One of these months I won't be convinced I'm pregnant =o=

[fushigi-na-chou.livejournal.com]

Halloween weekend was the start of my new pack of Aviane 28 (Alesse 28). My first pill should have been taken that Friday night (10/28) at 8 PM. Due to Halloween plans and getting caught up in all the festivities, I didn't take it until probably 2 or 3 Saturday morning, about 7 or 8 hours later than I should have. Saturday night was pretty much the same story (got caught up in drinking and festivities, completely forgot my pill until 2 or 3 in the morning). I had sex Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I posted this same question in the birth_control community, and the response I got regarding compromised protection was that, since it was the start of my new pack, I was essentially extending my placebo week without protection, at least for those extra 7 or 8 hours, which puts me in a weird gray area, but nothing definitively dangerous. I wasn't all that concerned until they posted that comment, just because I know from last time going off birth control, it took a full 28 days for my cycle to return, and I didn't have any spotting or anything before then. I assumed, perhaps naively so, that there's no way my ovaries could have gotten overly excited in those 7-8 hours and woken up and released an egg.

At any rate, I'm noticing that with this pack (which is my fifth pack), my boobs are sore the first couple of pills in (which doesn't seem usual for me -- when I first started, they were sore the whole month, starting about the end of the first week of active pills, then by pack three they chilled out and were only sore a week or so before my inactive week), and I am mildly crampy. I'm trying to do the math and telling myself that it is far too early for either of these symptoms to be an issue, even taking into considering my late pills. I'm trying to tell myself I'm just being psychosomatic, again, and noticing everything going on in my gut region to the extreme. It doesn't help matters that I had strep from Tuesday night to Friday (at least my symptoms of that were gone by Friday), and antibiotics of course mess with everything. Though, I was feeling mildly crampy before I got sick, for what that's worth.

(In addition to symptoms I'm feeling or think I'm feeling, I had someone ask me out of the blue yesterday if I was pregnant. What. the. crap.)

Someone please tell me I'm being an idiot and that I can't possibly be pregnant and that I need to abstain from sex forever because I will always think I'm pregnant unless I do. =o=

Comments

[nickelshoe.livejournal.com]

I agree with the folks at birth control that you're somewhere in typical use territory. It would be very unusual to get pregnancy symptoms less than two weeks after conception--the sperm has to find the egg, the egg has to implant, then the hormone levels have to build up.

I don't think you're an idiot just for worrying, but the chances that you're pregnant are not very high. There's always a chance, but it seems unlikely.

[fushigi-na-chou.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll still probably pee on a stick next week, but it's nice to hear someone else tell me that I'm likely fine and that I'm just having a wonky month with my pills this month (which I know happens, which is also why I'm trying to stab my brain into not over reacting).

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

Yep, my understanding of the situation is that you're likely fine, too.

Regarding the last line of your post - no-one here's going to tell you that you have to abstain from sex forever :-p - but is there anything we can do to help you feel more comfortable if you do want to have it? Is HBC your only method of contraception?

[fushigi-na-chou.livejournal.com]

Normally, HBC makes me feel pretty confident, except for when I take my pills late, as was the case this time, or if I'm on antibiotics, which has happened twice in as many months (first for a UTI, and then for strep). I hate the feeling of condoms, because they're clumsy and ruin the mood, and also decrease mine and my boyfriend's sensitivity. I was exploring the FAM method before I was on HBC, but I feel it's sort of pointless to use while on HBC since I can't imagine there are many changes if my hormones are being kept steady by HBC (but perhaps my understanding of HBC is incorrect in this respect). Not only that, but I'm too lazy to temp. ^^; It would also be super inconvenient because during the week I get up at 4 in the morning, so I take advantage of sleeping on the weekends. I'll probably go back to using it once I can think about having children, but right now, it's just not for me.

So yes, HBC seems to be my only option. I'm thinking of asking my doctor for the patch, though I'm not sure how much more expensive that'll be. I have health insurance, so I'm too terribly concerned, but I would prefer to spend less money if I can, just in general.