Ovulation usually occurs between day 11 and day 21 of the menstrual cycle. Women are most fertile during the two to three days before ovulation. When you take your pills as prescribed, your body will have a steady supply of medication to keep you from ovulating. We refer to this as maintaining the therapeutic drug level, or how much of the drug needs to be in your system for it to be effective.
To achieve the best results, you will need to take one pill at the same time every day. Missing or delaying doses allows the therapeutic drug level to drop. Ultimately, there is a point at which drug levels drop low enough that ovulation can occur. This can vary from person to person. The levels drop more quickly in some women than others.
The pill does not terminate a pregnancy; it prevents ovulation. If an egg is released, pregnancy can occur. In addition to missed or late doses, there are other things that can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. Among them:. If you missed a dose, especially if it was a progestin-only pill, got sick to your stomach, or were prescribed another medication that may interact with the pill, it's important to consider back-up birth control. This may include using condoms, diaphragms, or sponges.
If you are late taking a birth control pill, don't panic. It's only human to forget every now and then. There is no point in beating yourself up about it. Instead, try to identify why you missed the dose.
By pinpointing the cause, you can find a way to avoid missing doses in the future, either by altering your dosing schedule or providing yourself helpful, daily reminders. If you missed pills in the third week, take the active pills in the pack daily until you run out, then start a new pack the next day. Continue taking pills on your regular schedule. If you had unprotected sex within the past 5 days, consider using EC.
You should never leave more than 7 consecutive days between taking active pills. Things to consider. If you missed 1 hormonal active pill. If you missed 2 or more hormonal active pills. If you missed 1 or more nonhormonal or placebo inactive pills.
When to see a doctor or other healthcare provider. Read this next. How to Handle a Pregnancy Scare. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.
If you missed 1 active pill : Take the pill as soon as you remember, even if you have to take two pills on the same day. You do not need to use back-up birth control e. In our example above, this would mean you would take 2 pills on Wednesday. If you missed 2 or more active pills: Take the last pill you missed as soon as you remember, even if you have to take two pills on the same day.
Throw away the other missed pills. Consider using emergency contraception if you have had unprotected sex in the last five days and do not want to become pregnant. To protect against pregnancy, use back-up birth control e. If there are less than 7 hormonal pills left in the pack after you take the last pill you missed, you can skip the hormone-free break by starting the next pack immediately.
You should take the Wednesday pill and the Thursday pill, and throw away the Tuesday pill. If you miss placebo pills: Throw away the missed pills and take the next pill at the normal time. Progestin-only pills contain a progestin but do not contain estrogen. They are taken continuously, without any hormone-free breaks. Continue taking one pill a day and consider using emergency contraception if you have had unprotected sex in the last five days and do not want to become pregnant. To protect against pregnancy, use back-up contraception e.
If you missed 2 or more active hormonal pills or if you started a pack 2 or more days late Take 2 active hormonal pills as soon as possible and then continue taking pills daily. You should take 2 pills on the same day.
You may take one at the moment of remembering, and the other at the regular time or both at the same time. Also, use condoms or abstain from sex until you have taken active hormonal pills for 7 days in a row. If you missed the pills in the third week of the pack, you should continue taking the active hormonal pills in your current pack daily. When all active pills have been taken, discard the pack and begin a new pack the next day.
You should not take the 7 inactive pills.
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