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Birth control pills are packaged so that mothers take them every day at a certain time. However, if you take birth control pills in the wrong order of days, can you get pregnant? Know the side effects and how to deal with them if you take the wrong order of birth control pills.
Wrong order of days to take birth control pills
There are two main types of pills in a birth control pill package:
Combination pills: according to Planned Parenthood, these pills contain both estrogen and progestin and are the most commonly used. Mother takes pills containing this hormone for 21 days. In the 28-day pack, there are seven inactive pills, or placebos, that do not contain any hormones. These pills are included to help Mom stay in the habit of taking pills every day and to remind her when to start the next pack. Combination pills are also available in the form of a 24-day active pill and a 4-day placebo.
Progestin-only pills: These pills are available in packs of 28 pills. Each pill contains hormones, and you must take these pills within three hours every day; for example, if you take it at 7 am, you have until 10 am the next day to take the next pill to remain protected from unwanted pregnancy. When taking progestin-only pills, there is no break between cycles. Mother continues to take one pill every day.
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Andrea Eisenberg, MD, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, explains that to maintain consistent protection against pregnancy, it is important to take birth control pills as directed.
“However, sometimes, you may forget to take a pill (or two) or start the package late,” Eisenberg said as reported by Healthcentral.
Side effects of skipping birth control pills
Sometimes, missing a pill or two can cause your period to start earlier, or cause spotting to occur or be lighter than usual.
Regardless of these menstrual changes, it is important to follow the guidelines above to ensure that you remain protected from pregnancy.
If you miss a pill, it’s normal for your period to stop for the next month or so, but once it gets back on track, everything will return to normal.
If you take the wrong birth control pill or miss a pill in a month, you can take the following steps to overcome this:
1. Forgot to take 1 pill
Missing (forgetting) a pill or starting the package one day late means that you must immediately take the missed pill after realizing you forgot. Even though this means you take two pills in one day. Then, you can continue taking the remaining pills according to the initial schedule.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when one pill is missed, you do not need to use backup contraception or use emergency contraception (EC). However, you might consider using EC if your missed pills occurred early in your cycle or in the last week of your previous cycle.
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2. Skipped 2 pills
If you miss two pills in a row, you should take one pill as soon as you realize you have missed one, even if that means taking two pills in one day.
You should throw away the second missed pill. Then, continue taking the remaining pills according to your regular schedule.
If you miss two pills in the third week of hormonal pills (days 15 to 21), the CDC recommends continuing to take the remaining pills but skipping the inactive pills or the week between pill packs and starting the next pill immediately.
If you haven’t taken the pill for 48 hours, you should not have intercourse or use a backup contraceptive method until you have taken the pill for seven days in a row.
You might consider using emergency contraception if you skip pills early in your cycle and have unprotected sex.
According to the University of California – Davis, the risk of unintended pregnancy is greatest if you skip pills at the beginning of the pack (starting the pack too late) or at the end of active pill use.
Skipping inactive pills will not cause problems. If you miss this pill, you can safely throw it away and spend the day without taking any additional precautions.
3. Skipping progestin-only pills
Mothers who miss progestin-only birth control pills should take the missed pills immediately after realizing they have missed them. Mothers must continue to take the pills as directed.
Taking an inactive pill when you should be taking an active pill is the same as missing a pill. You should take the active pill as soon as you remember, and then take the next pill at the usual time. This may mean taking 2 pills in one day.
You can get pregnant if you have vaginal sex within 7 days after missing 2 or more pills in a row. So you may need to use a backup method of contraception – such as condoms – for a week.
If you have intercourse before realizing you missed the active pill, you can use emergency contraception as a backup. Emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy if taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex.
If you often forget to take birth control pills, you may need to consult a doctor about other birth control methods that don’t require you to remember to take pills every day. For example, an IUD or vaginal ring.
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