[tja863]

Hi,
I have been on the pill since May of this year and I take it about the same time every day (or within half an hour or so of the regular time). I have not missed any pills and have taken them pretty much on time.

I always start on the same day about the same time which is sometime around 1 or 2am saturday mornings( or sometimes late friday night around midnight) during the inative pills. It has been regular every month like this. It was supposed to start last night(during the early hours of the morning) and it still hasn't. I'm starting to freak out now. I have been online all day searching sites for pregnancy signs.

I don't have morning sickness. I'm not craving anything. My lower back does not hurt. I did have tenderness in my breasts but that was about a week ago which normally happens right before I start.

I am getting close to panic. This really can't happen right now. I'm still in school with one year left before I graduate (college) and I work at a job with no insurance at all. I need some advice. I don't know what to do. Should I take a home test? Are those pretty accurate? I'm going on vacation the day after christmas for over a week so I can't go see my doctor because they are closed and I'm not sure if i should start a new pack of pills.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[JayEll]

Stop panicking--that's not going to help.

What you really need to do is talk to your doctor's office and leave a message there with the answering service. Your doctor or his assistants can give you advice. There are all sorts of reason why you might be late that don't mean pregnancy. If you have to wait until Monday, it is not a big deal.

Also, if you look in your local phone directory you can find emergency medical numbers--they may be under mental health services, or hospitals. Someone at those numbers should be able to give you answers or refer you to someone who can.

Jay

[tamaralynn]

I'm on Mavelon (this happened as well on other bc's). There is once in a while when I'll skip a period. I used to run to the pharmacy and pick up a home pregnancy test, but I never ended up being pregnant. I recommend getting a pregnancy test. I'll bet it's probably negative. There are tests that are good to take 1 week before expected periods... ask a pharmacist, they're wonderful.

I usually had an extra heavier period the next month... My guess is that it's just a false alarm... Weight loss can cause funky periods...


Things to look out for while on Birth Control pills:

Grapefruit - for some reason it can lower the effects of BC pills (learned this from my pharmacist!)

Antibiotics - This is very risky for lowering the effects... I recommend using another form of BC while on it

Blue cheese - YES... PENACILLIN!! Blue cheese is blue because of the mold. It's not a big risk, but it's still there.

Never forget that the pill is also only 98% effective. If you have any worries, the pill and condoms combined are always a good solution. There are some AWESOME products on the shelf that can heighten the pleasure for both youself AND your partner If you can't find anything other than plain old condoms at the pharmacy... go to a sex shop (For some reason, I'm more comfortable buying them at an adult store than a pharmacy... to each her own I guess)

Hope it works out for you And Merry Christmas, hope you have a wonderful vacation!!!

p.s. I'm notorious for forgetting a pill here and there. Of course I don't recommend skipping pills, but I haven't had any problems... yet LOL

P.s.s. For me (everyone differs) my first sign of pregnancy *I have 2 kids* was the morning sickness (not everyone throws up, but the nautia is there), tiredness and horrible cramps. Cravings didn't really start until my 2nd trimester

[Cheree]

I wouldn't worry, it's a bit too soon to be worried that you're pregnant after only being a few hours late. Hang in there and just relax.

[redd hatt]

I know we aren't suppose to give medical advice....but I've worked in Woman's Health for 35 yrs. It is not unusual to be late on OC and not be pregnant. You appear to have alot going on. Working and going to college is very stressful. This in itself can cause any one to be "late". The pregnancy tests that are on the market now are accurate, they can pick up an early pregnancy @ 10 days. When you are able seek medical advice from your Physician.

[ennay]

Take a home pregnancy test. They are fairly accurate several days before a missed period, if you are already due for AF they are much more accurate. If the test says negative start your pack

It is possible to get pg on the pill, but it is more common to skip periods on the pill. I used to skip about every 3rd one. Then the next one would be super heavy. The longer I was on the pill, the more common it became for me to skip. My doc put me on something once to combat that (progesterone I think?) but the side effects were awful so I stuck with skipping periods. If you will freak out every time you skip, talk to your doctor about if this is the best kind of bcp for you.

[kaplods]

When you're regular as clockwork on the pill, being late can cause a panic. I've been there. I was on the pill for years (celibate years) because of severe cramping and PMDD. I was rarely if ever so much as a half day late. So, when I experienced my first missed period shortly after getting married, I was worried day one and in a panic by day three. I was on several medications that shouldn't be taken during pregnancy so I was not only worried that we weren't prepared for a baby, but that the baby (the nonexistant baby as it turned out) would be born with problems caused by the medications. I was worked up for nothing, as I was not pregnant and I've since learned that the medications I am on are only dangerous in the last trimester). If this weren't true, I would use a back up method "just in case."

As already recommended, take the home pregnancy test before you panic. While it's possible you're pregnant, it isn't very likely.

[Cheree]

Originally Posted by kaplods

When you're regular as clockwork on the pill, being late can cause a panic. I've been there. I was on the pill for years (celibate years) because of severe cramping and PMDD. I was rarely if ever so much as a half day late. So, when I experienced my first missed period shortly after getting married, I was worried day one and in a panic by day three. I was on several medications that shouldn't be taken during pregnancy so I was not only worried that we weren't prepared for a baby, but that the baby (the nonexistant baby as it turned out) would be born with problems caused by the medications. I was worked up for nothing, as I was not pregnant and I've since learned that the medications I am on are only dangerous in the last trimester). If this weren't true, I would use a back up method "just in case."

As already recommended, take the home pregnancy test before you panic. While it's possible you're pregnant, it isn't very likely.

Good points made!! If you are that regular and you think there's a chance at all that you might be pregnant...if you are taking medications that could cause potential harm to the fetus, you do want to take steps right away and not just take a "wait and see attitude".

As a precaution, it does sound like a great idea to check out the medications that you are on with your physician to see if they would be dangerous if taken during the first trimester. Thanks!!!