in not knowing how you get pregnant when on the pill

[ELF1981]

Not saying its impossible (otherwise I wouldn't be here ) but I actually dont understand.

If you miss a pill, why is it possible to get pregnant when you have have seven pill free days and still be okay?

This is NOT a "oooh, accident" thread, but a "I dont understand HOW it works"

Forgive my ignorance!!

Apart from missing a pill (and I don't understand the underlying physiology), one can become pregnant anyway simply because even working on the assumption that everyone takes it properly it still only has an effectiveness of 99% (off the top of my head) which means that 1 person in every 100 taking the pill every year will become pregnant...it's not 100% to start with and then the efficacy is reduced further by interrupting the cycle of 21 days on, 7 days off by missing one.

Seriously - HOW does it work!! Why are you okay for the seven days?!!

Sorry, X post

I just dont understand why if you miss one you have to use alternative methods for 7 days, but you still can go 7 days between packs with not using anything?

Maybe cos during the 21 days on you have built up enough of the hormone in your body to be OK?

I am that one person I took it very carefully and used a condom. I should be used as an example during sex ed in schools.

Yes - I think it's a continuity thing for sustained levels which is even more crucial when on the mini pill hence the need to take at the same time every day.

But how does the 7 free days work?

I think that it acts, among other things, to prevent ovulation, and the seven days, when you have your period, is a time period in which you are not ovulating anyway. I have been told that if you start taking the pill on the first day after your period, you are protected immediately.

I have been meaning to ask for a few days.
One of those things you think and wonder about.
Like how do they build bridges across big rivers etc.

magic

if it's the combined pill (not mini - i don't think you get a break on that one?) then the 7 day break is when you're infertile anyway, but if you miss a pill in mid cycle it could be when your body is most fertile, so risky.

The pill puts a hormone into your body that fools it into thinking its pregnant so you don't ovulate, and also, you don't shed the womb lining.

When you miss a pill, it drops the false pregnancy hormone enough that your ovaries could release an egg, but not enough for you to bleed.

When you take the 7day pill break, the false pregnancy hormone level drops enough for you to bleed, and because of that, even if you DID ovulate during those seven days, the womb isn't a suitable environment for any fertilized egg to implant because its about to shed the lining.

Thank you

Thank you for asking this question i was also trying to find the answer! The other things i don't understand (if anyone can help) are:
What would happen if you was to start taking your pill to early for example If you missed 3 pills and then started the next pack?

Also what would happen if you missed the last pill in the pack - I dropped mine this morning and couldn't find it? I was under the assumption that my period would just come as normal!

Hope someone can answer these for me

xxx

Not sure how it all works but you can get pregnant if you miss one pill. My dr said "if it builds up in your system you would not need to take it every day?"

Also need to be cautious if you throw up whilst on pill as it may affect it. My lovely niece arrived that way .

Missing the last pill in the pack is risky because your pill-free interval would then be too long and you could ovulate. If you do miss the last pill you would be best off starting the next pack straight away without a pill-free week (alternatively, keep a "spare" pack of pills to take the odd one out of when you lose a pill/drop ot down the loo/under the bed etc).
If you start the next pack too soon that is absolutley fine, you may miss a period though. In fact I used to take my pills continuosly without a break at all, saves a fortune on tampons. You may find you get some irregular spotting after a while, though.

If you've lost the last pill in the pack, then jsut start a new pack, to make sure you have taken 21 pills. I also used to keep a partial pack for those circumastance - plus for those occasions when I wanted to delay my period (eg for a holiday). So I maight take the pill for 28 days, then have a week off and then go to the next pack.

As I underatnad it, there are two reasons for the 7 day gap: 1) so that you are not taking so many hormones (ie you give your body a rest)and 2) becaseu women when they first tested out the Pill, they liked the reassurance that the "withdrawal" bleed gave them.

Alternative theory: the pill was designed by men. No common sense.

spockle.

There is a good book called "The Pill" that I read once at a firned of mine's (she is a GP) which goes through all of this in nice clear language. It also explains when/why is a "safer(r)" time to miss a pill, and waht to do if you do.

In theory, you could keep on taking the combined pill without gaps. That way, if you ever did forget it for a day, you would be covered as it would be less than the 7 day break would have been. But you would also be taking more hormone that otherwsie necessary - with the risks assoaciated. depends on how good you are at taking the pill and the risks associated with that!