Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Aaron Nguyen26 said:I stopped taking birth control back in May 2013, after about five or six years on it. Since then, I've been dealing with spotting during ovulation and both before and after my period. If I count all that bleeding as part of my cycle, my period basically lasts ten to fourteen days. It’s a weird pattern: I get some bleeding for a couple of days, then nothing for a few, then it starts again for a bit, stops, and repeats.
Is anyone else dealing with something similar?
My gynecologist told me everything seems fine, but I guess I'm wondering if anyone knows what might actually be going on.

I'm also curious if I can start hormonal contraception again. When would I even start if I'm not entirely sure which day is actually the first day of my period?

Thanks.

It felt kinda weird to me when my gynecologist said that was totally fine—like, honestly, I was pretty thrown by it... 🤷
Have you ever thought about getting a second opinion?

As far as birth control goes, I don't really see why you couldn't use them. You haven't been on them for ages—and, assuming you aren't in any high-risk groups—they should actually make things easier for you, especially when it comes to how long your period lasts... According to the instructions for the ones I take, it’s best to pop that first pill on the very first day of your period—that way, you're protected from day one. But I'm guessing you could probably start on a different day too, if you had to... 🤔

Anyway, you should probably go chat with a gynecologist just to be safe... 😉

LP.
My aunt is asking about contraception, so I’m wondering: what exactly is required to get on birth control pills?

Drew Lee78 said:LP.
My aunt is asking about contraception, so I’m wondering: what exactly is required to get on birth control pills?

It really just depends on which doctor you see. Some OB-GYNs will just write the prescription without blinking, while others act more like investigators—they’ll want a full battery of tests first, like a complete blood count, liver function panels, hormone levels, thyroid checks, and even clotting factor tests.

I’ve always been pretty consistent with my Logest orders—usually placing the last one of the week on Thursday (which kicks off the new cycle on Friday) and getting everything delivered by Monday. That’s how it’s worked for years. But lately, since the last time I checked, my stuff has been showing up on Sunday instead—basically a day early. Has anyone else run into this shift?

Drew Lee78 said:LP.
My aunt is asking about contraception, so I’m wondering: what exactly is required to get on birth control pills?

She should probably head to her OB-GYN first. Most likely, they'll send her for some blood work to clear her for it, and based on those results, they'll decide which specific prescription is best for her.

So I just popped the very last pill out of my pack and I'm supposed to start my period this Friday, but honestly, I really want to push it back because I have this trip coming up and I seriously don't feel like dealing with the whole tampon and pad hassle while I'm away...

Basically, I was wondering if it's actually doable since I totally blanked on taking my pill yesterday, so if I just take two today and then keep going as usual, would that work, and do I need to worry about using extra protection or anything like that?

Edit: I'm on the Adexa 21 + 7 day break routine

I think so, but doesn't it say somewhere that you might get some spotting while you're on the next pack, even if your period doesn't show up until the next break? Or am I just totally trippin'... 🤔
But hey, honestly, that’s probably better than dealing with an actual period anyway. 😁

And about extra protection—the instructions say to use it for 7 days (after you miss a pill), but since you didn't technically forget to take one, I'm not sure if you actually need it. Though, I guess it wouldn't hurt... 🙂

If she actually skips her pill one day, then decides to double up the next—honestly, I think some extra protection would be necessary there.
I haven't quite figured out what her plan is...🤔

Extra protection can't hurt, but if I'm reading these instructions right—you only really need the backup if you miss a pill and more than 24 hours go by. In this case, she didn't actually forget anything, she just started her new pack a little early. I've never actually tried doing it that way though, so I'm not totally sure...

crimsonangler2 said:So I just popped the very last pill out of my pack and I'm supposed to start my period this Friday, but honestly, I really want to push it back because I have this trip coming up and I seriously don't feel like dealing with the whole tampon and pad hassle while I'm away...

Basically, I was wondering if it's actually doable since I totally blanked on taking my pill yesterday, so if I just take two today and then keep going as usual, would that work, and do I need to worry about using extra protection or anything like that?

Edit: I'm on the Adexa 21 + 7 day break routine

So, you're just looking to shorten the break?
There’s absolutely no reason to double up on doses all at once.

Hey, quick question about my birth control. I actually skipped my period by starting a second pack immediately after finishing the first one, without taking that usual seven-day break. Now I’m almost at the end of this second pack, and I was wondering—is it okay if I take my seven-day break now to wait for my period? And should I actually expect it to show up during those days? Please let me know as soon as you can!🙂...I hope you guys catch my drift.

I don’t really know much about contraception—actually heading to my first appointment at Planned Parenthood soon. How long can they usually prescribe pills for at one time? I haven't scrolled through this thread yet, but has anyone found them helpful for things like PMS symptoms, unwanted hair growth, or whatever else...

Evelyn, yeah, it’s totally normal to take a break—you should probably expect your period within those 7 days anyway. 🙂

Dotty, I'm not really sure if your OBGYN would prescribe birth control for just a specific window of time. 🤔 In my case, I just got a recurring prescription and went back for a check-up after 12 months (plus, you need a regular exam once a year anyway, so you might as well get the refill while you're there). 😉

neonstag63 said:Evelyn, yeah, it’s totally normal to take a break—you should probably expect your period within those 7 days anyway. 🙂

Dotty, I'm not really sure if your OBGYN would prescribe birth control for just a specific window of time. 🤔 In my case, I just got a recurring prescription and went back for a check-up after 12 months (plus, you need a regular exam once a year anyway, so you might as well get the refill while you're there). 😉

aha, that's what I thought—they made it sound like they usually only give you enough for a few months max here.

They often just issue a prescription for two boxes at a time—which basically means you’re looking at needing a new script every couple of months.

Wait, really? 😲
But why even go that route? Seems totally impractical to me—it’s not like they're gonna be sending you in for extra checkups every two months or anything...

I honestly haven't the slightest clue 😠—I suppose it just comes down to which specialist you end up seeing 🤷

Anyone here actually used Qlaira? What’s the verdict...

If you look in the box right under the page numbers, there’s an option that says "Search this topic"—you can just use that to dig around.🙂 A few of the girls used to use it back in the day, but it hasn't really come up lately... so I honestly doubt any of us would be much help to you right now.

Here’s a topic along those lines: