How Does Birth Control Work And Which Ones Can Stop Your Period
There are tons of options for preventing pregnancy, but not all types of birth control can reduce or delay a period. For the highest likelihood of sending your monthly visitor packing, youll need to use a hormonal birth control method. Some birth control types are progestin-only, while others contain both progestin and estrogen.
So, which types of birth control will definitely stop your period? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some people will continue to get a regular period, while others will experience a decrease in flow and duration or see it disappear entirelyas long as they are on birth control. That said, James Gohar, MD, an ob-gyn at Mount Sinai West and New York-Presbyterian Hospital and clinical instructor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine, tells SELF that combination birth control , hormonal IUDs, and injections have the highest potential to stop your period altogether, but this is not a guarantee. The majority of people will still get a period, but significantly shorter and lighter, he explains.
Lets walk through how each type of hormonal birth control works, and talk about their period-poofing potential:
Combination hormonal birth control pills use estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy. The progestin thickens your cervical mucus , thins out your uterine lining, and suppresses ovulation. Estrogen helps to control breakthrough bleeding while also working to suppress ovulation.
Your Period Will Likely Go Back To What It Was Like Before
Think back: Whyd you go on the birth control in the first place? Maybe it was simply because you were having sex and did not want to get pregnant. But many women start using hormonal contraceptives to help regulate an otherwise irregular cycle or control a condition like polycystic ovary syndrome , which causes infrequent ovulation and an erratic cycle.
When coming off of birth control, Dr. Dweck says, your period will usually return to what it was pre-hormones. Did it come like clockwork every 28 days? Was it super irregular? You can likely expect that to return off of birth control, she says.
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Will Starting Birth Control On The First Day Of My Period Stop It
You should have your period during your fourth week on the pill. When you start a fresh pack of tablets, your menstrual period will end. However, this does not mean that you cannot get pregnant while on the pill it is only because there are no new hormones in your system yet that prevents ovulation from happening again so quickly after your last period.
If you want to avoid getting pregnant but still need to take care of other health issues, such as diabetes or heart disease, we recommend that you see your doctor who may be able to prescribe you another form of contraception. Even though your period is off schedule, this does not necessarily mean that you are unable to get pregnant.
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If You Do Not Want To Get Pregnant
If you dont want to get pregnant, you shouldnt rely on your lack of menstrual cycles as birth control. This is true even if youve been previously diagnosed as infertile .
As mentioned above, depending on why youre not getting your periods, its possible to ovulate and not get a period first as an indication that youre fertile again. Talk to your doctor about the best contraceptive choice for you.
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Combination Birth Control Pills
If a combination birth control pill is started for the first time on the Sunday after your period begins, your period should occur about 25 days later. Ask your healthcare provider which day is the best to start your specific pill pack. If your period begins on a Sunday, you can start the pill pack on that Sunday.
- In general, about 3 days after finishing all of the 21 active tablets in a 28 pill pack, most women will start their period.
- If you use a 28-pill pack, you’ll get your period during the week you take the reminder pills.
- If you use a 21-day pill pack, you’ll still get your period the week you do not take any pills. Remember that the 21-day pack has no reminder pills. Use a reminder to help you stay on track.
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Your Acne Could Return
A lot of people take birth control pills to ease acne, but unfortunately once you stop taking them, the acne could return. Going off birth control pills may return acne symptoms to what they were before starting , Dr. Bhardwaj previously told Health. If you’re worried about hormonal acne, talk to your dermatologist about alternatives, one as simple as switching your skincare products.
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Starting The Combined Pill
You can normally start taking the pill at any point in your menstrual cycle. There is special guidance if you have just had a baby, abortion or miscarriage. The guidance may also be different if you have a short menstrual cycle. Get advice from a doctor or nurse if you need it. You may need to use additional contraception during your 1st days on the pill this depends on when in your menstrual cycle you start taking it.
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Multiple Birth Control Methods At Once
Most women either use the pill or an IUD. But if you switch from the pill to a hormonal IUD, you should use both methods together for up to 7 days after you get the IUD. You donât need to do this if you get the copper IUD because it starts working right away.
If you go from the hormonal or copper IUD to the birth control pill, youâll need to start the pill 7 days before your doctor removes the IUD.
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Is It Safe To Use Birth Control To Stop Periods
One of the most common questions we hear from patients is whether or not it is safe to not have periods. Most people are so accustomed to having their menstrual cycle that the idea of not having a monthly period feels strange and unnatural. However, the reality is that not having a period can be perfectly safe in certain situations.
Its helpful to understand that the monthly bleeding people experience while taking some forms of birth control, including the pill, patch or ringis not the same as a natural menstrual period. Natural menstruation occurs as a result of the changes in hormones that are triggered by ovulation, or the release of the egg from the ovary, and the buildup of the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy. When pregnancy does not occur, the body reduces the amount of those hormones that it makes. This withdrawal of hormones causes your body to shed that lining as your monthly period.
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What Can You Expect When You Go Off The Pill
Just as you experienced changes when you started taking the pill, youll notice some changes after you stop using it. Many women have irregular periods, the return of PMS symptoms and heavier flows after they stop using birth control pills.
The hormones in birth control pills regulate your period. While on the pill, most women will have their period on a regular schedule. Going off the pill can feel like throwing out the calendar. You may notice missed or late periods, and possibly longer-lasting periods. Eventually, your periods will stop altogether.
Birth control pills can also help lessen PMS symptoms like period cramps, bloating, headaches, fatigue and mood swings.
Can I Be Pregnant
Regular intake of the pill would ensure that you do not get pregnant. While it is possible to get pregnant while on the pill but it only happens if you miss a dose. Moreover, in case of pregnancy, the period is not early but is in fact late. Therefore, there is little chance that you are pregnant. However, developing symptoms of breakthrough bleeding is possible for some women on the pill. What happens is that the uteruss lining becomes vulnerable when you are using oral contraceptive pills for a while, resulting in spotting. The actual period comes when you have finished your pills. Breakthrough bleeding does not indicate pregnancy or a medical issue. It is still upsetting and must be discussed with the OB GYN doctor if it continues to happen. The doctor can confirm breakthrough bleeding by performing a simple examination. If breakthrough bleeding is in fact the reason then you would have to change the birth control pill you are using.
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When Should I Start Talking To My Doctor About Birth Control And Menopause
Some women choose not to see their doctor when they begin experiencing symptoms. Instead, they wait until their annual wellness visit to talk with their doctor about these changes. This is a common, safe approach to managing menopause symptoms.
However, if you experience symptoms that are concerning like heavy, irregular periods, make sure to talk with your primary care doctor or OB-GYN. Same thing goes if you feel the symptoms are affecting your quality of life. Menopause is a common, and important, phase of life. And your doctor can help determine what the best options are for you.
When Do You Get Your Period On Birth Control Pills
Once youve started your seven-day break from the pill each month, youll usually start to bleed two to four days into the pill-free week. This varies for each person, but birth control tends to make cycles very regular. That means that after a few months on the pill, youll probably find that your period usually starts on the same day of that week every month.
Youll probably be getting your withdrawal bleeding every 28 days, but even after your body has gotten used to the pill, you can still experience late “periods” on birth control.
Keep in mind that your birth control only works effectively if you take it correctly. If youve forgotten to take three or more non-placebo pills, you could experience withdrawal bleeding before your seven-day break is scheduled. This would mean that you are no longer protected for the month and that you need to use a backup method of birth control and start a new pack.
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Number : When Do You Get Your Period On Birth Control
So the pill was designed so youd get your period during the time you take the placebo or sugar pills, also called inactive pills. This commonly happens for a week at the end of a standard pill pack.
Though you may be supposed to get a period during the placebo week, it doesnt always happen. You can be late or early, or never see it come at all. The UK National Health Service says that irregular bleeding, like bleeding between periods, is common when youre first starting to take birth control.
That said, there are carefully designed times youre supposed to get your period while on birth control. Note this varies depending on the type of birth control that you take. The combined oral contraceptive pill are the most common.
You Likely Won’t Gain Or Lose Any Weight
If you believe birth control leads to weight gain, you need to know that the opposite isn’t necessarily true: Going off of birth control likely won’t help you lose or gain weight. According to a 2014 review of 49 relevant trials, the birth control Pill did not appear to have a major impact on weight. There has been no definitive evidence showing that startingor stoppingbirth control will affect your weight,” Neha Bhardwaj, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, previously told Health.
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If Youre Under 16 Years Old
Contraception services are free and confidential, including for people under the age of 16.
If youre under 16 and want contraception, the doctor, nurse or pharmacist will not tell your parents as long as they believe you fully understand the information youre given and your decisions.
Doctors and nurses work under strict guidelines when dealing with people under 16. Theyll encourage you to consider telling your parents, but they will not make you.
The only time that a professional might want to tell someone else is if they believe youre at risk of harm, such as abuse. The risk would need to be serious, and they would usually discuss this with you first.
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Will Birth Control Make My Period Stop
if I get on birth control will i stop getting my period?
It depends on what kind of birth control you use and how you use it. In general, women who use the IUD, patch, pill, or ring will have menstrual periods every month. Women who take the shot may not have periods often or at all while they use the method. Some women use combined-hormone methods the pill and the vaginal ring to skip periods.
Combination pills, for example, usually come in 28-day packs and are taken without interruption. The first 21 pills in the pack are called active they contain hormones that prevent pregnancy. The last seven pills in the pack are called reminder pills. Theyre inactive placebos that do not contain hormones. Theyre taken during the fourth week to let a woman have her period and to help her keep the habit of taking a pill on a regular basis.
Some women choose to skip placebo pills and go right into the next pack to avoid having a period continuously or during certain events like their vacations, for example. They may still experience some spotting light bleeding when they do this.
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Does Missing A Withdrawal Bleed On A Pill
If youve been taking your pills according to the instructions, the pills will be 99.7 percent effective, even if you didnt experience any withdrawal bleeding. The efficacy of the pill depends on you taking the pill at approximately the same time every day.
However, its important to remember that no birth control method is 100-percent effective. If youve missed a withdrawal bleed on birth control and want to be sure, you can always take a pregnancy test.
If youve missed three non-placebo pills or more, your chances of ovulating will increase. If you dont experience any bleeding for a few days after missing the pills, take a pregnancy test. Its also a good idea to take a pregnancy test if you miss two periods in a row while on birth control.
How Will My Birth Control Affect My Bleeding
Birth control methods such as the pill, patch, vaginal ring, shot and IUD can all impact your menstrual bleeding. Some birth control methods can increase bleeding, and some can decrease it. Many aspects of bleeding can be affected, and these effects can change over time. Periods can be longer, shorter, heavier, or lighter, depending on the method of birth control. Spotting and irregular bleeding are common side effects of most methods of hormonal birth control, especially in the first few months of use.
Birth control pills
Birth control pills were originally only packaged as 28 pills 21 pills containing the hormone required to suppress ovulation, and 7 placebo pills . The 7 days of placebo were designed to allow menstruation to occur. Today there are a variety of regimens available, such as 24 days of active-ingredient pills and 4 days of placebo, and extended-cycle regimens that can be taken for up to a year to stop all menstrual bleeding.
Injected and implanted contraceptives
Irregular, unpredictable bleeding is very common in women using long-acting, progestin-based birth control methods . After a year of use, about half of women will have no periods.
Intrauterine devices
Vaginal ring
Emergency contraceptives
Emergency contraception is not to be used as a regular method of birth control but, if needed, it can help prevent unplanned pregnancies.
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First Is It Safe To Skip Your Period
The short answer is, yes, you can safely skip your period by either ditching the placebo week and going directly to a new pack of pills, ring, or patch. Some people may naturally just stop getting their period over time while using certain forms of birth control.
The long answer, however, is a bit more involved. First, the period you get on hormonal birth control is not even really your period, its actually withdrawal bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic. During a menstrual cycle without hormonal birth control, your endometrial lining thickens in anticipation of an embryo implanting. If pregnancy does not occur, your body sheds this lining, and you get your period. Since hormonal birth control works by suppressing ovulation , theres nothing extra to shed if you dont become pregnant. The bleeding is simply your bodys response to stopping the hormones.
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