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Thanks for your question; I see why you are confused with your cycle!
I have re-read your situation several times, and I actually can not "find" a way in which you would be pregnant. Your last period was around August 20th (albeit the timing was off, due to missed pills, which is normal), and you have not had a period since this time. You have not missed any pills since your "early" period, so would be considered as having protected intercourse.
The only way I could figure that you would have increased your chance for pregnancy is after you missed the pills and doubled-up in mid-August...did you use a condom for the following 7 days as instructed by your prescription?
However, since this is now mid-October, any possible pregnancy that occurred in mid-to-late August would be detected on a home pregnancy test. I would stop taking them, as they are stressful!
If you have used the pills "perfectly"...consistently and correctly each time for the past two months, then your chances of pregnancy are extremely low...less than 1%. (The pill is not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy...but is pretty close).
Did you not have a menstrual period at all in September? Or in October (yet?). As you said, many things can cause a late or missed period, but you sound like you have been protected from pregnancy to the best of pills' effectiveness. Have you spoken with your doctor that it has been approximately 52 days since your last period? This may "count" as only one missed period, as some women have extremely long cycles (35-40 days between periods), and this can be very normal.
Get a good night's sleep tonight! Trust in your test results (they are 99% accurate at detecting any "pregnancy hormone"...if they are coming up negative, you can depend on the results that there is not a pregnancy causing missed periods), and best of luck with your tubal ligation next week!
October 11, 2009 - 7:32pmThis Comment
I did not use extra protection after my missed pills in August. I have not missed any pills since, but I had no period in the month of September and not one yet this month (I should have gotten it the fifth or sixth.) The only time it would have been possible for me to get preg was the week I missed those two pills. I have taken them religiously ever since. As you said, any pregnancy that would have occurred back in August would be showing on a test by now.
My main fear was that since I had an "early " period in August, was I still protected during my placebo week? It is very rare for me to miss a pill, much less two, but as I said it has been a crazy four weeks. It has happened once or twice over the past 18 years (nobody is perfect!) and every time I have gotten all worked up over nothing.
Thanks for your input. You have re-assured me a lot. Intelectually, I know I can trust the tests (those digital ones are hard to misread!) After 18 years of taking the pill and not getting preg, you'd think I would have learned to trust the effectiveness, but it is in my nature to always be second guessing things. I need to relax, I'm driving myself nuts, and depleting my bank account; those buggers get to be expensive!
Thank you for helping me to relax and get a good night's sleep. I will be calling my doc in the morning just to be 100 % sure.
October 11, 2009 - 7:58pmThis Comment
Glad I could help, and it always a good idea to call your doctor if you still are feeling uneasy.
Yes, you would have been protected during the placebo or "inactive pills". You missed two pills (as you said, this happens!), and followed the instructions by doubling-up afterwards. This was two months ago, and any pregnancy would be detected by now on a test.
I know it creates an uneasy feeling to have a late or missed period and not know why, but I believe the doctor will want to know that it has been between 50-55 days since your last period (rather than "two missed periods"). You technically had two periods in August, and it is strangely common for women to miss a month (or even more!) of periods. Just so you know, too, that when taking the pill...you don't actually have menstrual bleeding or periods, but the bleeding you experience is "withdrawal bleeding" when you take the inactive pills. You may not experience any withdrawal bleeding until your next week of inactive pills this month (hopefully that makes you feel better?).
Sleep tight! :-)
October 11, 2009 - 8:12pmThis Comment
I was aware that it is actually withdrawl bleeding,(It's just easier to say "period") but is always good to mention because I think most women don't realize that. Sometimes I think the internet is a blessing and a curse. There is so much information to be found (and wonderful helpful persons like you), but there is als so much misinformation. For every accurate bit of information there are at least two horror stories or urban legends contradicting it.
Thanks again.
October 11, 2009 - 8:21pmThis Comment
I want to know if u miss takeing your pill for 3 days can u get pregnant
October 6, 2009 - 9:11amThis Comment
Yes, anytime you miss pills, your chance of pregnancy increases. The more pills missed (especially if they are in-a-row), the higher the chance of pregnancy.
Did you "double up" on your missed pills, as instructed?
October 11, 2009 - 7:19pmThis Comment
Hi, Anon, and thank you so much for your question. It's a great one.
The answer depends partially on what kind of birth control pills you are taking. Some pills are a combination of estrogen and progestin; others are progestin-only. Pills with estrogen in them take over your hormonal cycle and prevent the woman's body from releasing an egg; no egg means no possible baby. Progestiin-only pills prevent pregnancy by thickening your cervical mucus (makes it harder for sperm to swim), and making it harder for the egg to travel and/or implant in the uterus if fertilized.
I am guessing you are on a pill that has a combination. So here's the deal: when you miss a pill, or two, or three, then you are interrupting the steady flow of pill hormones to your body. In the absence of these hormones, you could release an egg. EVEN if it's not when you think you are ovulating, the possibility exists that you would.
Does that help at all?
When you say "especially after your period," remember that many women tend to ovulate between days 10 and 13 of their cycle. Depending on how long your period is, without a pill you could be starting to ovulate sooner than you think. Also, sperm can live in the body for at least 72 hours (3 days), so it's possible to get pregnant even if you ovulate 3 days after you have sex (in other words, the sperm can be waiting there when the egg is released from the fallopian tube).
But don't worry needlessly if this is what happened to you. There are many many couples who are TRYING to become pregnant who have sex at the exact right time and still don't get pregnant for a few months. Don't freak out -- stress can delay a period all on its own. Just find a time of day when you will not forget your pills -- say, every morning when you brush your teeth -- and stick to it. That keeps the hormone level in your body consistent.
September 30, 2009 - 8:54amThis Comment
If you are on the pill and you miss 3 pills, then start a new pack, get your period, then miss 2 pills after your period are your chances of getting pregnant higher? I dont understand how you get pregnant when you miss 3 pills if you havnt even started ovulating by then. Especially after your period. HELP!
September 28, 2009 - 5:44pmThis Comment
i started the pill for 7 days ago, and i had unprotected sex. am i pregnant?
September 28, 2009 - 10:41amThis Comment
Hi, Anon,
I wish I could tell you!! But unfortunately there's no way to know for sure until you were to miss a period and take a pregnancy test. After seven days, there is a very good chance that you are protected, but some doctors recommend that their patients also use a second form of birth control during the first month on the pill just to be certain. It also depends slightly on what pill you are taking. Here's a good explanation of this:
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1152.html
September 30, 2009 - 8:37amThis Comment