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?

Asked by Dana On May 21, 2022

Answered by
Medical Content Reviewed By HelloPharmacist Staff

Published May 21, 2022
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

About the Pharmacist

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD

Dr. Brian has been practicing pharmacy for over 13 years and has wide-ranging experiences in many different areas of the profession. From retail, clinical, program development, and administrative responsibilities, he's your knowledgeable and go-to source for all your pharmacy and medication-related questions! Dr. Brian Staiger also has herbalist training and educational certificates in the field of medical ethnobotany. Feel free to send him an email at [email protected]! You can also connect with Dr. Brian Staiger on LinkedIn.

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