Can I Start Birth Control On My Period

Starting Birth Control Pills Based On Type Of Birth Control Pill

There are two types of birth control pills:

The combination pill contains both estrogen and progestin. The progestin-only pill, as its name suggests, only contains progestin. While the above-noted instructions provide a simple guide on when to start the birth control pill, these instructions can be tailored based on the type of pill you will be taking.

Can You Start Birth Control Pills Anytime During Your Period

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It Is Likely That Youll Experience A Few Minor Negative Side Effects In The First Few Months

As your body reacts and adjusts to the increase and initial fluctuations in hormone levels that take place when you start the pill, it is not uncommon to experience any of the following side effects:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Weight changes
• Mood/emotional fluctuations

Once your body is used to the birth control pill and yourhormone levels have regulatedusually after about three monthsthese effectsshould subside.

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Should I Take Pills To Regulate My Period

I’m 15 and I have irregular periods. I have been told by people similar to me that they are given pills to help regulate their periods. I am unsure on whether I should go on them and I’m scared of the side effects. Do these pills work and what are some of the side effects? Are there any other ways to help regulate a period? – Nikeyah*

It’s normal to have irregular periods for the first few years of menstruating. Several things can cause irregular periods, including changing hormone levels. Doctors sometimes prescribe birth control pills to regulate periods because they can help control hormone levels.

Birth control pills can have some side effects, like nausea, possible weight gain, headaches, mood changes, breast tenderness, and blood clots. But most young women who take it have no side effects or very few. Girls who take the Pill should not smoke because smoking can increase the risk of some side effects, like blood clots.

Birth control pills can be an effective way to regulate periods. But the only way to find out what’s causing your irregular periods is to visit your doctor.

Note: The Pill does not protect you from STDs. So, if you do have sex, be sure to use a condom every time. This will help prevent STDs and give you extra protection against pregnancy.

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.

How Do Oral Contraceptive Pills Work

Combination pills containing estrogen and progestin prevent pregnancy primarily by stopping ovulation . Progesterone causes thickening of the cervical mucus, which makes it difficult for the sperm to swim through the cervix to reach the egg, thus preventing fertilization. The hormones also prevent pregnancy by causing changes in the lining of the uterus , making it impossible for the fertilized egg to become implanted in the uterine wall.

The progestin-only pill prevents pregnancy typically by thickening the cervical mucus to stop the sperm from reaching the egg and thinning the endometrium to prevent the implantation of the fertilized egg. In addition, progestin-only pills may prevent ovulation .

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At A Glance: The Combined Pill

• When taken correctly, the pill is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that fewer than 1 in 100 who use the combined pill as contraception will get pregnant in 1 year.
• The standard way to take the pill is to take 1 every day for 21 days, then have a break for 7 days, and during this week you have a bleed like a period. You start taking the pill again after 7 days.
• You may be able to take some types of pill with no or shorter breaks , which may reduce some side effects. Speak to a doctor or nurse about your options.
• You need to take the pill at around the same time every day. You could get pregnant if you do not do this, or if you miss a pill, or vomit or have severe diarrhoea.
• Some medicines may make the pill less effective. Check with your doctor if you’re taking any other tablets.
• If you have heavy periods or painful periods, PMS or endometriosis the combined pill may help.
• Minor side effects include mood swings, nausea, breast tenderness and headaches these usually settle down in a few months.
• There is no evidence that the pill will make you gain weight.
• There’s a very low risk of serious side effects, such as blood clots and cervical cancer.
• The combined pill is not suitable if you are over 35 and smoke, or if you have certain medical conditions.
• The pill does not protect against sexually transmitted infections , so use a condom as well.
• There may be a link between the pill and depression but evidence is mixed and further research is needed.

Stopping Birth Control Pills

When you decide to stop taking birth control pills, your body will need time to return to normal.

Most people report ovulating a few weeks after stopping birth control pills. For others, regular ovulation cycles may return after a few months.

If you stop taking the pill but still dont feel ready to get pregnant, you might want to consider other birth control methods.

Today, theres a wide range of different birth control pills. Your health care provider can help you select the most appropriate option and answer any questions you may have, including:

• What type of birth control pills would be best for me?
• I am taking certain medications. Can they cause problems with birth control pills?
• What are the side effects of birth control pills?
• Is there anything I should know about stopping birth control pills?
• Should I use other contraceptive methods along with birth control pills?

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How Well Does It Work

Over the course of 1 year, about 9 out of 100 typical couples who rely on the Pill to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy. Of course, this is an average figure and the chance of getting pregnant depends on whether you take your birth control pills every day. The Pill is an effective form of birth control, but even missing 1 day increases the chance of getting pregnant.

In general, how well each type of birth control method works depends on a lot of things. These include whether a person has any health conditions or is taking any medicines or herbal supplements that might interfere with its use . Talk to your doctor to check if anything you take could affect how the Pill works for you.

How well a particular method of birth control works also depends on whether the method chosen is convenient and whether the person remembers to use it correctly all the time.

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When To Start Birth Control Pills Is It Best To Wait For Your Period To Start Or Not Answered

Birth control pills contain hormones that work to help prevent pregnancy. Your doctor or medical professional may also prescribe the pill to help manage irregular periods, control acne, etc. Whether you are switching from one oral contraceptive to another, or you are starting for the first time, a common question is: When should I start taking the birth control pill?. So, lets dive in and review different methods to consider when starting or resume taking birth control pills.

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What Kind Of Bleeding Is Considered Normal While On The Contraceptive Pill

• Unexpected spotting for the first few months while taking a new pill

• Withdrawal bleeding that is lighter, or shorter than your period before you were taking the pill

• Withdrawal bleeding that changes slightly over time while on the pill

• Having little or no bleeding during your placebo week after taking your pills correctly

Give It To Me Straight: Why Did I Miss My Period On Birth Control

Before you get too worried about whether to get a pregnancy test, remember: Birth control pills are 91% effective with average use and over 99% effective if you take them correctly, every day.

Menstrual bleeding changes are normal when youâre on birth control, say global womenâs health experts.

You could have lighter, more frequent, or no periods at all when youâre taking the pill or using another hormonal method.

Unless you have other pregnancy symptoms or health conditions, doctors say that it is common for women on hormonal contraception to have missed periods. You could also have early or late periods, or just spotting. Therefore missing your period while on birth control isnât necessarily cause for alarm unless you have other concerning symptoms. Always talk to your doctor about it, though, if youâre worried.

Editorâs note: Donât get us wrong, though. Regular periods are a sign your body is working as expected. But weâre specifically talking about periods on birth control, which donât necessarily fall into that bucket. Find out why further down.

Key stats on the failure rate of birth control pills:

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Starting After The 5th Day Of Your Cycle

You will not be protected from pregnancy straight away and will need additional contraception until you have taken the pill for 7 days.

If you start the pill after the 5th day of your cycle, make sure you have not put yourself at risk of pregnancy since your last period. If you’re worried you’re pregnant when you start the pill, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex.

How To Stop Your Period With Birth Control

If you could do without bleeding from your vagina every month, you should know that there are ways to potentially stop your period with birth control. Theres no medical reason why you need to get a monthly period, Lauren Streicher, M.D., a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF. You can suppress your period for years and years without a problem.

Sure, some people view a period as monthly reassurance that theyre not pregnant or as a way to connect with their bodies. But if thats not you, and you just want to stop your period, the good news is that birth control might be able to help you out.

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Unexpected Bleeding On The Contraceptive Pill

Spotting can happen outside of your usual withdrawal bleed time. This is called breakthrough bleeding. It doesnât mean your pill isnât working, but it can be frustrating to deal with .Up to 1 in 5 people experience breakthrough bleeding when first taking the contraceptive pill .It is not usually a cause for concern and will often stop after a few weeks or months . Others will need to try a different pill brand, with different levels of hormones. Many experts recommend choosing a pill with the lowest dose of estrogen , and only changing to a higher dose if breakthrough bleeding is a persistent problem .

Spotting can also be caused by missed pills, as the drop in hormone levels can cause a small amount of withdrawal bleeding.

Should I Avoid Certain Medications While Taking The Pill

You should always check with your healthcare provider before taking any new medications or herbal supplements. Certain drugs can make the pill less effective and increase your chances of getting pregnant. These products include:

• Antiseizure medications.
• Herbal supplements, such as St. Johns wort.
• Medications used to treat HIV.

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Why Is My Bleeding Different On The Contraceptive Pill

The contraceptive pill prevents the lining of your uterus from growing thicker, as it would in a typical menstrual cycle . It also prevents ovulation and the typical cycling of reproductive hormones. When you have withdrawal bleeding, the bleeding tends to be lighter than normal menstrual bleeding.

Itâs also possible to have no withdrawal bleeding or only spotting during the days you take inactive pills . This is more common for people taking higher doses of estrogen, or a pill with a shorter hormone-free interval .

What Exactly Is Happening My Body Do I Ovulate On The Contraceptive Pill

No. If you take your pill consistently and correctly, you shouldnât ovulate. This is the primary way the pill prevents pregnancy. In a usual cycle, the bodyâs natural reproductive hormones fluctuate up and down, taking your body through a process of preparing an egg for release, releasing that egg, and preparing your uterus to accept a potentially fertilized egg.

The hormones in the contraceptive pill stop and prevent your ovaries from preparing and releasing eggs. They stop the usual hormonal âcyclingâ, including ovulation, the typical growth of the endometrium, and the natural period.

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How To Keep Track Of Your Menstrual Cycle

You can use a menstrual tracker like Flo to keep track of your cycle. Period tracking apps let you log your symptoms and determine when you should expect your period. This can also take some weight off your mind, since you wont have to remember when your period is due to arrive. The app will do it for you!

Overall, as long as youre taking it correctly, birth control is highly effective at preventing pregnancy and those missed periods can happen now and again.

If youre not sure, take a pregnancy test to ease your mind. Adding some relaxing activities to your life and staying healthy can help get your cycle back to normal.

References

Can I Use Birth Control Pills To Stop My Period

Birth control pills can be used to delay or stop my period. There is no problem with that. In the past, birth control pills were only available in a single package containing 21 days of active hormone pills and seven days of inactive hormone pills. Taking inactive pills causes menstrual-like bleeding.

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