can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

i have no idea if im in the right place...i needed to ask someone who may know the answer...

I started a new bcp this month... ive been bad with remembering to take it. ive been making them up when i remmber taking 2 pills in one day like the packet says. it just so happend i forgot to take it on fri (either fri or sat would have been the day i ovulated if wasnt taking the bcp, i think if i remember that you dont ovulate whe on bcp? ) we had unprotected sex on sat and again on sun. i took one pill on sat not realizing i skipped on friday so ive taken 1pill everyday since sat and realized today that im a day behind. yesterday i was crampy and today im spotting... is this normal of BCP when you miss?? ive been on bcp for a long time and im usually very good with them and since having my dd ive been bad so this has never really happened before...and dont know if the spotting is normal ?

is it possible to get pregnant while on bcp? id be thrilled if i was we have been "beating a dead horse " talking about when to ttc for #2 so it would help with decision making but im just curious

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

It's def. possible to get pregnant while on BCP, but I also think that missing pills can bring on AF early or cause mid cycle spotting. So I think what is happening is normal, but I hope you get whatever result you truly want.

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

Usually the pill is not effective in the first month you are on it. They tell you to use back-up protection or you can get pregnant. My SIL conceived her second child that way when her husband returned from Afghanistan after his first tour. She didn't know you needed to start taking it a month before you want to have unprotected sex.

If you keep missing days and taking them either together or at different times, you might as well not be taking the pill. It is not effective that way.

You should set an alarm on your phone and try to take the pill every day at the same time or within an hour of the same time every day. It doesn't matter if you choose to take it first thing in the morning, with lunch, etc. But you shouldn't be taking it at 8 am some days and 6 pm others and 11 pm others. Unless you don't care if it works or not, but most people don't go on BCP unless they are trying to prevent a pregnancy.

If you are trying to get PG but convince your husband otherwise, you're certainly doing everything right for an "oops" like that to happen.

As far as spotting and cramping, that can definitely happen if you're taking these hormones in ways that are not advised by your doctor.

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

Thanks for your reply... im in no way trying to "convince" my husband of anything we were just discussing when would be the right time to ttc again. and were taking precautions untill that time... i was unaware of the fact that a bcp is not effective in its first month since i was on a different brand and there was no lapse my OB/GYN never mentioned anything . im not purposly forgetting the pills i just tend to forget with the craziness of a 1 year old.

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

I didn't mean to sound harsh but rereading my reply I could see how it might sound that way. I was just trying to express the importance of not messing around with hormones by not taking them as prescribed.

I think if you were on a pill or another form of BC before you switch, you could be protected the first month. It's definitely something your doctor would've mentioned.

I can totally understand how running after a 1 y/o could make taking the pill at the same time every day difficult! I highly recommend trying the "first thing in the morning" -- I'm sure you brush your teeth every morning, so just take it at the same time and it'll become habit in no time.

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

thanks i appreciate your response like isaid ive always been so good about taking it as prescribed just been crazy the last month or so... ill try the AM thing ive always just taken it at night but obvioulsy thats not working for me! Thanks again

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

Remember that ovulation is a long process - missing a pill on a Friday does not make you ovulate on Saturday. You'd have to miss one or more pills in the first week for the slim chance that your body might gear up to O. I've read that you have a slightly higher chance of BC Pills being ineffective in your first month because you might have an egg from the previous month all set up and ready to go. But the protection level is still really high.

If you miss one pill, you could certainly have period-like symptoms. On the low-dose pills, if you take the Pill like 6 hours late, that can happen. When I was on the low-dose pills, if I missed a pill in the middle of the month I would sometimes bleed for 3 or 4 days. It s*cked - I would have AF for a week, then bleed 2 weeks later if I missed a pill, and then a week and a half after that get my next scheduled AF. So in a calendar month, I might bleed for like 10 days. I don't miss that!

Re: can i ask a quiestion.. this might be stupid but...

After I had DS I was a nightmare at taking the pills! I would always forget!

Anyway, it could go either way, your body could be confused because of the on again off again way of taking the pills...that has happened to me as well. Or you could have hit the right window and be pregnant! Only time will tell.

I would guess though since you were on BCP last month that the pilll this month isnt ineffective as previously stated. I could be wrong but I would think that only pertains to those going on it after not using it for months/years prior.