Hi, Anon, and thank you so much for your question. It's a great one.
The answer depends partially on what kind of birth control pills you are taking. Some pills are a combination of estrogen and progestin; others are progestin-only. Pills with estrogen in them take over your hormonal cycle and prevent the woman's body from releasing an egg; no egg means no possible baby. Progestiin-only pills prevent pregnancy by thickening your cervical mucus (makes it harder for sperm to swim), and making it harder for the egg to travel and/or implant in the uterus if fertilized.
I am guessing you are on a pill that has a combination. So here's the deal: when you miss a pill, or two, or three, then you are interrupting the steady flow of pill hormones to your body. In the absence of these hormones, you could release an egg. EVEN if it's not when you think you are ovulating, the possibility exists that you would.
Does that help at all?
When you say "especially after your period," remember that many women tend to ovulate between days 10 and 13 of their cycle. Depending on how long your period is, without a pill you could be starting to ovulate sooner than you think. Also, sperm can live in the body for at least 72 hours (3 days), so it's possible to get pregnant even if you ovulate 3 days after you have sex (in other words, the sperm can be waiting there when the egg is released from the fallopian tube).
But don't worry needlessly if this is what happened to you. There are many many couples who are TRYING to become pregnant who have sex at the exact right time and still don't get pregnant for a few months. Don't freak out -- stress can delay a period all on its own. Just find a time of day when you will not forget your pills -- say, every morning when you brush your teeth -- and stick to it. That keeps the hormone level in your body consistent.
Comment Reply
Hi, Anon, and thank you so much for your question. It's a great one.
The answer depends partially on what kind of birth control pills you are taking. Some pills are a combination of estrogen and progestin; others are progestin-only. Pills with estrogen in them take over your hormonal cycle and prevent the woman's body from releasing an egg; no egg means no possible baby. Progestiin-only pills prevent pregnancy by thickening your cervical mucus (makes it harder for sperm to swim), and making it harder for the egg to travel and/or implant in the uterus if fertilized.
I am guessing you are on a pill that has a combination. So here's the deal: when you miss a pill, or two, or three, then you are interrupting the steady flow of pill hormones to your body. In the absence of these hormones, you could release an egg. EVEN if it's not when you think you are ovulating, the possibility exists that you would.
Does that help at all?
When you say "especially after your period," remember that many women tend to ovulate between days 10 and 13 of their cycle. Depending on how long your period is, without a pill you could be starting to ovulate sooner than you think. Also, sperm can live in the body for at least 72 hours (3 days), so it's possible to get pregnant even if you ovulate 3 days after you have sex (in other words, the sperm can be waiting there when the egg is released from the fallopian tube).
But don't worry needlessly if this is what happened to you. There are many many couples who are TRYING to become pregnant who have sex at the exact right time and still don't get pregnant for a few months. Don't freak out -- stress can delay a period all on its own. Just find a time of day when you will not forget your pills -- say, every morning when you brush your teeth -- and stick to it. That keeps the hormone level in your body consistent.
September 30, 2009 - 8:54amThis Comment
Reply