QuestionHello!
I'm usually a Sunday starter on my birth control pills, 28days. During the first week of my pill pack I accidentally doubled up on my pills one day on a Friday! I was told to skip Saturday and pick up like normal on Sunday by one place then told by another to continue taking pills like normal. I decided to not skip and continue on so now I'm a day ahead. Now that Im on my last week of pills, the inactive ones, I have a few days left before I start a new pack. My question is do I keep going and begin my new pack on Saturdays now or can I skip Saturday and start Sundays like my normal routine has been for the last 7 years?! Does it matter?
AnswerHi, J.
Technically you could do either, but the latter is the riskier choice.
If you've taken three weeks of your pill perfectly, you're protected against unplanned pregnancy during your week of inactive pills because you've accumulated enough hormones in your system to suppress ovulation. By the end of your seven day break you're nearing the end of your safety window and need to start raising those hormone levels before your body allows an egg to mature. Because of this, the most common time to get pregnant while on the pill is when you've delayed starting a new pack or missed a pill in your first week due to the fact that the hormones that keep you from releasing an egg are at their lowest point. This is why I would advise you to start your new pack on Saturday.
However, if your Sunday start is really important to your routine, and you can't imagine doing it any other way, delay by a day if you must, but be sure to use a backup method of birth control (condoms) until your next pack gets you back on track. The risk of pregnancy may be low, but why take a chance?
Good luck,
Julia
