Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Help. Forgot pill

3 replies

namechange29004 · 16/09/2022 22:45

I wasn't sure what topic to put this in?
I had unprotected sex 3 days ago. Pretty certain i am currently ovulating. I normally take my pill in the morning around 8am. I have just realised i have not taken my pill today. I have taken it now since realising. I am taking Rigevidon so i have a 7 day break. I am not due this pill break for another week or so. Will i still be protected even though the pill is late?

OP posts:
Ribeebie · 16/09/2022 22:56

Hi if you take your pill normally usually with no other missed pills you will not be ovulating. The combined pill stops that. You are currently still covered as you've taken more than 7d of your current pack. Take the one you forgot now and carry on taking them at 8am tomorrow as normal.

You should look up tailored pill regimens - this is a good info leaflet I've copied from a GP website. It's how it's often prescribed now:

The way you take your combined hormonal contraceptive pill (CHC) is changing. When it was
developed, it was designed to be taken for 21 days followed by a 7 day break in order to mimic the
natural cycle and make it more acceptable. It was illegal to take contraceptive treatment in the USA
at the time and this allowed women to take control of their family planning. The reasons were social
therefore and not physiological.
The CHC works by preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg. Not taking your pill for 7 days
weakens this effect and, in a small percentage of women an egg is released and therefore putting
them at risk of pregnancy.
It is therefore advised that the pill free interval is reduced. The bleed on the pill is artificial and
unnecessary so current advice is to take the pill continuously. We do understand that some women
prefer to have a bleed. There are 3 ways to take the pill outlined below.

Option 1:
Take the pill continuously (every day). If you bleed for 2 days in a row, take a break for 4 days. You
can pop these 4 pills out of the pack so that you start again on the correct day of the week. Restart
the pill daily until you have a further 2 day bleed and repeat the process. You should take the pill for
at least 14 days consecutively between your 4 day breaks.

Option 2:
Take four packs back to back and then have a 4 day break i.e. you will have 4 periods a year. If you
choose this option and have an event e.g. a wedding and you know you will be due your 4 day break
at this time, you can take the break earlier.

Option 3:
If you prefer to continue to have a monthly bleed you can take the pill for 24 days and then take
your 4 day break.
For all options, do not take your 4 day break within the first pill packet (if new to the pill) i.e. 21
tabs.

There is no evidence of harm to take the pill continuously and these methods are supported by the
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Medicine (FSRH), Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
If you have bleeding or spotting more than every 2 weeks you should see your GP.

Just as an aside if you were in a situation where you did need emergency contraception a copper coil is the gold standard and can be fitted up to 5 days from unprotected sex or earliest expected day of ovulation. If you've ovulated then the morning after pill doesn't work (it works by delaying ovulation) Copper coils are the gold standard for emergency contraception.

Stephanie226 · 17/09/2022 07:46

namechange29004 · 16/09/2022 22:45

I wasn't sure what topic to put this in?
I had unprotected sex 3 days ago. Pretty certain i am currently ovulating. I normally take my pill in the morning around 8am. I have just realised i have not taken my pill today. I have taken it now since realising. I am taking Rigevidon so i have a 7 day break. I am not due this pill break for another week or so. Will i still be protected even though the pill is late?

Yip just what previous poster said. I was on this pill and it was fine as long as you took your missed pill when you remember and still take your next one at the normal time, even if that means taking 2 at once. However I wouldn't make a habit of it as I'm sure your cover reduces the more times this happens in your pack x

namechange29004 · 17/09/2022 16:08

Thank you! I didnt know that about ovulation when on the pill. Im normally really good at remembering to take my pill.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page