missed 2 pills...

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2006
missed 2 pills...
3
Sat, 08-19-2006 - 9:48pm

I've been a Sunday starter on Ortho Trycilen Lo for about a year. Well, last friday I realized I'd forgotten to take the previous 2 dark blue active pills (during week three). I followed the directions on the packet and cantinued taking one pill each day until Sunday and started a new pack. It said I might not get my period. I know I had sex (with the orgasm inside me) a couple days before I realized my pill blunder, but I can't remember if it was on one of the days I missed or before. Either way, it said not to have unprotected sex in the "next" 7 days. I am assuming it is because an egg may be release. However, I know that sperm can live for up to 5 days inside, so conception may still have taken place. Would the egg have been released after missing the 2nd pill then? Or sometime within that unprotected week. I was due for my period on wednesday of Week 4, the placebos (now I'm technically on week 1 again). Now its Saturday and I'm 3 days late. The early responce tests say to test right after a missed period, but in this case is 7 days after posible conception enough to detect? I would like to stop taking the BCP right away if I'm preg, but don't want to stop if I'm not. Right now, I have no signs of starting my period, yet no signs of pregnancy. My discharge is clear and slippery. What do you think?

Edited 8/19/2006 9:59 pm ET by eternitysslumber




Edited 8/19/2006 10:09 pm ET by eternitysslumber
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 08-19-2006 - 11:33pm

I'm going to take a stab at this because the board is so slow on weekends, and I'm sure you'd like an answer ASAP.

1) Of course, it's *possible* that you're pregnant - you know that. It's possible any time you take Pills incorrectly.

2) But - it's entirely possible that you're not pregnant for three reasons, one being because sperm can live for up to 5 days inside, but only when when you're NOT on the Pill. One of the functions of the Pill is that it makes the uterus inhospitable to sperm. It's impossible to say HOW inhospitable your uterus is, of course, but I'm just saying it's possible: say if you had unprotected intercourse the day before you missed the first pill, then missed 2 pills, then resumed taking them correctly, it's likely the sperm might not have survived inside you until the time you ovulated - if you even did ovulate. That's the second reason it's possible you might not be pregnant. You might not have even ovulated, there's no real way to tell (and even if you did, it's impossible to say when you ovulated). Third and last, another function of the Pill is that it changes the lining of the uterus so *if* an egg was released, and *if* it was fertilized by sperm, it is difficult for the egg to implant, and instead is just simply released out. Of course, this doesn't happen 100% of the time - I'm just saying it can happen. It's like a sort of fail-safe.

All of this being said, I don't understand why OTC Lo instructed you to start a new pack (I assume you didn't take the placebos?), because if you just started a new pack, that's definitely a possible reason why you didn't get your period: you're still taking hormones. But since OTC is a triphasic Pill, the hormones in the Pills you're taking now are lower than the hormones in the Pills you took last week, so some spotting or break-through-bleeding is definitely possible. If that happens, don't immediately assume it's your period. You won't know for sure if your period really comes until your next placebo week, when you actually take the placebos.

Lastly, because you are taking hormones, your discharge is no indicator of pregnancy, fertility, ovulation, or anything. Discharge indicates fertility and/or pregnancy because of the natural hormones in your body, but since you're taking synthetic hormones, your discharge is not going to be an indicator.

Continue taking your pills as instructed. Wait at least another week or so to test (hormones in the Pill will not change the results of the test), and then if you don't get your period when scheduled, test again to be sure.

Sorry - I have a tendency to be verbose. Hope all that makes sense!

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2006
Sun, 08-20-2006 - 12:02am
Wow, thank you so much for your responce! I am new to this board and iVillage, so I was wondering how long replies take to come. I just hate the idea of waiting a whole month till my next period, only to find out I am. I don't like the idea of being on BCP while pregnant at all. So I will test next weekend. I'd still like to see what the board has to say. But thanks again!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 08-20-2006 - 12:18am

Welcome to the board! I'm glad I could help!

Incidentally, being on the Pill while pregnant does not cause birth defects or harm the fetus. And don't worry because such cases of taking the Pill during the first few weeks of pregnancy happen frequently - well, not *frequently*, but people who get pregnant while on the Pill often keep taking it before they discover they're pregnant. I mean, i even knew a girl on Depo who got pregnant (well, she must have *just* gotten pregnant when she got her first shot) and continued on Depo until she was 7.5 months along (that's when she actually discovered she was pregnant) - and has a happy, healthy, beautiful daughter. I hope this helps put your mind at rest.

Again, welcome to the board, and please keep us posted and let us know how you're doing!

Caitlin