Starting the pill after birth

[Tea1Sugar]

I'm day 9 post ELCS and want to go on either mercilon or microgynon. I'm not breast feeding. I remember my first period after dd1 was a carcrash! I've seen NHS website says the pill can be started at day 21 post birth but is it best to wait until day 1 of first period? I expect this to be around 4/5 weeks as I'm formula feeding. Any advice I'll be grateful!

The earliest you can start the pill is 21 days after birth - you don't have to wait for your period and can just start it at day 21, but you would need to use additional precautions eg condoms for the first 7 days after starting, or avoid sex for that week.

Alternatively you CAN wait for day 1 of a period and start then with no need for additional precautions but then there can be a risk of pregnancy if you start having sex before your periods have returned and haven't used other contraception.

Thanks.

Which is the least likely to screw up periods? Day 21 or first day of period? I want to get regular as quickly as possible!

If you start a combined pill at day 21 you won't have 'proper' periods, you'll have your withdrawal bleed at the end of the first packet.