How To Take The Pill
Take your pill every day at the same time. This is especially important if youâre on the progestin-only minipill, which has a smaller margin for error than regular pills with both estrogen and progestin. It may help to set an alarm on your phone or post a calendar on your fridge as a reminder. When you finish a packet , take the first pill in a new packet the next day.
Some medications, including the antibiotic rifampin and the herb St. Johns wort, can interact with birth control pills. So use a back-up contraceptive.
Starting Birth Control Pills The Basics
Naturally, most people would prefer to begin taking their birth control pills as soon as they receive them. In short, it is entirely acceptable to start taking your birth control pills at any point during your cycle. However, starting your first birth control pill in a more strategic fashion can also be beneficial.
Getting A Period While On Birth Control: What Does It Mean
Getting a period in the middle of a pill pack might make you worry, but it doesnt necessarily mean theres anything wrong. There are a number of reasons someone might experience unexpected vaginal bleeding, and not all of them have to end up with someone seeking medical advice.
Of course, wed always say to speak to your doctor if youre concerned about irregular periods, but if you want to learn a little bit more about what could be happening first, take a look through our guide here.
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How To Take Birth Control Pills: A Step
Lets take a more detailed look at how birth control pills work, the different types of pills, and their effectiveness.
Oral contraceptives commonly known as birth control pills or just “the pill” began to be produced in the mid-1900s. Over the last decades, they have revolutionized our sexual health.
Today, people around the world take different birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. These pills can be up to 99.7 percent effective when taken correctly. Thanks to the wide range of contraceptives available today, everyone can choose the type that best fits their lifestyle and budget.
If you’re new to the pill, heres a quick overview of what they can do.
You May Feel Extremely Emotional
Mood swings can be pretty common during your first month on birth control, and is often talked about in the context of premenstrual syndrome , which is a combination of symptoms you can get a week or two before your period. For Sarah Madaus, a freshman at Temple University, starting birth control caused her emotions to run wild. PMS is normal but mine was extreme, she says. Its leveled out a little bit since the first month, but is definitely more noticeable than others. However, its important to note that the only way for sure to know if the birth control itself is responsible for your mood swings is to stop taking it altogether.
If youre feeling more or less emotional than usual, Dr. Stacey recommends that you closely monitor your mood changes once starting the pill. A journal or log book can help with this, she says. If this symptom gets worse or does not go away after three months, a woman should discuss this with her doctor. An awareness of the hormonal changes happening in your body is crucial.
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Birth Control Pill Protocol
Birth control pills and vaginal ring use can help improve menstrual cramps, reduce menstrual flow, help PMS, improve acne, regulate your periods, reduce your risk for ovarian and uterine cancer, relieve perimenopausal symptoms and prevent pregnancy.
Periods on birth control are not true periods, but called withdrawal bleeding. That is because the birth control pill or ring is withdrawn for a period to occur. Many women are now using birth control continuous to relieve menstrual problems and for convenience. It is safe not to have a period as long as you are on birth control.
Why Do Women Take Birth Control
Many women start using oral contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancy. Currently, there are 61 million U.S. women of reproductive age, meaning they are between the ages of 15 and 44. 70% of those women are at risk of unintended pregnancy, meaning that they are sexually active, but do not want to become pregnant. The women who are at the highest risk of unintended pregnancy are between the ages of 15 and 19.
Arguably, it is women in this age group who would experience the most disruption to their lives if they were to become pregnant unintentionally. Recent studies indicate that 42% of teens between the ages of 15 and 19 have had sexual intercourse. 99% of those sexually active teens use some form of birth control. The most common forms are:
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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.
Risk Factors To Consider
According to Ross, any potential benefits are outweighed by the side effects that can come with starting midcycle.
If you do so, you will definitely be out of sync with the pill pack and have irregular bleeding, she says.
Because the hormone levels of the pill pack are meant to coincide with your natural monthly cycle, how much you stray from your normal monthly cycle will affect how well you adjust to adding more hormones into your system at exactly the wrong times.
The only reason for a woman to start the birth control midcycle is if she is already having irregular periods and wants to regulate her cycle or if she is eager to get started on contraception, Ross says.
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Youre Not 100% Protected From Pregnancy Yet
This one is especially important for sexually active women: Dont stop using protection your first month on birth control, because you can still get pregnant! Opting for back-up protection is your best and safest bet. During your first month, there is still a chance that you ovulated before starting the first pill, so there could still be an egg ready for fertilization. After your first month, the hormones in the active pills should prevent you from ovulating altogether. Always use a backup method, and check out Planned Parenthood for more information about what options are available to you.
Are There Side Effects Of Using The Pill To Skip Your Period Continually
The main side effect of having long bleeding-free stretches is an increase in unpredictable breakthrough bleeding . The good news is that the frequency of breakthrough bleeding may decreases over time . Other than increased rates of breakthrough bleeding, taking your birth control pill consecutively, as opposed to having monthly pill-periods, does cause any additional side effects .
A concern about not having a regular âperiodâ is that you lose the monthly confirmation that youâre not pregnant. Although skipping your withdrawal bleed with the pill provides you with the same contraceptive protection as before, it also comes with the same risks if you donât take your pill on a regular daily basis.
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Is It Normal For My Period To Be Shorter When I Start Birth Control
It’s typical to notice variations in your menstrual cycle when you start using birth control for the first time or switch to a different type. For a few months, you may have shorter or irregular periods as your body adjusts to the new medicine. After that time, your periods should return to their regular length.
If your periods are unusually short-lived or absent altogether, ask your doctor about this change before assuming it is just the beginning of menopause. Other symptoms of low estrogen levels include hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. These problems can be treated effectively if they are identified early enough.
Men who have been through menopause prematurely may not experience any symptoms at all until these tissues begin to fail. At this point, they will likely need surgery or other treatments to replace the hormones lost to remove the risk of cancer. Men who have healthy testicles can produce sperm after reaching age 50 but its effectiveness begins to decline after three years of continued exposure to high levels of radiation, chemicals, or other factors that damage DNA.
The average length of a woman’s menstrual cycle is about 30 days, but it can range from 21 to 40 days. Short cycles often indicate that you’re not producing enough estrogen on your own, which could be due to stress, heavy workloads, poor diet, lack of sleep, or certain medications.
The Side Effects Can Be Difficult
It is probably obvious that your first month on the pill may not be easy. Birth control comes with a range of side effects, so if you have a rough day during that first month where you really dont feel well, keep in mind that your body is being filled with hormones outside its normal cycle.
According to Dr. Stacey, there isnt a one-size-fits all experience with birth control pill side effects. The most commonly reported side effects when a woman first uses the pill are: bleeding irregularities/spotting, nausea and/or vomiting, headaches and breast tenderness, she says. Less commonly reported sides affects are mood changes, bloating, and less sexual desire. For most women, side effects usually go away after three months of continued use.
Dr. Stacey says women should try and stick through the first three months of a new pill, no matter how challenging. If after 3 months, side effects are still present, she should talk to her doctor about what she is experiencing and ask her doctor to switch her to a different brand , she says. The different combination and dosage levels of estrogen and progestin are more likely to cause certain side effects. If you start a new pill, you may want to give that one three months, as well.
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After A Miscarriage Or Abortion
If you have had a miscarriage or abortion, you can start the pill up to 5 days after this and you will be protected from pregnancy straight away. If you start the pill more than 5 days after the miscarriage or abortion, you’ll need to use additional contraception until you have taken the pill for 7 days.
But Wont My Body Get Backed Up
Noâyou wonât get backed up. One thing to keep in mind is that when youâre on the pill you actually donât have a normal âperiodâ. In fact, the combined hormonal birth control pill doesnât allow your endometrium to grow as thick as it normally would, which is why your periods on the pill are much lighter than natural periods . If you skip a cycle, the continuous exposure of synthetic hormones will maintain your endometrium at the same suppressed level .
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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.
What Factors Should You Consider Before Starting Birth Control
Its also important to consider the psychological maturity of the individual because the pill does require that the user sticks to a schedule or regimen when taking it. ot taking the pill correctly means the user loses most of its benefits. While missing one pill may not have a large effect, as taking the missed pill with your next pill on the following day is a safe method, it is a best practice to develop a routine to avoid unnecessary stress. On the other hand, the progesterone-only pill must be taken at the same time every day in order to protect against pregnancy.
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Benefits Of Starting Birth Control Mid
While starting your birth control at the start of your cycle makes sense, its not always the best option. In fact, new advice from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says theres no medical reason to delay taking birth control once you receive it. If youre ready to start a new birth control but your period has just ended, there are several advantages to starting your birth control mid-cycle, instead of waiting until your next period.
- Youll get protected against pregnancy sooner, in most cases.
- The advice from your Nurx medical provider will be fresh in your mind.
- You have the freedom to delay or skip your next period if its more convenient for you.
- Your periods will become more regular, if they were irregular, sooner.
How Do I Use The Pill To Stop My Period
Skipping your period with the combination pill is safe and super easy. Basically you just take a pill with hormones every day and skip your hormone-free reminder pills. You can do this two ways:
-
You can use a brand of pills that has 3 months of hormone pills in a row, so you only get your period 4 times a year.
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You can skip the hormone-free reminder pills in your pack and jump right to the next pack. You can do this every month, or just whenever you want to skip your period.
You may have some bleeding or spotting when you use the pill to skip your period thats totally normal. If you skip your hormone-free week every month, the spotting should go away after about 6 months.
Theres nothing dangerous or harmful about using the pill to skip your period. And it comes in really handy if you want a special occasion to be period-free.
You can only skip your period with combination pills. If youre using a progestin-only pill , you need to take every pill in your pill pack.
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