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What should you do when you miss a birth control pill?

What should you do when you miss a birth control pill?

Missing a birth control pill can get you pregnant. Find out what you should do to avoid pregnancy.

Written by Tania Tarafdar |Updated : August 24, 2017 7:19 PM IST

No matter how careful you are, there can be a day when taking the birth control pill can skip your mind, or your erratic lifestyle can throw you off your pill-popping schedule. But what happens when you miss taking your birth control pill? Gynaecologist Dr Anindita Dhartells you what you should be doing if you miss taking a birth control pill.

What happens when you miss taking a combination pill?

A combination pill made of estrogen and progesterone prevents the monthly fluctuation in hormones which in turn prevents ovulation. However, the pills are formulated in a way that they are therapeutic for just 24 hours. So when you miss a combination birth control pill, your hormone levels drop below normal levels making you more likely to get pregnant if you have sex during that time. Due to the hormonal changes, you may also experience a headache, nausea, and some light bleeding.

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What should you do if you miss taking a combination pill?

The immediate plan of action should be to take the pill as soon as you remember. If it is too close to taking your next pill, you can take both the pills together. You do not need any additional contraception unless you earlier missed a few more pills in the pack. In case you missed two pills, you should catch up by taking two pills for the next two days and use contraception for the next seven days. Here's how you can get pregnant while on birth control pills.

What should you do if you skip taking a progesterone-only pill?

Progesterone-only pills are a 12-hour pill which must be taken within 12 hours, at the same time each day. If you skipped taking you the progesterone-only pill, you must take as soon as you remember and continue taking the rest of the pack as usual. You must also know these 5 myths and facts about birth control pills.

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Read this in Hindi.