Plan B/Birth Control/ Confusion :(

[confetti98]

Hi Scarleteen,

I am on the BC pill and have been for many years. I start my active pills on Sundays and usually get my withdrawal bleed on Wednesdays. On Sunday Sept 6, the same week as my placebos/period week , the condom teared during sex. There was no ejaculation. On that cycle of birth control pills I had been about 16 hrs late , earlier in the cycle with one pill and felt it was not perfect usage. I took plan B 6 hours after the Sept 6 incident just to ease my mind. I wasn't sure whether to still expect my period on Wed. It ended up coming on Friday Sept 11, 5 days after taking plan B. I bled for 4 days and it was similar to my normal period. I assumed I was in the clear, and began taking my next BC pack on Sunday Sept 13.

On Wed Sept 30, I began bleeding again/ perhaps a heavy spotting, while still on the active pills. This was very confusing because I still had 4 active pills to go and had already started bleeding. This blood was brown ish ( but most of my withdrawal bleeds are brownish ) and was quite heavy that it ruined a couple of underpants. I spotted/bled like this from Sept 30 to around tues Oct 6, lightening up around the end. Well, I was expecting my withdrawal bleed Wed Oct 7, and I did not get it...and didn't know what to expect since I had bled during the active pills ? The bleeding pretty much ended when I expected my actual withdrawal bleed. Do you think this could be due to taking plan B right before my withdrawal bleed in the previous cycle?

I feel so confused and scared. I feel like I was safe from pregnancy since I did have bleeding 5 days after plan B and my risk was low to begin with, but I'm so scared. I've never taken a pregnancy test and that scares me too. I don't know what's happening. I have taken plan B before and it's never messed up my cycle this way, but perhaps it's because I took it when I was so close to my period. Tomorrow I am supposed to start my next pack of BC pills. Is it okay to start them even though I bled during active pills and the withdrawal bleed did not occur ? Is it possible that by the time the withdrawal bleed was supposed to occur , there was nothing left since the lining was shed ?

[Eddie C]

Hello there, Confetti. Welcome to Scarleteen.

Having a withdrawal bleeding still on the active pills is not that uncommon. Just because you never had it it doesn't mean you never will so, nothing to worry about here. This might actually be a side effect of taking Plan B, you know? But, just so you know, maintaining a pregnancy after two bleedings of 4 days is just not possible.

One thing that I want to add is that, when we are sexually active -- even taking BC -- we need to keep in mind that a pregnancy test is the only way to rule out a pregnancy. Is just that trying to figure it out why our bodies do or don't do something is so hard and at the end it becomes so stressful and stress then messes up with our bodies and it's a vicious circle that doesn't help anyone.

[confetti98]

Thank you for your welcome and reply Edith

I guess it would be okay to start my next pack of pills tonight (usual start)?

I understand your point about the test.I may be able to bring myself to do one.

[Eddie C]

Yes, the usual start is okay. And you are very welcome.

[confetti98]

I did it! I took a test , and negative yay!!!!! I am very relieved. Thank you again! I think a little break from sex is in order, haha.