I need help stacking pills

[lookingatlucky.livejournal.com]

Hello, 

I've been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo (21 active pills) for about three months now. I'm in a long distance relationship and of course my next period is due to happen exactly when I'll be seeing the bf again. I've never attempted to stack pills before and I've read a little bit about people having trouble doing it with triphasic pills. Basically I'm wondering if I should take my week 3 pills during the week I'm supposed to get my period, and if I take the week 3 pills how do I take the rest of the pack or just take week one and hope for no period or spotting? Any help would be much appreciated :)

Comments

[lookingatlucky.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately it is rather last minute I forgot that I would be getting my period until a few days ago and I'm already in week 2 of my pill pack, so sadly it's too late to do the first idea, but that's very useful for the future, so thank you!

I guess I'll just try starting with week 3 and hope for the best. And if it doesn't work out a little blood never hurt anyone :)

Edit: Sorry I actually have one more question that's probably silly but I'd thought I'd ask anyway: I rely on the pill as my only source of bc but am I still completely protected from pregnancy even though I'm taking the pills out of order?

[archangelbeth]

You could accept that you'll be spotting [edit: if you drop to week 1 at the end] and start taking week 2 of pack B, so it'd go something like 1-2-2-3-3, and then [edit: you can spot on the second week 1,] or you just keep the spare week-1 pills in case you lose a pill at some point.

And to the edit, so far as I know from reading VP for... some years now, yes, you're protected if you take your pills like that -- the lowest level hormone pills are still enough to keep the ovaries hypnotized.

However, Natazia -- which is a quad-phasic -- does not have that assurance. I think there is a way to make it work, but it's not a simple, and it doesn't have sufficient positive anecdata that I'd feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who absolutely had to have the best odds of protection.