[imported_paranoid?]

I have been on the pill for about 6 and a half months now, and haven't had any problems with it at all. I was always irregular before (sometimes my period would skip up to 3 months at a time), but the pill has completely changed that to where I start at the same point during my placebo week every time.
My question is this: For every pack of pills, there are three days of placebo pills while I'm not on my period. Is it possible to get pregnant then?
I keep hearing that missing one pill or taking one late can raise chances of pregnancy, so how is my body supposed to know the difference between missing a pill and taking a placebo pill?

I'd really like some answers to these questions because it would help me out a lot with the bigger question of how likely it is that I could be pregnant right now.
I have a long-distance boyfriend, and the last time he visited was a month ago. We had sex without a condom a few times, and one of those days was the first day of my placebo week, so I wasn't on my period yet, but I didn't get any hormones for that day. I had a regular period as soon as he left.
Now I'm supposed to be on my period again, but it is abnormally light. I have never had a light period before, not before going on the pill or after. There is only a tiny amount of blood, where usually I would have gone through a few pads or tampons by now. My flow isn't even heavy enough for a light tampon! It feels very strange to me, so I'd like to know what might be going on.
(I feel I should also mention that I have no other symptoms of pregnancy, and every month that I've been sexually active, I've taken my pills extremely carefully. This past month since I haven't seen my boyfriend at all, I relaxed a bit and missed a few pills, mainly due to the fact that I changed the time of day when I took them and had a hard time remembering them. I'll be starting a new pack in a few days, and I'm going back to my original time. Also, I won't be seeing my boyfriend again for more than a month.)
Any help would really be appreciated!!

[AFemaleProdigy]

First of all, you must be aware that you can get pregnant at ANY time while on birth control. It is not a 100% gaurantee that you will not get pregnant because none of them are 100% effective. To more specifically address your concern for higher risks during those three days... I would have to say that you are not at a higher risk while taking the placebo.

Every month, your body's hormones go through changes and fluctuations. What the birth control is doing, is manipulating those hormones and fluctuations to make it less likely for you to get pregnant. There are certain times of the month when you need high doses of the birth control and then certain times when you only need residual doses. Keep in mind that even when you miss a pill, the birth control is still built up in your body from the pills taken before. They leave your system gradually over time. So even though you are taking the placebo for three days, you still have some left over in your system.

The big concern for missing your pills is that they maintain your hormone cycles in a repetative pattern that your body adapts too. Your body sort of "learns" the new pattern of hormone fluctuations. This keeps your cycles regular. When you miss your doses, you are throwing off the balance of cycles. This can cause irregular fluctuations in hormones and thus making irregular periods and symptoms. The irregular pattern of the cycle can now make you at a higher risk of getting pregnant. So it's important to stick with your doses.

You mentioned that the last month you slacked on your doses. Because of that, you are probably going to experience some changes in your usual period and symptoms until your body gets used to the hormones again.

Most times, women miss their period all together when they are pregnant. However, there are other women who continue to have their period even during pregnancy. The only way to be certain is to have some pregnancy tests. You can buy some at the grocery store that are pretty accurate.

Just remember, you will ALWAYS run the risk of getting pregnant no matter what birth control you are using!

[Guest]

i have been spotting as well but i have been off the pill for almost a year is this normal?