I missed a birth control pill, and now I have some light bleeding?

[Anonymous]

Earlier this week I forgot to take a pill, I didn't realize it until this morning. I guess I fell asleep and assume I took it but didn't. Anyways I didn't know and I had sex last night. Today I had some cramps like really badly even though my period isn't due for another two weeks, and I had some light bleeding. Not enough to need to use a tampon, but enough that whenever I peed I noticed it there. Is that normal? I mean I forgot the pill either Monday or Tuesday night, and today, after sex I am bleeding and cramping. I also had sex Monday, but that was with using other protection. I had sex last Friday, unprotected and also last wedneaday, again unprotected. Missing one pill couldn't cause me to be pregnant could it?

[abacaxi84]

I don't take any chances. If I miss just 1 pill by more than the 7 hrs permitted by my pill (which has happened to me occasionally) I go straight to the pharmacy and get the morning after pill. It's £25 in the UK, whereas the average cost of raising a child here is £230,000 over a lifetime - it's a no brainer, why take the risk?

On the up side - suddenly bleeding is very standard when you come off BC pills. I started bleeding within days of stopping BC when I tried going off it for a while, so that's probably just a symptom of you having forgotten to take the pill. Take a preg test to reassure yourself, and if you should always use condoms for 7 days if you've missed a pill, because it takes that long to re-establish the protection if you've missed one. I also highly recommend this app to help you remember to take your pills in future https://www.mypillapp.com

[Asker]

I didn't realize I had forgotten to take a pill until afterwards.

[XRabbitHeartX]

You have missed a lot of pills in total.. Not just one

Last week if I understand you missed TWO. This week you missed one. So you are definitely at risk of pregnancy. You are supposed to take it every single day. That's how the pill works. If you lose one day in a few months, you're fine but if you miss 3 pills in the course of 2 weeks you are very much at risk and do not use the pill properly.

Take care of your body please. I don't even want to know what havoc this abuse of the pill is doing to your system.

[Asker]

I only missed one. I forgot to take one earlier this week, either Monday or Tuesday. I have taken one every other day. That's is ONE pill I have missed. And how am I abusing the pill? I take birth control because if I am not on it I get severe cramps and cannot even get out of bed. I am usually in severe pain from the cramps and miss classes and work. On birth control the pain is managable and I have the option to skip my period. I don't abuse the pill and the only reason I forgot was due to the fact that I've been working 6 day weeks and fell asleep as soon as I got home from work.

[XRabbitHeartX]

@Asker Oh sorry I thought when you said "I had sex last Friday, unprotected and also last wedneaday, again unprotected" you meant you didn't take the pill then either. One pill shouldn't make a big difference. You're good to go :)

[Asker]

No I meant unprotected as in without a condom.

[throwit]

No probably not

[Minxxie]

As soon as you stop the pill your body starts your period if it is any time after the first 14 days of your cycle so yeah. It's not likely that you are pregnant but the internet is not a pregnancy test go and get tested!

[gigi1015]

its not very likely, possible but pretty unlikely. read the little pamphlet thing in your birth control package. Most usually say what to do/expect when you miss 1 pill 2 pills 3 pills etc. I'm pretty sure most say that if you miss one pill, no back up contraception is needed. The bleeding and crampling might be bcs/ your body is still getting used to the birth control. (idk how long you've been taking it) but it can take up to a year and a half to have a completely regular cycle and be completely used to it. ex. I used to bleed when I missed 1 or 2 pills and now I don't

[Asker]

I have been on for 7 months now. Three years ago I took birth control for about a year and a half, but I went off of it due to the side effects. I just recently (7 months ago) started a different kind of birth control. And I have never had bleeding in the middle of my pack. My periods, on and off birth control have always been pretty regular, I used to get my period every 28 days for 7 days, now that I am on birth control I get my period for usually 2-4 days every 24 days.