do you need to get your period on birth control?
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Nope. The bleeding you get when you're on the pill is not the same as a menstrual period. Your period on the pill is technically called withdrawal bleeding, referring to the withdrawal of hormones in your pill, and in your body. The drop in hormone levels causes the lining of your uterus (the endometrium) to shed (1).
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The effects of birth control and menopause The birth control pill tends to produce a regular period that occurs every month and lasts for three to five days. A hormonal IUD usually results in a lighter period (less bleeding) or no period at all.
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Birth control pills can help even out your period so you know exactly when it's coming. Traditional birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, which are similar to the hormones your ovaries make. You take hormone-containing "active" pills for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of inactive pills.
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After you stop taking birth control, your body and menstrual cycle will need some time to adjust, just like they did when you started the pill. You might notice some spotting or bleeding between your periods, and your periods may be irregular for a few months.
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Since the pill works by introducing different hormones into your system, it can affect your menstrual cycle. Some women may have lighter bleeding, and others may skip their periods entirely. An abnormal lapse in monthly menstruation is called amenorrhea.
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Make sure you have at least three weeks to take all of your active pills before you need to skip your period. Remember that you typically need to wait for your next period to begin before starting birth control pills.
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After completing a 28-day pack, you should immediately start a new pack of pills the next day. During your fourth week on the pill cycle, you should get your menstrual period. Your menstrual period will stop once you begin the new pack of pills.
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As long as you're taking the pill correctly and starting every new pack the day after you finish the old one, there won't be any gaps or decreased effectiveness in your pregnancy protection. Whether or not you have your period, the pill never stops working. Learn more about how birth control pills work.
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When you're on birth control pills, light bleeding or a missed period may be normal. Birth control pills are incredibly effective at preventing pregnancy with perfect use.
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Can switching birth control cause you to have lighter periods? Yes. In general, hormonal birth control methods that contain both estrogen and a progestin (birth control pills, the patch, NuvaRing) decrease the number of days of bleeding and the amount of blood women lose each cycle.
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It will take a little time for your body to adjust to your birth control. If you're taking birth control pills, you might also have two periods because you forgot to take one or you took one later than usual. Even a few hours delay can cause a little bleeding, called spotting.
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You can start taking birth control pills as soon as you get them — any day of the week, and anytime during your menstrual cycle.
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In the placebo week of the birth control pills, there are no hormones in the pills and this lining will shed, resulting in a period. Some women taking birth control pills get such a thin uterine lining that there is nothing to shed, leading to skipped periods.
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The placebo pills are there to mimic the natural menstrual cycle, but there is no real medical need for them. People usually get their period while taking the placebo pills because the body reacts to the drop in hormone levels by shedding the uterine lining.
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Spotting often occurs in the first 6 months of taking a new birth control pill. It may take time for the pills to regulate the menstrual cycle as the body needs to adjust to the new hormone levels. As a result, a person may still experience some irregular bleeding between periods initially.
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There are birth control pill regimens designed to prevent bleeding for three months at a time or for as long as a year. But it's possible to prevent your period with continuous use of any birth control pill. This means skipping the placebo pills and starting right away on a new pack.
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If you're taking birth control correctly and consistently, then you're protected against pregnancy all the time, including the days you take your placebo pills (period week). You can still have sex during this week without getting pregnant.