minipill

[Andi86]

Couple of questions regarding the minipill that I forgot to ask my phamacist while I was there....

it says to start the pack the first cycle day (the day you start your period) But Im breastfeeding and havent got one yet so when do I start it?

Also will this make me have a period when I finish the pack? or because Im breastfeeding I might still not have a menstrual cycle?

 

[Rhiannon137]

Start the pack whenever you want. You may or may not get a period. The minipills I'm familiar with are monophasic (all the pills have the same dose), and there are no placebo pills in the pack. In the absence of a breastfeeding or postpartum scenario, most women get spotting or a light period. My son is almost 11 months and has been exclusively bf. I started the minipill at 8 weeks postpartum and have had absolutely no bleeding. I'm planning to wean him in the next few weeks, so we'll see what happens.

 

[Rhiannon137]

Start the pack whenever you want. You may or may not get a period. The minipills I'm familiar with are monophasic (all the pills have the same dose), and there are no placebo pills in the pack. In the absence of a breastfeeding or postpartum scenario, most women get spotting or a light period. My son is almost 11 months and has been exclusively bf. I started the minipill at 8 weeks postpartum and have had absolutely no bleeding. I'm planning to wean him in the next few weeks, so we'll see what happens.

One other thing: it is EXTREMELY important to take the minipill at the same time every day, not miss pills, and use a backup birth control if you do. Its efficacy is much more sensitive to user error. I had always heard this, but one of my close friends just had her fourth baby 11.5 months after her third. Not her plan.

 

[noon_child]

The instruction to start taking it at a certain point in your cycle is for when you want it to be effective straight away. If you start it any other time in your cycle you have to use other methods of contraception until it becomes effective. Sorry I can't remember how long this is for, I want to say a week but you really need to check that with the pharmacist or doctor. I can't believe it doesn't tell you on the packet!

Any yes the same time every day is really important! An especial annoyance if you go on holiday to a different time zone!

 

[Mummafrog]

You just start taking it but if you can't on the first day of your period then you need to use other methods of contraception for 7 days.
You take the pills one after the other, there are no sugar pills or break in pills, it is continuous and it works by putting your ovaries to sleep so no, you won't have periods like you do with the normal pill. You might have sparodic bleeding, still have a monthly bleed or no bleeding at all, all of those seem to be pretty common. X