[LisaL]

Hi,My birth control package says I only have to use back-up protection for the first week.Is this the case?I am hoping that just under 2 weeks will be enough time to be safe - my Doctor said to wait 2 cycles to be sure! I think that's beng overly cautious.My question then, is two weeks enough? I was on the pill for years and stopped 3 months ago and am now starting back up again.LisaP.S. Please give me the real deal, and not the absolute most careful, cover my full butt answer! Thanks a million.

 

[Elariel]

i think i'd wait at least 1 full pack before i went without any backup, just to be certain no ovulation was happening. after your period it should be good to go so to speak..that's what i'd wait for myself. 2 whole cycles seems like a bit much, but only a week seems iffy.. however, your doctor may know what is best in your situation. i dont think there is a completely right answer for everyone since pills can act differently with different people and your own cycle.. you may ovulate at a different time than 'expected'.you may think it's a 'cover my butt' answer, but i feel it's truthful.edited to add: this is from nursing school + my own reading/research on the pill.

 

[LisaL]

Elariel, thanks so much. I went on the Internet today and found that most sites said at least a week.I agree that it sounds iffy - do you think two weeks would be better than one at least?Lis

 

[Vicky19]

7 days if u start on the first day of your period. 14 days otherwise.

 

[LisaL]

Vicky, thank-you - can you please tell me where I can read that info?

 

[Elariel]

definitly think 2 weeks is better than 1

 

[booboo6202]

i have been off and on the pill for years and many different docs and ALL have said two weeks!

 

[LisaL]

More questions!K, here is the story. I can have sex this Friday which is 12 days afer starting the pill, or wait another week and a bit (I'm going away). The question is, when does one ovulate? If for example I am close to ovulating this Friday, wouldn't waiting a week more be better as it would be even closer to my next period?Confused!Lisa

 

[Kathleen M.]

The problems is most people typically most of the time, most commonly will generally ovulate in the middle of the cycle (so 1/2 way between periods) more or less.However, everyone is a little bit different, and some people tend to ovulate later in the cycle than others and I don't know how well even an ovulation predictor used for getting pregnant will help in a situation like this. However if you had one and had checked for a few months you would probably have a pretty good idea of what you do most of the time.Probably best to use some back-up protection during the first cycle with the pills just in case. Also if you forget a pill you may want to use back up protection for like a week after that, even if you get "caught up".Consistancy is important, esp. with some of the lower dose pills. And usually they are like 95-99% effective even when use properly, so if avoiding pregnancy is a priority then you may even want to continue using a back up method routinely. Also check your medications, some change how the liver processes things like hormones, so some drugs often make the pill less effective and you need back up contraception when taking those medications (I think usually they talke about certainantibiotics, but I don't know the full list)Usually the manufacturer is a good source of info for their product, but human beings are variable and if you are the one who happens to be in the 0.001% group it doesn't matter how many people it doesn't happen to

I remember a story about a couple that got pregnant after they went in for his and hers sterilization proceedures to reduce the chances of getting pregnant even lower than getting one of them "fixed". K.

 

[LisaL]

Thanks K. So in other words, 3 weeks still isn't enough??? Weird the package says a week - I would think 3 would be fine, but now I don't know. As for using back-up all the time (mine are high dose I think), then there would be no point in me even taking the pill!*sigh* Maybe I'll wait for three weeks and hope it's enough - waiting till after my next period will really p*ss me off, but then so will getting pregnant!Lisa

 

[Kathleen M.]

So using a condom, or sponge or spermicide cream or any of the other "back up" contraceptives is not an option?Not knowing anything about your sexual partner

(I don't need to know) it may be worth using some of the backups anyway as well...they can prevent diseases, etc.If the manufacturer says one week than that is probably what will work for most people most of the time. However it is hard to know if that is enough for you, personally, until it is "too late".A lot depends on how you play the risk benefit analysis of the situation. How much of a problem is the getting pregnant vs the benefits of sex sooner rather than later. That plays out differently for every person. And no contraceptive method is 100%. I know plenty of people with a condom baby and a pill baby and an IUD baby

Some people are just far more fertile than others

K.

 

[LisaL]

No, back-up is not an option. That's why I am waiting for the pill to work. STD's are not an issue. So, K, if the manufacturer says after a week I'll be fine, you would safelt say that for the majority of people, over 3 weeks is plenty? I think 12 days is cutting it too close don't you think?Lisa

 

[Kathleen M.]

For most people most of the time, I would say the one week is probably enough.Waiting longer should make it a surer bet. (which is why the doc probably went with two full cycles)Unless you are one of the exceptions that "proves the rule"Is this the same pill you used before? If it was effective for you then, I, personally if it were me, would feel more confident that it would work now. I think some of the failure rate could be from a "bad match" a pill that wasn't strong enough, etc.One thing to keep in mind if you do the 3 week thing (not sure how sex during the week off when you have your period is an issue with ya'll or not) you do not need to have a period. So you can skip the one week of sugar pills and start the next pack and skip a period. It seems to be OK for woman (again at least most of the woman most of the time sort of thing) to do 4 periods a year and take the pills for 3 months at a time. They do package some pills like this, but you can do it with any pill.K.

 

[LisaL]

Interesting idea, but I am a bit confused about the period thing you said. I hate skipping a period cause I always end up spotting. By the way, it is the same pill as before and it always worked.BTW, tell me this: only twice I have had take my pill the next day after forgetting - would you say that 12 days in this case will still be enough?Lisa

 

[Kathleen M.]

Like I said most women are OK with the skipped period thing, but there will be some that find they don't like it. It isn't necessary for health to have a period every month, so it isn't medically necessary to take the sugar pills for the 4th week, however I can see where it may work better for some woman than others (a lot of people do this to avoid having a period on a wedding day or big trip or things like that).Generally I would think the 12 days should be enough for a missed pill. Some depends on how missed the pill is whether there is much risk for pregnancy with a missed pill. Lower dose pills like the "mini-pill" type things tend to be more problematic...and are we talking I forgot at night so took it the next morning so it is a few hours late vs I forgot for a whole 24 hours then tried taking two to "make up for it", of take one now and one in a few hours (that sort of thing)

. If you can take it at the same time every day that is going to maximize the effectiveness.K.

 

[LisaL]

What I mean is mostly the almost 24 hours missing - not quite, and it happened twice since I started last Sunday.So, do you think I am ok if I started the pill last Sunday, took almost two at a time just twice, and hope to have sex this Friday? It will make it 12 days since I started the pill......