can cause nausea if taken at same time).
What you need to do (again, read your instructions and/or call your doctor to verify this information pertains to YOUR specific pills):
Since you missed pills Sunday & Monday, then:
Tuesday (today): take two pills- one from today and one from Sunday
Wednesday (tomorrow): take two pills- one from today and one from Monday
Thursday: you are now back-on-track with your pills and just take one per day
As you read, I'm sure, your pill pack also says that you need to use alternative protection for the 7 days (such as a condom) after your missed pills. Unfortunately, the worst time to miss pills is during the 1st week of your pill pack, as you have been "hormone-free" from pills for 7 days and are not protected (assuming you use a 28-day pack, where the last 7 days of pills do not contain hormones).
There is a chance you could be pregnant from having unprotected sex while not being protected effectively from your pill (missing two during your 1st week of the pack).
Do you have access to a local the pharmacy, where you can get emergency contraception? You may also want to call your doctor's office and ask a nurse for their recommendation. This needs to be done within 72-120 hours after unprotected sex; the sooner the more effective Plan B is at preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Here is more information: Plan B.
And, since you are 17, you probably want to call your doctor's office first---I'm not sure what the regulations are for being "under 18" and purchasing Plan B. Your boyfriend could also purchase it, if he is 18. Good luck, and please use a condom next time you miss pills, so you don't have this stress and worry. I'm sorry you're going through this, but please take action NOW and call your doctor.
July 28, 2009 - 11:40amThis Comment