Period on pill

[Spiderman23]

Hi,

I just wondered how are you supposed to know if you’re pregnant on the pill? I take a combined pill for 21 days and have a 7 day break which is when I will bleed. If I was to become pregnant would I not experience bleeding at all? Probably a silly question.

[Chloé]

Hey Spiderman23, while bleeding during pregnancy can occur, it is not the same type of bleeding as a period or as a withdrawal bleed. Bleeding of this sort may not occur when a withdrawal bleed or period is expected, nor last the same amount of time, nor look or feel the same. That being said, if one is experiencing something that looks, feels, and comes around the time of a withdrawal bleed, it's probably a withdrawal bleed. Since periods and withdrawal bleeds are the shedding of the uterine lining, and since this is where a fertilized egg implants, a withdrawal bleed or a period make it unlikely for any fertilized egg to stay implanted.

Looking at your recent posts, it looks like you've been having a lot of anxiety and fear around pregnancy and your methods of contraception. Is this something you'd like to discuss? We have a great article: You're Not Pregnant. Why Do You think You Are? which has lots of helpful information, even if you're concerned that you might become pregnant, rather than being concerned that you are pregnant.

How about you take a look at that article, and then we can discuss it? If there is a different topic that you'd like to read about, just let me know and I can give you a link to something else.

[Spiderman23]

Thank you for your reply Corey, I understand that I do suffer with anxiety as I am actually on medication for it. I got my withdrawal bleed last Saturday and that lasts until Wednesday, then I take my combined pill at 7:30pm. I bled normally but a couple of days later there was still a tiny bit of blood leaking through onto my panty liner but that seems to have stopped now. I don’t know if that’s because Wednesday night about 10pm I had sex with boyfriend and I’m guessing there was still blood remaining inside me?

I have been experiencing a swollen tummy but I think that is because of the condition I have which is ulcerative colitis and it is a common symptom?. To ease my mind I would take a pregnancy test but the one I have in my drawer is to be used the day of a missed period but I never missed my period.

[Chloé]

We will not answer ANY questions about pregnancy fear or anxiety in our direct services from users who are not pregnant or who are not or have not otherwise been directly involved with an actual pregnancy.

Please do not post this kind of question. If you are seeing this text, and your thread is locked, it is because you have posted this kind of question.

We CAN and WILL talk about things like:
• choosing and using a method or methods of contraception for any future sexual activity
• creating your own sexual limits and boundaries based on your needs and/or presenting them to any partners
• making sexual choices that suit your own needs, abilities and limitations, including your own readiness for certain possible risks
• help locating or using emergency contraception if and when you have had a pregnancy risk
• discussing options with a real, existing pregnancy, and help finding and accessing those options, such as abortion services and pre-natal care, or discussing feelings or concerns about a past pregnancy
• help with anxiety like locating mental health services, sound self-help or asking for support from friends or family

For help dealing with a scare (including what poses a risk and your next steps based on your unique situation), you may use our tool on site built for this purpose: The Pregnancy Panic Companion.
For help with anxiety, click here.
For related help and information at Scarleteen, click here.
If you would like more information about this policy, click here.