Time zones

[Jellyfish777]

I recently got back from Europe for a school trip and I had to start my new pack of pills over the course of my trip. My withdrawal bleed came normally and everything and I started my pills pretty close to when I would take them at home in my normal time zone. However, the second day, I was a few hours late but I'm not so much worried about that. What does worry me is that when I was flying home I did cross time zones and I'm wondering if those messed up hours could have made something late? I followed my home time zone as closely as possible with taking pills but I just do not want to have an increased risk of pregnancy.

[Karyn]

With the combined pill (two kinds of hormones) a pill isn't considered late until it's been at least 12 hours past the time you would normally take it. However, based on your past posts it sounds like you also use condoms, so even if your pill's effectiveness was compromised you'd still be very well protected from pregnancy.

[Jellyfish777]

Thank you so much! So a few hours wouldn't really present an issue? And with condoms, if there is no visible slipping, no holes or tears, and it was put on properly, I can be very sure that it did not fail?

[Sam W]

Yep, you've got it!

[Jellyfish777]

Thank you so much!!

This site is an absolute blessing; I wouldn't get this advice/help from anywhere else and it's been so nice to calm down after knowing that my world won't end after doing something "bad" like having sex!

[Mo]

I'm so glad you've found the information you need here!

[Kristy]

For this trip, you're probably okay. But for the future I do have a tip:
Before my first US->Europe trip while on the pill, my gynecologist told me to choose a day to 'reset'--either the day in the plane or the first full day at your destination--where you take the pill at the same time on the local clock you normally take it. So, let's say you take your pill every day at 10AM in South Dakota. In Europe, you continue to take the pill at 10AM, even if it's 3AM back home. Then, when you come back home, you stick with 10AM SD time.
For the days in the plane, it's up to you. Just make sure to use condoms for (at least) the first few days after a major time-zone-crossing trip like that, while your body continues to adjust.

[Jellyfish777]

Okay! Thank you! I actually had another trip right back to Europe about a week after I had gotten back but I did keep taking the pill at the same time based on when I took it at home. I had a normal period, so that should mean that I'm not pregnant right? I spotted a little at the beginning but after that it was normal bleeding. Should I get a test just to be safe?

[Karyn]

If a test would make you feel better, you can absolutely take one, but given that you had a normal withdrawal bleed there's no need to test.

[Jellyfish777]

Okay thank you! It's so easy to get hung up on the stories of people bleeding and then finding out they're still somehow pregnant; they aren't really that true/common are they? Especially if I'm showing no other signs that they're even could somehow be a pregnancy?

[Karyn]

If I remember correctly, you started seeing a therapist recently for your anxiety: have they given you any strategies to use when you get caught up in worries about pregnancy?

[Jellyfish777]

I tried to tell her I was on birth control and hopefully start talking about it from there, but she got extremely defensive as to why I was taking it and it felt very uncomfortable to bring up the subject of worrying about pregnancy.

[Karyn]

I'm so sorry she responded that way: a therapist should never judge a patient or make them feel like they can't discuss certain topics. Is it possible for you to explore other mental healthcare options on your own, or is that something you'd like some help with?

In the meantime, we do have some resources on anxiety that might be helpful, if you haven't already seen them:
Anxiety and Other Mental Health Resources
Anxiety Lies

[Jellyfish777]

I'll probably talk to my parents about not clicking well with this therapist so hopefully I can find a better one. Thank you for the article though!

[Karyn]

You're welcome, and hopefully you're able to find a therapist who's a better fit for you.