Going On a Trip Not Sure What to Do With Birth Control, Help Posted: 10-22-07 17:52pm
Right now I'm on Ortho Tricyclen (so the 3
different colored pills- white, light
blue, blue). I usually get my period
earlier than when I should stop taking the
pills. (Usually 3-4 days before I'm
actually done taking them).
I am going on a trip Nov 16 for a week and
don't want to get my period over that
time. If my schedule is the same as usual
I should get my period exactly during the
time of my trip
I have read different things -
1. Skip it by just starting to take the
pills over again as soon as the other ones
are done..
This probably won't work for me because I
get my period even before the pills are
done in the first place.
2. after this period.. wait a week before
starting the next pack
This might not work either - because if I
get my period the 3-4 days before the end
again... it'll just be like getting my
period over that week anyways.
I was wondering if I could - after my
period is done this week - or even during
it? Start a new pack of pills so that I'll
*technically* get my period BEFORE the
week of my trip..
So either skip the 1 week of white pills
and start with the 2 week of light blue
pills... or skip the dark blue pills?
Does this make sense? Let me know if I can
be more specific with my question...
thanks!
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Georgia59
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Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5557 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
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Posted: 10-24-07 12:22pm
Yeah, you could try skip this week's
period and just start a new pack. It might
work. But don't skip any of the pills,
ever, at all. You can shorten the placebo
week, but not the active weeks or you will
not be protected from pregnancy.
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Sunshine333
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Thanks Georgia59.. Few More Questions.. Posted: 10-24-07 14:13pm
Ok... well I just got my period today and
I have 4 blue pills left.
Does that mean if I skip the last 4 pills
I"m not protected from pregnancy? Cause
I've been doing this for like 5 years now
:S
Also, since I still have 4 blue pills left
and I"ve already started my period, could
I start the new pack today?
Thanks for your reply! That was a close
one - I was going to just skip the first
week of pills!
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Carifairy
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Joined: 12 Nov 2005 Posts: 2610 Location: Charlotte n.c.
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Posted: 10-24-07 16:11pm
You can skip the PLACEBO/PERIOD WEEK
pills, but you should NEVER for any reason
skip the active pills.
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Sunshine333
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Posted: 10-24-07 16:35pm
Even if my period starts before I'm done
the pills? I should just finish them till
they're done? Wow I'm lucky I'm not
pregnant then!
My Dr. said it was normal to get my period
before the pills were done - that my body
had "enough" hormones... and so it was ok
to stop taking the pills and then just
start a new pack (I don't have placebo
ones) in a week....
Is this wrong?
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Georgia59
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Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5557 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
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Posted: 10-24-07 17:09pm
I pm'd you... but here is some more
information that I didn't include....
Since you don't have placebo pills, like
Cairfairy said, you should never skip any
pills. Never. You can shorten the time in
between packs, but don't skip pills.
It is normal to get your period before the
pills are done, but that doesn't mean
anything since it's not an actual period,
just bleeding. If you stop taking the
active pills before they are done, you
will not be protected against pregnancy. I
don't know why your doctor said that.
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Sunshine333
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Posted: 10-24-07 17:57pm
Wow.. this is really good to know. Thanks
everyone... I really don't care if I get
my period on my trip anymore... I'm just
glad I learned this...
Like I said - I'm lucky I'm not pregnant
because I've been skipping these last
couple pills (the active ones) for about 5
years now..
YIKES!
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Georgia59
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Posted: 10-24-07 22:29pm
Well it probably doesn't lower your risk
to 0% effective, but it does make it less.
Good thing to know huh?
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Sunshine333
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Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Posted: 10-25-07 09:47am
Yes definitely a good thing to know - but
also brings up a million other questions!
Like:
Since it's not really a "real" period -
could you be pregnant even if you do
"bleed"? I know that's sorta a stupid
question... but ya!
Also, I've been reading different
discussions on here and is it true that
you don't actually ovulate on the BC
pill?
Is this even healthy at all?
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Georgia59
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Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5557 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
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Posted: 10-25-07 11:24am
Sunshine333
wrote:
Yes definitely a good thing
to know - but also brings up a million
other questions!
Like:
Since it's not really a "real" period -
could you be pregnant even if you do
"bleed"? I know that's sorta a stupid
question... but ya!
Also, I've been reading different
discussions on here and is it true that
you don't actually ovulate on the BC
pill?
Is this even healthy at
all?
You can't be pregnant if you continue to
get normal periods (for most women). Even
though it is not shedding an egg, it is
shedding the tissue that lines the uterus.
Since the fertilized egg usually embeds in
that tissue, if you're bleeding it out,
you couldn't really be pregnant, could
you? Some women have light bleeding when
they are pregnant (a small minority of
women) but if you are getting periods just
like you always have, you are not
pregnant. A missed period is always the
first sign of pregnancy, because when an
egg is fertilized, it sends out a hormone
to stop the lining from shedding so it can
make it's home their.
You don't ovulate on the combined birth
control pill, most of the time. This is
because your body usually goes through
crazy ups and downs of hormones throughout
your cycle, and it's the crazy ups and
downs that cause the things like ovulation
and your period. All the pill does is add
a little bit of the same hormone every day
so that your hormone levels stay even
instead of going through such big ups and
downs. Therefore, you don't ovulate. It is
perfectly healthy because eggs don't
mature until they are ready and during the
time they are ovulated. You are born with
all the immature eggs you will ever have,
and it won't hurt them to stay tucked away
in there, undeveloped, for a few more
years, right?
Sorry if this sounds really simplistic but
it's easier to understand this way lol.
If you want to see a really cute and
informative explanation of all this, go to
planned parenthood's website, under the
tab pregnancy and then "how pregnancy
happens" or something like that, and there
is a really cute flash video about it.
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Sunshine333
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Posted: 10-25-07 12:17pm
Haha thanks a ton!! I'll check out that
video - although asking all these
questions makes me feel like I'm in
Elementary again - oh well - back to the
basics it is!
I really appreciate it
It's nice to come on here and find all
this information - that obviously my Dr.
was wrong about - or just informed me
wrong!
Thanks everyone!
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Sunshine333
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 35
Posted: 10-25-07 12:18pm
Oh and for those not in Canada -
Elementary school is like kindergarten
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Georgia59
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Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5557 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
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Posted: 10-25-07 12:43pm
Don't feel bad. Lots of people don't know
this stuff. You'd be amazed at the
questions we get on here.
