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.
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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
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