Missed 3 pills, now bleeding

[linzy85]

Help! I'm worried. I missed 3 pills last week (yes, stupid I know) and started having breakthrough bleeding on Saturday. I've been "breakthrough bleeding" for 6 days now. I don't remember exactly which day, but I know that my bf and I had unprotected sex either last Friday or Saturday. I'm supposed to have my regular period in about 5 days. I called my OB-GYN and they said that I can not continue my pills right now until I wait and see if my regular period comes next week. If I get my period then I'm fine. If I don't then she wants to do a pregnancy test.

Here's the timeline of my situation:
Wednesday 11/4--missed pill
Thursday 11/5 -- missed pill
Friday 11/6 -- missed pill (had unprotected sex either this day or saturday..not sure)
Saturday 11/7 --breakthrough bleeding started
Sunday 11/8 --still bleeding
Monday 11/9 --bleeding
Tuesday 11/10 --bleeding
Wednesday 11/11 -- bleeding
Today, Thursday 11/12 -- bleeding
Next week: Tuesday 11/17 --supposed to start regular period

Is pregnancy a high possibility?

[Mes T]

It's hard to tell, because all of a sudden missing pills will give you side effects regardless. I think all you can do at this point is wait, and try not to stress out until you can go for the pregnancy test (which I would recommend doing at a clinic... they're much more accurate there).

Out of curiosity, how'd you end up missing 3 in a row?

[linzy85]

Just falling asleep and forgetting...carelessness I guess

[Mes T]

Have you considered a copper IUD (no hormones yay!) or the nuvaring or something? I've had both and it's definitely really nice to not have to worry about remembering to take pills.

[linzy85]

Yeah, my best friend recommended the nuva ring to me so I think I'm going to seriously consider it so something like this never happens again.

However, I am curious to know how exactly the nuva ring works because when my best friend changed to the nuva ring I asked her how in the world do you stick it up "there" far enough so it doesn't conflict with sex, but yet not too far so that you can still get it out. I'm still unsure about this. Do you know?

[Mes T]

Ugh... I just typed out a really long reply... and then something happened and it got deleted. Blarrggghh. Hate when that happens.

You can remove it easily no matter how far its in, just stretch those fingahs, and try squatting or something... Some positions are easier for that sort of thing than others.

Your partner shouldn't feel it if its placed in the optimum place, waaaay up in there, around and behind the cervix. When I had it, it had a tendency to slip down a little, so I ended up just removing it during sex, which btw is perfectly safe (as long as you remember to put it back in within a certain amount of time!).

Right now I have an IUD, it's like heaven!

[linzy85]

Hm, okay. Thanks for your help! Most likely I'll be talking to by gyno about that as well as other options for me.

[2Bpositive]

Linzy85
First how long have you been on the pill?
Let me tell you my experience with using the pill for over 15yrs. You will understand my answer.
First off, don't ever do what I did and I don't recommend it to anyone. I don't know if it was my luck or just stupidity (I think both!). The most I missed on the pill was 3 days. When I skipped those pills what I would do is, on the day I knew I had missed three I would take two that day and then two the following day untill I got caught up. This happend many many times! I never took the pill on time EVER! I never got pregnant till I stopped using the pill for about 4 months. IF YOU TALKED TO YOUR GYNO TAKE HER ADVICE!
IMO I think that if you have been on the pill for quite some time you are o.k.! Let us know what happens.

Same here ! I too have an IUD.

[ilovemyyoni]

All of the above Birth Control options mentioned above, are risking your future fertility and nothing is 100% effective. It may be convenient now and I totally understand how convenience is important. I conceived my son whilst taking the pill and using a condom!!! If I had of had a really good, grounded understanding of my cycle, I would have known that I was ovulating at that time. KNOWING your body and your cycle is the BEST contraception you can ever have. Everything else takes you far, far away from knowing your cycle and therefore far, far away from knowing your self as WOMAN!!!

A simple process of charting your cycle does require some commitment to begin with, BUT it does give you knowledge that you can use for the rest of your 'bleeding' lives and is 98% effective, just like the pill! whether it be for conception or contraception it is empowering knowledge to have and the knowledge can't be had with all of these devices and hormones playing with the natural way of things.

Does this sound appealing to you all???

[Mes T]

Interesting! Yeah I've heard of charting this stuff yourself, by taking your temp every morning, is that right?? Have you been relying on just this method yourself for a while now?