Question
I am hoping someone can help me with planning my period. I hope I can make this post as understandable as possible.

Here is my dilemma. I am getting married in less than two months. Doing the calculations I will be due to have my period at anytime on my wedding day. Not necessarily a big deal except for my PMS. The week and 1/2 before my period is a trying time for me. I get irritable, disconnected, spacey, klutzy, anxious - you name it. I just started the pill to help with this. My wedding will be out of town and I will be going there and staying with a lot of family the week before. I don't want to feel yucky during that time. I want to be happy and full of life kwim?

My question- is there anything I can do to "change" my cycle with the pills?
I am on the week of the placebo and just started my period today. I am due to take the regular pill on Sunday again. What if I do not start the pill on Sunday? What if I wait two weeks and then start it? Will my cycle change accordingly? That way I will have my period the week before my wedding and I will be at the following week for the whole wedding two weeks.

Of course we will use another form of birth control if I was to do this. I just wondered if my period would follow suit?

Answer
I'm not sure what will happen if you skip a couple of weeks. I'd be concerned that it wouldn't. What I did was just skipped my placebo pills for a month and then you won't get your period at all. My next period was a little more intense than usual (more bleeding and worse cramps) but I didn't bleed the week of my wedding!

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My gyno told me to keep taking the pill, meaning you skip the placebos and start in on a new pack immediately. It worked for the most part, but I spotted continually when I *should* have had my full period. Some people spot, some don't, and everyone is different. (It wasn't enough to stop me from having sex or wearing a bathing suit on my honeymoon, etc.)

Talk to your gyno before you do it though. I'm sure she'll/he'll say it's okay, but just let them know what you plan to do so they have your full & accurate history.

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I didn't talk to my gyno... (

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I never asked my gyno either. But I've done it a few times with no problems.

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I've skipped my period a few times. I've never had any problems or spotting.

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There actually is a type of BCP called Seasonale that I was on for about a year. It allows you to go for 3 months without your period. IT WAS GREAT!! I was camping for 3 months so made it well worth it. I think it's too late for you to start it now but it reinforces that fact that it is okay to continue taking your pill in order to skip your period.

My gyno said that since women's bodies are evolved to have so many babies, they aren't really supposed to have their period EVERY month. So this pill kind of makes up for that. He said it in way more professional terminology so that it made a lot more sense but that's the gist of it.

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I've Sunday started pills before instead of waiting for my regular period to start. I began takming the pill abotu a week and a half after my period, my period still started early but not as early as it would have. However moving it a couple days back wouldn't really help you a whole bunch.

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Yeah, your best bet is to just skip your period all together and start the new pack. You'll be ok to do that. I don't think waiting to start taking the new pack would affect when you have your period.

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Do you think I will get the same PMS before my period if I just skip it? I am on mine right now and I just got over the worst PMS. I do not want to feel that way while I am supposed to be having fun. I don't know how the hormones work while on the pill. I do feel my best the two weeks after my period.

hmmm I guess it is the best option though. Thanks guys!

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I've used my BCP's to skip my period ocassionally. Just skip the placebo pills and start a new pack. As long as you are on the active pills you will not have your period. I never had any problems with spotting. Sometimes my next periods were heavier, but not always.

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Originally Posted by birdie There actually is a type of BCP called Seasonale that I was on for about a year. It allows you to go for 3 months without your period. IT WAS GREAT!! I was camping for 3 months so made it well worth it. I think it's too late for you to start it now but it reinforces that fact that it is okay to continue taking your pill in order to skip your period.

My gyno said that since women's bodies are evolved to have so many babies, they aren't really supposed to have their period EVERY month. So this pill kind of makes up for that. He said it in way more professional terminology so that it made a lot more sense but that's the gist of it.

I actually do this all the time on my regular pill and have for about five years (gyno recommended, of course....she rocks) I use the regular Ortho Novum 1/35 and my gyno gives me a yearly prescription for 16 instead of 12...it rocks because I can even go an extra month if I have to...so I have my period every 10th week instead of every fourth week.

I think that if you talked to your gyno he/she would recommend a way to skip your period or prolong the start time at least...it sounds to me that you just started taking the pill in which case I would definetly recommend that you talk to your doctor because each persons body can be different with the time it takes to aclimate yourself to taking the pill...it may very well be that your body won't let you "skip" or "re-route" your period.

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Definitely talk to your gyno about using the "honeymoon trick" and continuing on with your pills instead of using the placebo. I do that whenever I notice something major is conflicting with when my period is supposed to be and it's worked great.

One note about Seasonale-BEWARE! I was on that for a while with no problems for about a year, then realized midway through a cycle (almost two months in) that I had somehow managed to get pregnant. I would not have known had I not just felt something was up. By the time we'd had time to process it, I ended up miscarrying, but keep in mind that as awful as periods can be, they do serve a purpose. Had I not stopped taking Seasonale, I probably wouldn't have known anything was going on (Seasonale tends to my breasts tender, cause some weight gain, etc. so these didn't shock me). Just something to keep in mind-that was a lot to process all at once when all of that went down...

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My dr had me try that one time, but It caused more health problems for me. When i am on bc I can't skip placebo. It is always best to talk to your gyno. They will know what is best for you.

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Instead of switching or stop taking them all together (which can make you spot), at your next placebo cycle, skip them and keep going with the active pills. This will trick your body and it won't produce your period.

But it doesn't guarantee that you won't get PMS symptoms. I would talk to your doc about anything further. I don't recommend doing that too often as it could have other side-effects not mentioned.

Either way, a little PMS won't ruin your wedding. Just get the midol and heating pad and be prepared. Have people help you out and warn them to be patient with your mood swings.

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I did talk to my dr. and he told me to take two weeks of the pill and then stop. I will have my period early and then be (PMS wise) at the best part of my cycle for the wedding. The wedding will be right after my period. He also said that taking it for the first two weeks will inhibit the egg release and the pill will still be an effective form of BC.

I guess I got the best of both worlds!!

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Originally Posted by Indigo I did talk to my dr. and he told me to take two weeks of the pill and then stop. I will have my period early and then be (PMS wise) at the best part of my cycle for the wedding. The wedding will be right after my period. He also said that taking it for the first two weeks will inhibit the egg release and the pill will still be an effective form of BC.

I guess I got the best of both worlds!!
You sure did - yay! (I am going to remember that trick, too, just in case and ask my doctor about it - because I've tried the skipping the placebo thing and have had spotting and breakthrough bleeding with it. So this is also a good thing to know - for advance planning.)