How late can your period be on birth control

Many women using birth control pills will find that over time their periods may become more regular, lighter, and less painful.

Combination Birth Control Pills

If a combination birth control pill (estrogen + progestin pills in a 21- or 28-day pack) is started for the first time on the Sunday after your period begins, your period should occur about 25 days later. Ask your healthcare provider which day is the best to start your specific pill pack. If your period begins on a Sunday, you can start the pill pack on that Sunday.

• In general, about 3 days after finishing all of the 21 active tablets in a 28 pill pack, most women will start their period.
• If you use a 28-pill pack, you'll get your period during the week you take the reminder (hormone-free) pills.
• If you use a 21-day pill pack, you'll still get your period the week you do not take any pills. Remember that the 21-day pack has no reminder pills. Use a reminder (like your smart phone or a calendar) to help you stay on track.

Extended-Cycle or Continuous Cycle Combination Birth Control Pills

If you take extended cycle (i.e., Seasonale, Seasonique) birth control pills you will only have four periods per year. If you take continuous dose birth control pills (i.e., Amethyst) you will eliminate your periods completely. However, breakthrough bleeding or spotting may occur with extended- and continuous-dose birth control pills. Spotting may last for up to 3 to 6 months, but will usually subside over time.

• Extended cycle pills like Seasonique have 12 weeks of active combined hormone pills (an estrogen and progestin) that you take continuously for 12 weeks, followed up by 1 week of reminder pills (91 pills total).
  • You take one pill each day. You’ll only have your period once every three months.
  • You are protected from pregnancy even the week that you take the reminder (inactive) pills. Your reminder pills may contain iron or other supplements.
• Continuous cycle pills like Amethyst contain 28 days of active combined hormonal pills (an estrogen and progestin).
  • You take one pill each day for 28 days in a row; there are no inactive (reminder) pills.
  • As soon as you finish one pack, you start the next pack the following day. You do not take a break in-between packs. Your periods will most likely stop, but you may have spotting. Do not stop taking your pills if you have spotting.

Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills ("Mini-Pills")

With progestin-only pills, all 28 pills have a progestin-only hormone (no estrogen) and come in a 4-week (28-day) pack. Take one pill every day in the progestin-only pack to be protected from pregnancy. You must take progestin-only pills within the same three hour time period every day to be protected from pregnancy.

• For example, if you normally take your pill at 8 PM, taking it after 11 PM the next night may put you at higher risk for pregnancy.
• Take every progestin-only pill in a pack to be protected from pregnancy — there is no hormone-free week or reminder pills.
• You may get a period in the 4th week, off-and-on bleeding or spotting throughout the month, or no period at all.

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Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

i missed my birth control and i got my period, will i have it again on the date i was orgianally supposed to?

It’s possible that this month you won’t get your period when you expect it. It may come, but it may not. It may be lighter than usual or you may get just a little spotting. 

Missing 1 or more birth control pills or making a mistake with the ring or the patch can throw your cycle off for a month or 2. The important thing to do is to keep using your birth control and start the next pack on time, even if your period doesn’t come during that week.

Depending on what kind of birth control you use, when you missed it, and for how long, you may need to skip your hormone-free time, or use backup birth control until you get back on track with your method. Find out more about birth control methods and what to do if you make a mistake.

If you had sex after missing your birth control, take a pregnancy test if you don’t get your period when you expect it. If you had unprotected sex within the last 5 days, you still have time to take emergency contraception.

Birth control comes in many forms. One of the most common is hormonal birth control pills — which use various combinations of estrogen, progesterone, or synthetic hormones to prevent pregnancy. You may take the pill every day, with placebo pills during your period; receive a shot; or utilize some form of implant. 

Many women take birth control as a form of family planning and contraceptive. Others take it as a way to manage other health issues, such as uterine fibroids or hormonal imbalance. While some forms of birth control suppress menstrual periods, many regulate it. On many forms of birth control, you will still have your regular menstrual period. Birth control may even make your period more consistent. 

It can be stressful to miss your period, especially when you’re taking your birth control consistently. There are several reasons why you might miss your period on birth control, including stress, changes in diet or lifestyle, changes in exercise routine, or the long-term effects of using birth control.

If you miss your period, you should consider taking a pregnancy test and following up with your doctor to determine any underlying causes. 

Symptoms of missed period on birth control

When you miss your period on birth control, it is important to be aware of other symptoms. A missed period may occur in tandem with symptoms that are similar to premenstrual symptoms or early pregnancy, such as:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Tender breasts
• Fatigue or exhaustion
• Pain in your lower back
• Frequent urination

If you miss your period and experience any additional symptoms, plan on taking a pregnancy test and following up with your primary care physician. 

Causes of missed period on birth control

There are several potential causes of a missed period when you’re taking birth control. They may include: 

Stress

Stress is one of the most common causes of a missed period. Research shows that women under stress during their cycle are much more likely to experience irregular or missed periods.

Stress has a significant impact on the hormones within your body. These hormones have the ability to create changes or a delay in your menstrual period.

Changes in diet and exercise

Any drastic changes in eating habits can affect your menstrual cycle. Diet can affect hormone levels and ovulation. If either are disrupted, you may experience a delayed or missed period.

If you are incorporating new or increased physical activity into your regular activity, it may be disrupting your menstrual cycle. Prolonged periods of intense exercise can alter your hormone levels, leading to missed or suppressed menstruation.

Weight loss

Significant weight loss can lead to lighter or missed periods. The presence of fat in your body can increase the level of specific hormones in your body. Losing dramatic amounts of weight will impact your hormone levels. This often leads to irregular periods and can be an underlying cause of a missed period on birth control.

Long-term effects of continuous birth control

Many women use birth control pills as their contraceptive method of choice. Some women who use continuous birth control — or birth control that limits periods to a few times a year — may experience very irregular periods or no periods at all.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism directly affects hormone levels. Women who experience hypothyroidism almost always have irregular menstrual cycles.

Pregnancy

Even if you are on birth control, a missed period can be a sign of pregnancy. Birth control pills have a failure rate of just under 10%. If you have missed a period or are experiencing other symptoms of pregnancy, you should consider taking a pregnancy test or talking to your doctor.

SLIDESHOW

Diagnosing missed period on birth control

If you are experiencing missed periods and other symptoms, your doctor will likely start with a physical exam. They may also evaluate any underlying causes with a:

• Pelvic exam
• Ultrasound
• MRI or other imaging
• Blood test 

Treatments for missed period on birth control

If you are experiencing one or more missed periods, your doctor will likely conduct an exam and recommend tests to determine the underlying cause. They will suggest a treatment plan, depending on the results. Treatment may include:

• Hormonal birth control
• Hormone therapy
• Over the counter pain relief
• Lifestyle or dietary changes
• Stress management

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References

American Pregnancy Association: "Types of Birth Control."

BMC Women's Health: "Factors associated with menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause."

Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism: "Stress and hormones."

Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: "To Evaluate the Effect of Perceived Stress on Menstrual Function."

Medicine: "Effects of intensive training on menstrual function and certain serum hormones and peptides related to the female reproductive system."

Postgraduate Medical Journal: "The missed menstrual period."

Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management: "Evaluation of extended and continuous use oral contraceptives."

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  How many days is considered late on birth control?

  A pill has been missed when it is more than 24 hours since the time you should have taken it. contraceptive coverage. However, missing two or more pills or starting the pack two or more days late (more than 48 hours late) may affect your contraceptive coverage.