Late, Dammit

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I'm late. Not a ton, but about 2 days, and a year ago that wouldn't have surprised me, but now I'm a little concerned. I normally start on Saturday and it's Monday with no signs of it starting (although I rarely PMS so I guess there are never signs anyhow). I'm trying really hard not to worry, because if I'm pregnant... well hey, worrying won't undo what I've done, right?

Anyway, my concern is that I messed up my pills this week... I usually take them around 5pm, but I forgot wednesday, took my wed pill on Thuresday morning and my thurs pill that evening as usual. Then I forgot my Friday pill which is the first placebo pill, and took 2 on Saturday. I used to be pretty bad about taking them on time, but lately I've been really good so I don't know if my body maybe got used to having it on time... I once was very irregular and now that I've been good about my pills they've been like clockwork. Enough complaining, though...

But I'm not asking if I'm pregnant... like I said before, maybe I am, maybe not... that's all to be seen. My question is if I go the next 4 days with no period and I'm NOT pregnant (lets suppose for a moment that I'm just having a weird period month) then would starting a new pack of pills on Friday encourage it to not come, or do you girls think that it if it were really planning on coming around eventually, would it defy the active pills and come anyway?

Comments

[taldragon.livejournal.com]

you dont give any information about sexual activity so it's hard to judge what's happening, or whether you're still in time to take emergency contraception (you have upto 120 hours, i think after sex).

however, based on no sex, i'd say you're late because of the missed pills. personally, my period comes whenever it damn well feels like it, so it's possible that your period would come anyway.

if you _are_ sexually active, remember to follow your Pill instructions for missed pills (backup for 7 days, i think?).

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

It could have been any time since my last period, but like I said I'm not really asking about if I may be pregnant or not, and if I am I would doubt that it's because I just missed a pill this past Thursday, I'm sure.

I'm just saying ASSUMING for a second that I'm not pregnant, and my period just feels like being late for some reason, would starting a new pack of pills keep it from happening altogether?

[taldragon.livejournal.com]

good question - sometimes periods are a law unto themselves :)

mine would still come, regardless. but every woman is different.

i know that's not a very helpful answer, sorry.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

It's a good rule, though. I'm hoping it'll show up one of these days... I don't feel stressed but I do have a lot going on in my life so I'm probably just not eating right and I know I've been getting headaches so that probably means I'm more stressed than I realize.

[niseag03.livejournal.com]

I'm not an expert by any means, but forgetting your placebo is no big deal. I have friends that don't take them at all, and I regularly find myself skipping one here and there. A placebo is a placebo. It doesn't nothing. It is simply there to help keep you used to the routine of taking a pill every day. Sometimes they contain iron to help balance what is lost during your period.

My guess is it won't come if you start your pills again. You can skip your period by skipping the placebos and starting a new pack. I'm going to guess you're just late due to missing the pill and then taking it. Your system got confused, if you will, that close to starting. Plus, its not uncommon for your period to "change." (Mind has recently after almost two years ago being so clockwork I could pinpoint the hour, and yes, I am on the pill.) Just because there are no "symptoms" doesn't mean you won't start in the next day or so.

Since I get the feeling you aren't concerned about being pregnant, the best thing you can do is relax. getting concerned and worked up can also delay the start of your period. If you've got doubts regarding pregnancy, take a pregnancy test.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I'm concerned about being pregnant, but if I am I still won't know (i.e. I won't be able to DO anything about it, if you catch my drift) for a couple of weeks, and if I'm not then, as you said, my period is probably lurking around here somewhere.

[cathubodva.livejournal.com]

For one thing, missed placebo pills are no biggie. If you miss one, you can just throw that one out and go on with your life (that's why they're "placebos").

But yes, often starting a new pack will prevent your period from coming.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm not really so much concerned with that one as I am the last active pill on Thursday. I just can't imagine that missing ONE would throw me off so far.

[garillama.livejournal.com]

My impression is that your "period" is actually withdrawl from the hormones in the pills. Thus, getting back on the pill should prevent you from getting your period.

Don't quote me on that, though ;)

[moo13.livejournal.com]

Chances are you will get your period sometime this week. Something like this did happen to me before but I screwed up my pill taking worse than you did. I lost a whole pill pack midway through and had to start a new one. I skipped a period but I wasn't sexually active so I knew I wasn't pregnant. I ended up having breakthrough bleeding during the middle of the next pack and had to wear pantyliners until 2 weeks later when it was time for my placebos.

Also, I never take my placebo pills, they are only there to serve as reminders. Sometimes placebos have helpful vitamins but not with my brand. I throw them away and start the new pack a week later as normal.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I take a generic version of Mircette so I really have 3 days of estroge-only pills and then only 4 placebos... my doctor said that my headaches may be the result of estrogen withdrawl so I would probably benefit from taking them...

But yeah I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I am sexually active (very much so, I would say) so there's always a chance...

This would probably be a good time for someone to smack me in the forehead and say, "so start using condoms, nitwit!"

[deadlychameleon.livejournal.com]

pill + condom = good

Yeah, if you restarted active pills, you almost certainly won't get your period.
It can take up to 3 days to get your period after you finish active pills, so if you took one late, then you probably wouldn't have gotten your period until even later, and since you only have 4 placebos, yeah, sounds like you just "skipped" it. Tests available OTC are accurate at 10-14 days after conception, I think, depending (http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/detail?prodid=140860#directions). You might find one even better than that (http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/detail?prodid=630020&previousURI=/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/search?ActiveCat=499^Query=pregnancy+test^Click+to+go+to+search+results..x=0^Click+to+go+to+search+results..y=0^Click+to+go+to+search+results.=submit). Only being late with one pill isn't usually enough to do anything though, especially this close to your period. You are probably unpregnant.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I got it after all, but I couldn't help but wonder if it'd come even if I skipped placebos or something. I would assume so. Periods can be pretty stubborn.

I figured it I was pregnant (not - yay!) it woulda been from pure 1% un-luck, not from missing the pill.