When Should My Period Start On Birth Control

Number : When Do You Get Your Period On Birth Control

So the pill was designed so you’d 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 doesn’t 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 you’re first starting to take birth control.

That said, there are carefully designed times you’re 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.

Adjusting To The Pill

Some women may notice minor changes when first starting the pill. These changes are usually greatly improved or go away completely after the first two to three months. Possible changes may include:

• Breast tenderness or fullness
• Nausea – taking pills with food should help call the clinic if vomiting is a problem.
• Spotting – does not mean there is something wrong with you or that the pill is too strong or weak for you
• Very short and light periods – some women will have only a drop of blood or brown smear on a pad, tampon, or underwear. It is normal for some women to miss a period completely or have no bleeding .
• Weight gain/fluid retention – usually not greater than 5 pounds. A healthy diet, less intake of salty foods and regular exercise will help.
• Acne – a few women may have an acne flare-up
• Mood changes – usually mild and temporary

Ways To Start The Pill

There are many approaches you can use to start taking the pill.

Quick start: with this method, you start the pill immediately after you get your first pack. This plan does not consider what day it is or where you are in your menstrual cycle.

Sunday start: as the name suggests, you start taking the pills on a Sunday.

Fifth day start: Wait until the fifth day of your period to take your first birth control pill.

First day start: Start taking the pill on the day your menstrual cycle begins

Now that we know the various methods lets dig in deeper.

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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

Birth Control Pills: Frequently Asked Questions

Posted under Health Guides. Updated 8 June 2020.

• There are many different kinds of birth control pills .
• Most types of birth control pills contain two hormones: estrogen and progestin . These are called combined birth control pills.
• BCPs are also called oral contraceptive pills , hormone pills, or the Pill.

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Tip : There Are 40+ Different Pills

Thankfully if you dislike the first type of birth control you are prescribed, there are plenty of other options that you can try.

At this stage, it is important to stay in touch with your doctor as they will want to review your reaction and help you find your perfect birth control match if you experience unwanted side effects.

Do I Get A Real Period On The Contraceptive Pill

Nope. The bleeding you get when youâre on the pill is not the same as a menstrual period.

Your period on the pill is technically called withdrawal bleeding, referring to the withdrawal of hormones in your pill, and in your body. The drop in hormone levels causes the lining of your uterus to shed . This bleeding may be slightly different than the period you had before taking the pill. It also may change over time while taking the pill.

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There Are Several Health Benefits To Starting The Pill

While you are definitely going to experience some side effects on the pill, you can ease your mind by knowing you will also experience some health benefits. There are many health benefits of the pill ranging from reducing your chances of ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancer to regulating cycles, reducing unwanted hair growth and acne, Dr. Stacey tells Her Campus. She adds that the pill is typically a very safe birth control option, and no other prescription drug has been more studied or researched.

Birth control pills almost always come with varying side effects especially during that first month. However, if you believe starting birth control is a good option for you, you can always try out several different options until you find a pill or method that works best for you. It may be difficult at the time, but the end result is far worth it and you can always consult a doctor to help guide you through the process.

Experts

Top Things To Know About Your Period On The Pill:

• Your âperiodâ on the contraceptive pill is actually called withdrawal bleeding. It happens when the levels of hormones in your pills drop.

• Withdrawal bleeding is usually lighter and slightly different than the period you had before taking the pill

• Some people experience only very light bleeding or donât bleed at all during placebo pill days

• Your bleeding on the pill is likely to change over time

Do you get a period on when youâre on the combined hormonal contraceptive pill*? On the days you take no pills or take the pills in your pack with no hormones, you may experience bleeding. This bleeding is different than a period if you weren’t taking the contraceptive pillâand you may have times when you bleed very little or not at all.

*This article refers to the use of combined hormonal contraceptive pills, which contain both estrogen and progestin . Bleeding patterns will be different for people taking the progestin-only minipill.

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How Do Birth Control Pills Work

There are dozens of varieties of birth control pills available with a prescription from a healthcare provider. All birth control pills contain varying levels of hormones, which are released into a womans body to prevent pregnancy. The hormones in birth control pills stop ovulation, which prevents the release of an egg and thickens the mucus surrounding the cervix. By stopping the release of an egg, birth control pills usually make your period more predictable, and can affect the flow and side effects associated with your period each month.

No brand of birth control pills protects against sexually transmitted diseases , and thus you should use an appropriate barrier form of birth control to protect yourself against the spread of infections and diseases.

Birth control pills are taken on a daily basis to ensure the consistent release of hormones. Each birth control type and brand comes with different side effects. To know which pill is right for you, it is important to understand how the various kinds of birth control pills are designed to interact with your body.

Number : Is It Normal To Bleed At All While On Birth Control Pills

The answer is yes scientists designed the pill so you’d bleed during the placebo week. This was the one feature of combined oral contraceptives that scientists let remain unchanged over the decades.

That said, you will probably have unpredictable bleeding patterns during the first few months of taking any birth control method. The National Institutes of Health says that irregular bleeding can happen when you take hormonal birth control like birth control pills or IUDs.

Here are 3 ways to describe how unpredictable periods can be on birth control pills:

• You may have your period on birth control during active pills .

• You may have spotting, also called breakthrough bleeding, during the first few months. Doctors say this is the most common symptom when taking any brand.

• You may have a missed period on birth control. But that doesn’t automatically mean your pregnant.

This unpredictability is usually not forever. As your body adjusts to birth control pills, you’ll probably just have bleeding during the regularly scheduled programming when you take those “sugar pills” that have no hormones in them. But if you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to check with your health care provider about it.

But get this. It’s not medically necessary for you to have this scheduled week of bleeding. We’ll explain more later.

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Is It Normal To Not Be Having A Period During The Placebo Week

Menstruation is triggered by a drop in the hormones estrogen and progesterone, both of which are artificially produced by the pill. This means that menstruating on the pill isnt a real period so much as it is withdrawal bleeding produced by a lack of artificial hormones. Your period is not a medically necessary process. Its just your bodys way of telling you that youre not pregnant. This is why its totally safe to use birth control to skip your period entirely, either by using extended-cycle birth control pills that allow for four periods a year, or by skipping the placebo week of your 21 or 28 day pack. Its also normal to experience breakthrough bleeding outside of your placebo weekin fact, 1 in 5 women will experience this when starting a new pill. That being said, this breakthrough bleeding should stop after 3 months of pill use. If it continues, contact your doctor.

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.

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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

Possible Reasons For Missed Withdrawal Bleeding On Birth Control

Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Barbara Levy explains why people can sometimes experience no withdrawal bleeding on their pill break:

• When taking combined hormonal birth control, especially with the lower estrogen formulations, the lining of the uterus becomes very thin. For some people, the lining is thin enough that there isn’t anything built up during the month to shed during the placebo week. And regular withdrawal bleeding does rely on enough lining growth to shed. As the doses of estrogen in the pills have gotten lower and lower over the years, there are more people who experience irregular or no withdrawal bleeding.
• In the case of the progesterone-only pill, the growth of the uterine lining requires estrogen priming estrogen alone before progesterone is secreted after ovulation. And the role of progesterone is to maintain this growth. With progesterone-only pills, the progesterone is present throughout the month, which suppresses growth of the lining. Sometimes the lining becomes so thin that there isn’t any tissue there to shed. And thats why you can experience no withdrawal bleeding when you use this type of contraception.

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Side Effects Of Hormonal Birth Control

You may experience side effects when using any type of hormonal birth control. These vary a little depending on which type of birth control you are using. Tell your doctor about any side effects that are bothering you.

Although it is rare, hormonal birth control methods, especially those that contain estrogen, increase your risk of developing a blood clot in your leg . Seek medical help immediately if you have trouble breathing, which can happen if a clot moves into your lung . A pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency.

For more information on contraception options, including their advantages and disadvantages, .

Dear Birth Control Pill Wheres My Period

Dear Birth Control Pill, Where’s My Period?!

I’ve been on the pill for about a year. I follow instructions, take it at the same time every day and all that, but for the past few months, I either haven’t gotten my period or I’ve gotten a REALLY small amount of bleeding at the end of the pack – like hardly anything at all. My doctor says it’s because I’m on a low-dose pill and getting a barely-there period or no period is pretty common, but I’m freaking out and running to the drugstore every month for a pregnancy test. What gives? Where’s my period?

–Sincerely, Anxious and On The Pill

Dear Anxious,

I get it. I really do. You take your pill every day, you have sex, you cross your fingers and hope the pill does its job, and at the end of the month you breathe a giant sigh of relief when your period comes. But WAIT! No period or a super-light period?! UNACCEPTABLE. Mini panic attack and a trip to Target for a pregnancy test.

LET’S TAKE A STEP BACK, SHALL WE? Let’s talk about what the pill is and what it does. The combination oral contraceptive pill , contains estrogen and progestin. These hormones in the pill work in the following ways to prevent pregnancy:

• Stops ovulation . No Egg = No Baby.
• Thickens cervical mucus, which acts like a roadblock to sperm.
• Thins the lining of your uterus so a fertilized egg would not be able to implant.

THE PILL AND PERIODS.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE PILL?

HOW DO I AVOID MY MONTHLY FREAK OUT IF I DON’T BLEED?

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