What To Do If You Start Birth Control One Day Early
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses what to do if you accidentally start your birth control pack one day early.
Question
I was supposed to start my new pack of birth control pills (Alesse) on a Saturday at 9 pm but I accidentally took it on Friday at 11:50 pm. What should I do now?
Answered by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Medical Content Reviewed By HelloPharmacist
Staff
Last updated Mar 29, 2024
Key points
- You are still protected from pregnancy if you start your birth control pills one day early. Continue taking your birth control pills daily as you usually would.
- It is important not to skip doses to get back on your usual schedule. Doing so will increase your risk of pregnancy.
It is important to start off by saying that if you accidentally take your birth control pill one day early, be sure to continue to take your pills on a daily basis and do not "skip" a day to get back on your normal schedule.
In other words, treat this situation as if you simply are starting a new pack of birth control pills one day earlier.
Now, there is no increased risk of pregnancy if you start taking your birth control pills one day early.
Data suggests that you may experience a lighter or shorter period than usual simply because you are deviating from your usual schedule, but there will be no increased risk of pregnancy.
However, if you miss an active pill in your first week, as would happen if you skip a day to get back on your usual schedule, your risk of pregnancy increases.
In fact, birth control manufacturers (including the manufacturer of Alesse), recommend using a backup contraceptive for a full 7 days if you miss a pill in the first week.
Additional Information
If your new start day works for you, there is no need to change how you are taking the pills. You will simply be starting new packs one day earlier than you have in the past.
If you wish to go back to your usual start day, you have some options, including skipping the placebo pills when you finish the active pills and starting your new pack on your desired start day.
While this may affect your period, in terms of breakthrough bleeding and spotting for a month or two, it will not affect your protection against pregnancy.
References
- Alesse Prescribing Information, AccessFDA
- Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
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