BCP Timing

[s0123]

Hi!

I just started taking birth control 10 days ago. The first day, I took my very first pill at around 10am, and then later realized I should take it at a later time because it will be more consistent. So the very next day, my second pill, I took at 10pm. I was consistently taking it at exactly 10pm for eight consecutive pills. Tonight I took my tenth pill an hour late because I accidentally fell asleep.

I am a little nervous since I just started taking the pill. Will the big 12 hour jump I took between the first and second pills mess up the hormone cycle for a long time? Does this mean I am not protected or am less protected for a certain length of time and if so how long? Also, is being one hour late going to mess anything up? I'm really anxious since I want to be a "perfect" pill user and have the lowest possible chance of pregnancy.

Also, the very first pill that I took was on a Sunday, but was not on the Sunday right after I started my period. This was under my doctor's instruction but made me pretty nervous because online everywhere said to take it the Sunday after your period starts. Will this mess anything up?

I'm sorry for all of the questions, I am just pretty nervous and want to know if I am protected now, and if I'm not then how long it will be until I am totally protected (as much as BCP can protect). Thank you!!

[Johanna]

Welcome to Scarleteen, s0123!

Generally, you want to try and take your pill at around the same time of day. A pill is not considered late until is has been more than 12 hours since your pill-time, but taking it as close to your time as possible is still a good idea to make sure your hormone levels stay about the same. You do not have to consider a pill missed until it has been more than 24 hours.

So, you made a pretty big jump on the second day, but it's still just about within the limit. However, the pill does not fully protect you until you have been taking it for at least a week, so there was not much of an effectiveness level for you to mess with that early on, anyway.

Most brands of the pill state that they offer full protection after one full week of being on the pill, but we generally recommend using a back-up method for the entire first month, just to be extra safe (and to give yourself that extra time to get used to taking the pill regularly!).

You can also start the pill at any point in your menstrual cycle. Starting it later in your cycle just means that it may take you a little bit longer until your body gets used to the pill and your cycle evens out, but how long that takes is pretty individual and hard to predict, anyway.