Cycle Question

[Peonies]

First off, hello Scarleteen!

I have something I am confused about and thought you could clear it up. During my last combined bcp pack I took 2 pills 9 hours late (within the 12 hour window but 9 hours after my usual 10pm time). These pills are not technically considered late correct? If I were to take 2 late pills and then have a withdrawal bleed and start a new pack, that new cycle wouldn't be effected correct?

Sorry if that sounds confusing, I'm sleepy!

[taylor_alyse]

Hello CraftyKid!

Have you seen this? http://www.scarleteen.com/article/advic ... n_the_pill

To help guide you to a related Q&A: "If you are on a combined oral contraceptive (one that has two hormones in it, and your information packet with your pill packs will tell you that), then it's not vital to take the pill at the same time every day. You want to try to take it around the same time just to keep your cycle as regulated as possible, and also to most easily remember to take pills daily, but taking combined OCPs at different times of the day should not decrease your pill's effectiveness in any way. If a person takes the pill all willy-nilly, at all kinds of different times, it can be more likely to space out taking a pill each day.

However, if you are on a progesterone-only pill (a minipill), then it is important to take it within a three-hour window of each day to keep it effective. But even then, one late pill in a cycle certainly will not make a minipill ineffective, and may not decrease its effectiveness."

Thus, as you were inside the 12 hour window and sound like you are pretty aware of making sure to not skip pills, your cycle shouldn't be affected!

We are pausing direct services for the week, so after this response, this thread will be closed to new comments. Sorry for the inconvenience!

[Peonies]

Ah! Thank you! I knew there was a q&a somewhere!