I forgot to take my contraceptive pill last night?
Question:
My query is, now that I've taken my Friday pill, I have 7 pills left til the end of the pack. Should I take my break at the end, or will I need to start my new pack immediately after this one is finished?
I'm worried because I forgot to take one last month toward the end and had to start the new pack immediately and I don't want to have to do this again.
Answers:
You can take the break after these 7 pills, but you will not be 'safe' to have sex until you have started the new pack and had at least 7 of those.
i.e. take the next 7, have the break, have another 7-10 before having unprotected sex again.
There should be a little booklet in your pill prescription that has instructions on what you should do. If it's like most birth control pills if you forget it at the scheduled time take it when you remember and then keep going as usual. One pill is no big deal (just as long as you take it) because according to my gyno "there's a big window" but if it starts becoming more, consecutively you may want to contact your physician to find the best way to go about it.
Being a few hours late taking One Pill from a pack should not be a problem. Continue your normal cycle of pills, take your break as usual, and start over again. One pill is probably no big deal.
7 pm would be the worst time of day for me to take BC if I had to. At that time of day, I'm tired from tending to kids, cooking or eating dinner, watching TV, family time. I used to leave my pack of pills on my night table by the bed, and take one just before I'd go to sleep. They're right there in plain sight by the lamp switch so I couldn't forget.
If you forget to take one pill all you need to do is double up on the following day or take it as soon as you remember. FYI you will have some spot through bleeding if you are on a very low dose bcp. You do not need to take a break if you forgot to take one. But please do not start a new pack if you forgot only one pill. Continue the regular cycle and finishe the pack as is. If you forget more than one pill yes stop the pack and begin the new one on the first day of your cycle.
Hope this helps
The best suggestion I can give you is to call a pharmacist. Different birth controls work differently, and the pharmacist will be able to give you accurate information regarding your particular birth control pill.
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