Contraceptive Pill for Cycle Regulation: Considerations for Wedding Planning

Question
Hi... I'm getting married on Sept 8th and I am due to get my period on the 10th!  I have suffered from pretty intense PMS all of my adult life (mood swings, irritability, bloating, intense emotions)and I DON'T want to be PMS-ing the week before & during my wedding... which is likely to be an emotional and stressful time already!  I also don't want to be menstruating during my honeymoon!!!  I want to know if it is ok for me to start taking the pill in order to delay my PMS and period, and if so, how long before my wedding should I begin taking it?  Any advice you can give me would be much appreciated. THANKS!!!  

Answer
Dear Ayla,

Yep, this happens all the time. BUT you will need to see your doctor ASAP to get started with a prescription and make sure you have the timing right if you want to have a period every month. If you want to suppress your periods, you can talk to your doctor about prescribing BCPs so that you begin them at the appropriate time and can plan accordingly.

There is a down-side to menstrual suppression. You will need to buy more birth control pills/packages. Normally, with a period every 21 days for you need 13 pill packages for 1 year. Because continuous birth control use requires that you skip the "sugar pills", 18 pill packages will be needed for 1 year. Less if you decide to have a period once every two months, three months, or whatever.

You should make sure you are on a low dose (20 mcg of estrogen only) monophasic birth control pill. With monophasic birth control pills all of the active (non-sugar pills) are of the same dose and are the same color. If you are not on birth control pills then start your first pill on the first day of your period. You then need to be prepared for irregular bleeding for the first couple of months as your body adjusts to the menstrual suppression. This is why I'd suggest getting to your doctor as early as possible.

There are a few options for you, but again, you'll need to discuss them with your doctor to determine which will work best for you.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda