How do I change the time I take my birth control?
How do I change the time I take my birth control?
The contraceptive pill must be taken every 24 hours and it’s better to take it early rather than late. If the time difference means you would have to take your pill in the middle of the night, take it before you go to bed instead of in the morning.
Is it okay to take your birth control an hour early?
Most medical professionals agree you have about a 1-hour to 2-hour window for taking your birth control pill without compromising its effectiveness. This means if you take it an hour earlier or an hour later than usual, it should still work just fine.
What happens if I change the time I take birth control?
If you do change the time by a larger window, you’ll need to use a back-up method of contraception, according to Yvonne Bohn, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Santa Clara, California. Once you have taken the pill at the same time for two days, you will be protected from pregnancy. Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.
When to take the next birth control pill?
“There is a 3-hour window to provide a bit of wiggle room (so, if you take your pill at 8 am every day, you have until about 11 am on the next day to take the next pill) for progesterone-only pills, but obviously, they are quite time sensitive and the closer to on time, the better.”
Do you take birth control at the same time every day?
Not only will that consistency increase the effectiveness of the pill, but sticking to a schedule will make it easier to remember to take it at all. If you take the pill every day at the same time, there is a 1% chance you will get pregnant. This chance increases if you miss your pill.
When to change the time you take your pill?
The easiest way to change your combined pill-taking schedule is to wait until you’ve finished a pack. (This only applies if you have a pill-free break every month.) As soon as you start your next pack, you can take your pill at any time you choose. If you don’t have a break, just make sure your new time isn’t more than 24 hours after the old one.
If you do change the time by a larger window, you’ll need to use a back-up method of contraception, according to Yvonne Bohn, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Santa Clara, California. Once you have taken the pill at the same time for two days, you will be protected from pregnancy. Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.
“There is a 3-hour window to provide a bit of wiggle room (so, if you take your pill at 8 am every day, you have until about 11 am on the next day to take the next pill) for progesterone-only pills, but obviously, they are quite time sensitive and the closer to on time, the better.”
The easiest way to change your combined pill-taking schedule is to wait until you’ve finished a pack. (This only applies if you have a pill-free break every month.) As soon as you start your next pack, you can take your pill at any time you choose. If you don’t have a break, just make sure your new time isn’t more than 24 hours after the old one.
Not only will that consistency increase the effectiveness of the pill, but sticking to a schedule will make it easier to remember to take it at all. If you take the pill every day at the same time, there is a 1% chance you will get pregnant. This chance increases if you miss your pill.