When to start BCP to synch with current cycle

[fairis.livejournal.com]

Hi, I am about to start taking Yasmin to double up protection with condoms. My current cycle is 28 days and regular, like the pill cycle. When should I start taking the pills if I want to stay in synch with my current cycle and continue to start my period on the same days I would have started it, if I wasn't on pills? Should I do the day-1 start described in the pill pack, the Sunday start, or something else? I'm very confused. Thanks.

Comments

[may-third.livejournal.com]

Just as a reminder, hehe, you don't actually have a "cycle" on the pill because that would imply you ovulate every month, and the pill should be surpressing ovulation. And your bleed on the pill is not technically a "period" because that would imply you had a "cycle" and you haven't, because you most likely will not have breakthrough ovulation.

BUT if you want your bleeds to "synch up" as you say, just start taking the 1 day start, take the first pill of the pack on the very first day of your period, that way you are protected immediately and by the time your placebo pill week comes around, you would have been due for a real "period" if you hadn't been on the pill. Hope that helps! :)

[fairis.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation! Yes, I want my "bleeds" to synch up with when my period would have occurred. If I do the day 1 start though, won't the placebo week come around a week before my period would have been due? Because I'll have 3 weeks of active pills, then start my period again, correct?

[may-third.livejournal.com]

Oops! Yeah, then I'd start exactly a week after you get your period. You'd just have to wait 7 days for them to be effective.

[la-mia-cara.livejournal.com]

and by the time your placebo pill week comes around, you would have been due for a real "period" if you hadn't been on the pill.

Wouldn't starting on the first day of your period mean that the placebo week is one week earlier than your period normally would have been? So your period would probably start after, oh, 23 or 24 days or something like that, instead of 28 (at least for me I used to get my period on about the second or third day of the placebo week).

[fairis.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm thinking, but I'm really confused, because if I start taking the pills a week before I get my period, won't that just delay it till I get to the placebos?

[la-mia-cara.livejournal.com]

Uh, I'm not sure. I guess you could start taking it about 5 days after getting your period (and use extra protection for the first 7 days!), then the placebo week should start 2 days before your period normally would have started, right? I think that would work.

[gryphonwing.livejournal.com]

I think most people start bleeding 2-4 days into their placebo weeks, so a day 5 start would be a pretty good guess. :)

[jmnstars.livejournal.com]

Have your next period and start your pill pack seven days after the first day of your period. So, if your period starts on a Monday, start taking your pills the NEXT Monday. Just make sure that you use condoms (even though you are planning to) during the first week of your pill pack. Hope that makes sense! :)