If you are on the combined pill...

[Motheroffeminists]

...on what day of the 7 pill free days do you get a bleed? And for how long?

I usually take mine for 3 packs at a time (for endometriosis control) but am fed up of being hungry all the time and the subsequent weight gain so have had a normal break after 21 pills and might see how I go without it at all. I was surprised to have a bleed as I often don't, and I was really surprised that it started 48 hours after my last pill. It's been so long since I took the pill normally that I've forgotten when I used to bleed. I'd also forgotten how much pain I used to be in

[hannah1992]

I take them and have a break every 21 days.

I take my last pill on a Monday, bleed starts Thurs night/Fri morning. Stopped by the following Monday.

Some people don't bleed at all. Some people only bleed for a day, some just spot. Depends really but it's normal

[Motheroffeminists]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, anything goes really as far as type of bleeding but it was how quickly I started bleeding that was a surprise. It seems to have stopped now so I only bled for 24 hours 🤷🏼‍♀️I think I'm peri-menopausal.

[Kam610]

I was in combined pill for over 10 years. Some months I would carry on and take packets back to back. But most months I would take my 7 day break. Sometimes I would bleed after around 3 days, and only very lightly bleed for about 2 days, but most months I didn't bleed at all.

[PlanBea]

Fellow endo here, I was on nuvaring which was combined hormone for 3 packs in a row, one off (so 10 week cycle). I'd take the ring out on Saturday and usually start my period on Tuesday, but it would be starting the next pack that made my period end. Was your 24H bleed red or was it perhaps spotting? You may still get a full bleed later on in the week?

[Motheroffeminists]

It was proper bright red blood and what I'd class as a normal day 1 flow. It started up again on Friday for a few hours (older blood-dark red to brown) and no sign since. Previously I used to stop bleeding for at least 12 hours half way through my period. Right back to my teenage years. Weird.

I'm going to try and go hormone free now and see how I cope. I suffered for going on a year before relenting last time but as I said, I think I might be peri-menopausal so will see how things pan out. If I'm back to prolonged bleeds of 8 days and short cycles of 24 days with 3 weeks of pain I'll have to tolerate the weight gain of the pill. I get terrible pain in my left hip and down my leg during periods since having dc3. Then there's the cramps and the back pain. On bad days it hurts from my bra band to my knees and I feel miserable as sin. I'm looking forward to the menopause to be honest! Once all the hot flushes are done with anyway.