spotting in the first month on bcp

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2004
spotting in the first month on bcp
2
Sun, 02-15-2004 - 3:46pm
hi everybody,

back again with another question! today will be my third week of taking my active pills, the first month i've ever been on bcp. i'm taking a low dose pill, loestrin. the first week, i felt okay. the second week, my breasts became somewhat tender. now, yesterday i started spotting. it's light enough that i only notice it when i go to the bathroom - not even enough to warrant a panty liner. i've seen all colors - first pink, a little red, and a little light brown. i guess i know that it's fairly common to spot when adjusting to bcp but i'm a little worried because i had SI on thursday night and have now become freaked out that the spotting is a sign of pregnancy. (we did use a condom, however, since i know that pill isn't effective the first month). anyway, i was just wondering what i should do, if this is common, if maybe i will need to get a different, higher dose pill. any reassurance/advice would be great :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Sun, 02-15-2004 - 4:22pm
Hi Kms,

Yes, what you are experiencing is quite common. Give your body at least 3 cycles to get accustomed to the hormones in your pills. The btb should go away. Actually, if you have been taking your pills correctly and are a first day start you are protected immediately. If you are a Sunday start, you are protected after 7 days of correct pill use. The reason that doctors and this board recommend using back-up for the first cycle is to ensure that new users are protected while they learn to take their pills correctly. Using condoms in addition to your pills you should be quite safe.

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2004
Sun, 02-15-2004 - 4:46pm
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I'm so glad I found this board! It's great to be able to talk to other women about what they experience and to feel supported. It's often hard to get that kind of prompt and pleasant help from a doctor, you know? Anyway, I'm going to do exactly as you said and will give my body a chance to properly adjust to these new changes. Thanks again!