Missed Birth Control Pills? Here’s What To Do Next

Missed birth control pills? No need to worry as it’s more common than you think.

Birth control pills, when consumed regularly, show effective results in preventing pregnancy. However, complications increase depending on the number of tablets that you miss consecutively. The most common one being the risk of unwanted pregnancy.

So, here’s what to do if you’ve missed taking your dose of birth control pills. But first, a little information.

How Do Birth Control Pills Work?

Birth control pills such as Lo Ovral & Loette act as a combination of hormone medication to prevent pregnancy. The two active hormones – Estrogen and Progestin – work by maintaining menstrual cycles and preventing the release of an egg during menstruation.

The combination of birth control pills makes the vaginal fluid thicker, blocking the sperm from reaching the egg for the fertilization to occur. Changing in the lining of the uterus and prevention in the attachment of the fertilized egg occurs i.e. stopping ovulation.

There is another form of birth control pill called progestin-only-pills. The results of these no-estrogen pills show are similar to that of the combination of pills. However, skipping one or more progestin-only-pills might lead to plan-B pill administration and might affect birth control when the backup method is not used. Also, the doctor’s suggestions are a must in case of missing the dosage of birth control pills.

Here’s What to Do In Case of Missed Birth Control Pills

Missed 1 Pill:

Take the skipped or missed dose of the pill as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if the skipped dose is near to the time frame of the next dose. After that, you can resume your regular schedule.

Missed 2 Pills:

In case you miss 2 pills in a row, then consume 2 pills on a consecutive day and again 2 pills on the next day (4 pills in 2 consecutive days). Resume with a regular schedule of 1 tablet each day after fulfilling the 4 pill criteria.

Missed 3 or more Pills:

If you’ve missed taking birth control pills 3 days in a row, and have missed your period as well, it’s recommended to talk to a doctor and take a pregnancy test. In such a case, it is advised to throw out the rest of the pill pack & start with a new one following your same regular schedule.

Until your pills situation is back on the track, it is recommended to use some other form of birth control.

In any case, missing pills at any point of time may lead to loss of periods that month or the following month. Consult the doctor if there is no period as it could be a sign of pregnancy. The doctor can better predict the solutions to your situation. Also, there are chances of light bleeding or spotting on missing the pills. As you miss more pills, the more likely you will witness bleeding.

Placebo pills also need a keen administration of regular use. Although they don’t have active ingredients to prevent pregnancy, proper scheduling keeps track of pill consumption.

Active Birth Control Pills (21-days Courses)

The first cycle of medication starts with a twenty-one consecutive days course. The process begins the first day, i.e. start of the menstrual cycle or the Sunday after the period starts.  Once the 21-days course is complete, take a pause for 7 days. Bleeding should stop within 3 days after the cycle is over.

As consumption continues, all subsequent 21-days courses need a regular schedule. Repeat the second course on the same day of the week as implementing the first course; after the 7 days. While the medication course of 21-days consumption continues, the respective dosage re-iterates the calendar precisely on the 8th day of the previous pill consumption. And, here menstrual periods may or may not occur, concerning the second cycle or third cycle of use.

Strictly, time frames matter a lot, and seven days is the stand-by time between each of the 21-day courses.

28-days Birth Control Pill Courses

The 4th-week, i.e., 22-28 days of the regimen will be of placebo consumption. These pills don’t produce hormones, have inactive ingredients, and are just a back-up.

28-days consumption of tablets as prescribed by the doctor needs quick attention by starting the next course after the last day of placebo pill consumption in the current session. In other words, a 28-day regimen has no wait between each course.

What To Do When You’ve Missed Birth Control Pills (By Week)

Make sure you take the pill at the earliest in case you miss a dose during any day of the week during a combination birth control pills regimen. Continue taking one tablet each day as you restart the regular schedule.

Week 1 Or 2

In case you miss two pills in a row, consume two pills on a consecutive day and again two pills on the next day (4 pills in 2 straight days). Resume with a regular schedule of 1 tablet each day after fulfilling the four pill criteria.

Week 3 (Other Days Except For Sunday)

In case you miss two pills in a row in that week after consuming only one on day-1, don’t use the rest of the medicines and start using the new pack on the same day. The same procedure of stop using the old package and restarting a new package on the same day applies if you miss three or more pills in a row during a week.

Week 3 (On Sunday)

If you start consuming tablets on a Sunday as your period starts and missed two tablets in a row, what is the next step? One pill each day until the following Sunday is the solution. Start a new pack on the Sunday after throwing the old package of medicines.

What Happens On Overdose Of Birth Control Pills?

There are no reports of ill effects of consuming birth control pills such as Yasmin pill, Plan B pill, and others. No severe results have been noted even with ingestion by children. While there may be a withdrawal of bleeding in females, chances of nausea occurrence are also possible.

Other Methods Of Birth Control

There are 18 different contraceptive methods that best suit you, including birth control pills. The way each function depends on the methods that include hormonal or non-hormonal. Hormonal methods work in the same way as the pills do, while non-hormonal are irrespective of artificial ingredients present in the form they exist.