Missed Pills
If you MISS 1 active pill:
- Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day.
- You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.
If you MISS 2 active pills in a row in WEEK 1 or WEEK 2:
- Take 2 pills on the day you remember and 2 pills the next day.
- Then take 1 pill a day until you finish the pack.
- You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You must use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method for those 7 days.
If you MISS 2 active pills in a row in the 3RD WEEK:
- If you are a Sunday starter, keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
- If you are a Day 1 starter, THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
- You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call the office because you may be pregnant.
- You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method for those 7 days.
If you MISS 3 or more active pills in a row during the first 3 weeks:
- If you are a Sunday starter, keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
- If you are a Day 1 starter, THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
- You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call the office because you may be pregnant.
- You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method for those 7 days.
If you FORGET any of the 7 placebo pills in WEEK 4:
- THROW AWAY the pills you missed.
- Keep taking 1 pill each day until the pack is empty.
- You do not need to use a back-up method.