How long will it last?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-03-2003
How long will it last?
1
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 1:59pm
I was taking birth control pills for almost 3 years now and i just stopped taking them last week. i finished my last pill of the pack on saturday and my period started on tuesday as usual. My question is i have no idea how long my period will now last becasue i usually still have it on sunday when i take my first pill and this is what seems to stop it. so now that i won't be taking a pill on sunday i am wondering how long it will last? also i am interested in knowing when i will ovulate..i know it is 14 days but do you start counting with the first day of your period or is day one the first day after your period stops? i am really confused. i just want to avoid sex at that time because i do not want to get pregnant and even though me and my boyfirend will prolly use condoms i am a bit paranoid about it. are there any other things we could use with the ocndoms that oyu can buy over the counter? thanx for your help.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 3:00pm
Hi Pantsarama,

No one can say how long AF will stick around if your active pills were sending her away. Your body will establish its own time and after a few natural cycles and you will get a pretty good idea of what will usually happen. The only way to tell when you are going to ovulate is to chart your basal body temperature, cervical position and cervical mucus. After the fact you can estimate when you ovulated by counting back 14 days from the first day of your period. Counting forward is not accurate because any number of things (illness, stress etc) can delay ovulation. Charting will take at least several cycles before you have an idea of what your fertility signs are telling you. If you want to read a good book on the subject of charting (Fertility Awareness) I recommend Toni Weschler’s Taking Charge of Your Fertility. You can check it out from your local library or get a copy from a bookseller for about $30 U.S.

You need to decide on an effective method of contraception. If you use condoms they are far more effective when you use a good spermicide along with them, not the stuff that comes with some condoms. I use Ortho Gynol II which is a good 2% Nonoxynol-9 gel. I like a gel because I think it’s easier to use than a cream and you don’t have to worry if you got the film in the right spot or wait 10-15 minutes for a suppository to melt.

Good luck

      Jill