I need help with how the pills work! Early period on the pill?

**meggy1234** · 06-06-2010 08:01 PM

I just started taking Trinessa birth control for the first month and today was my first day taking the "reminder" pills, meaning I was supposed to get my period this week sometime. However, i got what i think was my period late friday night. It is red but pretty light, but my periods have never been heavy. I don't understand why I got it early while still taking the active pills. Some people said this is normal for the first few months and may be "breakthrough bleeding". I had sex on saturday night, while I was still bleeding lightly but taking hormonal active pils, and now I'm scared the pills weren't working because I got my period too early. Will the reminder pills prevent me from ovulating? Or is it possible to become pregnant because i am not taking the hormonal pills and sperm can live inside of me for a few days? HELP!

**Mes T** · 06-06-2010 08:38 PM

You are still protected during the "reminder"/inactive pills. You can have sex during them, before, after, or all three, you're fine.

Yes it's normal to bleed at slightly random times while your body is still getting used to the birth control. And even when everything settles, you might still bleed during the hormonal pills. I bleed during 2 inactive pills and 2 hormonal pills.

**kira** · 06-06-2010 09:09 PM

Until everything lines up having periods or breakthrough bleeding a little before or a little after the inactive pills is normal. After your cycles do line up you may continue to bleed through the first few active pills each month. The pill is still working. Even if you accidentally skip some pills and start bleeding in the middle of the month odds are you are still completely covered so long as you don't skip so many that your body releases an egg before you take active pills again. The body has to take over, stop the bleeding, and release an egg before you are not fully protected by birth control pills.

If you keep getting random bleeding it might be worth investigating a different pill. Everyone responds differently to the various forms of synthetic hormones. I bleed nearly every day all month for months if I take lybrel or ortho tri cyclen. So far the only ones that have worked perfect for me are yasmin and nuva rings. Everyone is different so trial and error is sometimes necessary. You shouldn't make a decision until after 3months though unless side effects are severe.