This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

How do you know if you're pregnant while on the pill?

I'm 18 and have been on the pill for three years. However recently someone i know just realised she's five months pregnant and she's been taking her pill and also having her periods like normal! This has scared the total **** out of me, because i thought your periods would stop if you're pregnant and on the pill? I don't want to be taking pregnancy tests every month just to make sure :confused:

I've read a lot online about how to determine if you're pregnant while on the pill, symptoms like lighter bleeding, no bleeding at all, sore breasts etc... But i want a definate answer? Like the month just been, I had a very light period.. hardly anything at all, and now i'm worried... But maybe it's just normal.
I will ask my doctor next time i go, but for now.. could anyone stop me worrying? Thanks x

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

I know a girl who got pregnant although on the pill. I think the thing is, actually the pill is really safe, if you take it correctly. If you forget it or puke shortly after taking it though, it might not be 100% safe any more. THEN when you still have unprotected sex, you're at risk to become pregnant.
If you keep taking your pills after that, even if you're pregnant, your body still gets the hormones off the pill which make you bleed once a month (because the periods you get when on the pill are not your natural periods anymore, they're influenced by the hormones in the pill to give you the feeling of having a normal cycle as far as i know).
This explains why those people who get pregnant while on the pill don't always notice in the beginning.

But I think you dont have to worry as long as you take your pill on time, not forget any and use additional contraception if you happen to vomit right after taking your pill. That girl I know got pregnant after a time of heavy partying so i'm 99% sure that one evening she just had one drink too much, puked, and made contraception fail.

Reply 2

La Songeuse

Original post by Anonymous

I'm pretty sure that if you were pregnant you wouldn't get a period - all of my pill instruction booklets say that if you fail to have a break-through bleed more than once you need to go to the GP because you could be pregnant. Also - you'd gain weight, boobs would be bigger, after a while you'd have morning sickness etc Your friend sounds incredibly unlucky to not have noticed she was pregnant!

Reply 3

Insanespana

I am very paranoid about this, even though I take my pill religiously, so I know logically I shouldn't be pregnant. Doesn't stop the worrying, but apparently although you can still get periods whilst pregnant and on the pill, it is unlikely as the oestrogen produced during pregnancy overrides the oestrogen taken in the pill. See here:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/pregnancyandchildbirth/205650.html

Every time I get a light period I panic. Sometimes I think taking pregnancy tests would stop me worrying, but then I realise I would probably take them every month which is just ridiculous....

Reply 4

Colour Me Pretty

Take a pregnancy test?

I thought I was at one point, that was a worrying few weeks.

Reply 5

jessie6693

I was really bad about taking my pill (don't worry I just switched to the nuva ring so I'm all safe now.) and I would get stressed every time my period came. You can go to women's clinics and they will give you free pregnancy tests, so I usually ended up taking a pregnancy test once a month, which was ridiculous, but free.
If you're really stressed just go get a big box of free pregnancy tests from any women's clinic.

Reply 6

03hope03

I get worried about this too even though I take my pill at almost the exact time every day and have only missed it twice, once when I hadn't seen my boyfriend in 2 weeks and wasn't going to see him for another two weeks. , I'm a terrible worrier and even though I know I've taken it correctly I still panic when my period is a day later than normal or it's lighter. I know how I react to the pill is changing now after almost a year and I get super nervous, so I just take a pregnancy test every few months to make sure I'm not pregnant and prove that my symptoms are just related to my body reacting to the pill, not pregnancy :smile:

Reply 7

Blueflare

This used to worry me a bit as well.
I figured I'd get other signs like morning sickness/weight gain or whatever, so I never took a test.
It's actually pretty unusual to be pregnant for more than a couple months without realising, on the pill or not.

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

Hey thanks for all the replies, it still worries me sometimes though lol. Like i've just come back from holiday, and sometimes i was like 4 hours late taking the pill. However someone told me as long as you take it within like 5 hours of your usual time you're okay? Does anyone know if this is true? Also because i've been on it for a few years, and don't want to get pregnant til i'm like late 20's, it looks like i'm going to be on the pill for a long time, is it okay to take the pill for 10 years plus? or could this be damaging? xx

Reply 9

MissBluey

I have been taking the pill for 1 year now and have took my pill at all different times of the day, As i constanly forget which is silly but i still havent got pregnant and im a mother of 2 boys as it is lool. Just remember to take your pill everyday and if you miss it take it the following day and you should be fine ladies xx

Reply 10

Rum Ham

I fell pregnant while taking microgynon like clockwork and the only symptom I had was I was late with bleeding but I was recovering from pneumonia at the time so I put the lateness down to stress of recovering and that the pill can make your periods a bit wonky sometimes.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

Kabloomybuzz

You generally shouldn't have a withdrawal bleed if you have got pregnant on the pill... the signs are the same.

However, some women continue to have period like bleeds during pregnancy. Its uncommon, but not unheard of... just one of those random freaks of nature. It tends to be those sorts of women who end up going on "I didn't know I was pregnant.

It probably has less to do with the pill, and more to do with a freak biological anomaly. I suppose the only way you can be 100% sure you're not pregnant is to take a pregnancy test each month... though false negatives are still possible.

Honestly, if you're using reliable contraception properly, I wouldn't freak out too much.

Reply 12

Anonymous #3

Original post by Kabloomybuzz

I'm panicking slightly as when i started the pill 11 weeks ago, i had unprotected sex 2 days afterwards which was rather silly of me. My boobs have grown since but aren't tender or tingling, and i reckon I've put on weight but that could be due to snacking while revising and quitting the gym and the end of the hockey season. I haven't felt sick or dizzy though.
My other scare was last week i slept in past 8 (which is when i take my pill) and i took it at 9 o clock that evening, but i haven't had sex since then. should i be worried?
and also am i stressing over nothing when it comes to the pregnancy thing?

Reply 13

Kabloomybuzz

You're probably stressing over nothing, the only things that will ease your stress is taking a test and making sure you know how to take your pill properly, how it works and how your body works. Do your research. Most unplanned pregnancies happen because people don't know basic biology and don't know how their contraception works so misuse it.

Reply 14

fw1303

If you are that concerned get the implant. I got caught on the pill and found out at 10weeks and had no symptoms!

I made the decision to terminate and had the implant put straight in after so no needing to worry and it's totally pain free!

Reply 15

gavin_1980

I'd imagine you'd get a fairly definitive answer in about four or five months

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 16

tanesha98

Its a rare occurrence that a woman will still have her period while pregnant, but it does happen, its when the body produces too much of the main hormones, there is a hormone imbalance, but it does happen. I've only ever seen this happen once, my aunt. Now I have a wonderful cousin, Evie Willow.

Reply 17

Mitch.grace98

I have been on the mini pill now for 3 months, however this pill stops my periods altogether. I have had unprotected sex twice, however I am stressing out as I think I have put on weight as I have been going to the gym for 5 weeks now and I haven't seemed to have lost any weight. I did a test about a week ago and one didn't work and the other said negative. I don't know whether to take another test or not as i don't know whether I am pregnant or not. Can someone help please.

Reply 18

username1623349

Original post by Mitch.grace98

The pill can cause weight gain which is difficult to shift. This is explained in the information leaflets that come with the pills.

Reply 19

bethwalker85

You sound like you're stressing over nothing but it can happen. If you're worried get a pregnancy test but be careful in the future. If you're on the pill and take it regularly you should be fine.

If you've had antibiotics anytime soon they cancel out your pill so be aware of that. Also, I've heard of that Slender Tea or Fit Tea (not sure which) cancels out the pill so if you've had any of those herbal teas that help you lose weight, be careful because they apparantly can cancel out your pill.