Missing birth control pills?

[ghostwriter13]

Hi,

I've missed my last active pill in my pack of 21 yesterday (as in I was supposed to have taken it yesterday but did not) and am on my first day of the placebo pill-free week. Should I take this last pill today or should I just count yesterday as day 1 of my placebo pill-free week (and today as day 2) and start my next pack a day early?

Thank you!

[Sam W]

Hi ghostwriter13,

Go ahead and take the last pill today, since the recommendation with a missed pill is to take it as soon as you realize you've forgotten it. Too, if you're not sure about the best course of taking or timing a missed pill, you can always call your pharmacist and ask for their input.

[ghostwriter13]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the advice. Will taking the pill mess up when my withdrawal bleed will arrive? I haven't had sex this past month so pregnancy is not a concern for me.

[Sam W]

You're welcome! And it's unlikely to seriously throw your withdrawal bleed off.

[ghostwriter13]

Hi Sam,

I just took the last pill. I usually get my withdrawal bleed on the 4th placebo pill day. Does this mean that I should get my withdrawal bleed 4 days from today or on the 4th day as originally scheduled? Am I also correct to assume I start my new pack at the same time?

[Sam W]

We can't really know for sure if this will push your withdrawal bleed back a day or not, especially since a withdrawal bleed can come on a different day than expected even when the pill is taken as directed. My understanding is that you'll want to start your next pack after the last day of the placebo pill like normal, but if you're worried you can call your pharmacist to confirm that.

[ghostwriter13]

I'm just a bit confused. So you said taking the pill late shouldn't affect my withdrawal bleed drastically but also you're not sure if it would affect it?

[Sam W]

Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer. Basically, we can't predict the exact way this will effect your withdrawal bleed in terms of when it arrives. But, because it was only the one missed pill, we can assume that any effect there is will be relatively minor (in other words, it may be off it's usual arrival by a day or two rather than, like, two weeks).