What to do about late or missed pills

What do about forgotten or missed mini pills

A mini pill is a birth control pill that only contains the hormone progestin. Despite the name, it’s not actually any smaller than a combined birth control pill. Many women prefer mini pills because they get side effects when they take estrogen; for some women, like those over 35, progestogen-only contraception is usually recommended.

Because mini pills only have one hormone and often contain lower doses compared to combined pills, your window for taking the pill is smaller — sometimes only 3 hours.

The rules for late or missed mini pills depend on the type of progestin that’s in the medication. If you look at your pack, it’ll list one main ingredient. That’s the progestogen. If you’re taking a mini pill that uses desogestrel as its active ingredient, you’ve got 12 hours before your pill is considered missed, as opposed to 3.

Here’s what you should do if your pill is late but not yet missed:

Take your late pill as soon as you remember
Take your next pill at your normal time

While your pill is late, you’re still protected from pregnancy. That means you don’t need to use a back-up birth control like a condom, and you don’t need emergency contraception if you’ve had sex.

If you’ve missed your mini pill, you’re not protected against pregnancy. Here’s what you should do:

Take your missed pill as soon as you remember
Take your next pill at your normal time (even if that means taking two in one day)
Use back-up contraception like condoms for 48 hours
Talk to your doctor about emergency contraception if you have unprotected sex in the 48 hours after your missed pill.

Missed pills on Cerazette and Cerelle

Cerazette and Cerelle are both desogestrel mini pills, which means you’ve got 12 hours before your late pill is missed (compared to the 3 hours on other mini pills). So if you’ve missed a Cerazette pill or missed a Cerelle pill and fewer than 12 hours have passed, you’re still protected against pregnancy and don’t need to worry — just take your birth control as soon as you remember.

Missed pills on Noriday and Norgeston

Most mini pills have a 3-hour window during which they need to be taken. The one exception is pills containing desogestrel, like Cerazette and Cerelle.

If you’re using brands like Noriday or Norgeston as your birth control, these mini pills should be taken at the same time every day — with only three hours of wiggle room. Once you’ve passed that three-hour marker, you’re not considered protected against pregnancy and should use a back-up method like condoms.

What to do about forgotten or missed combined pills

Because combined pills work a little differently, they have their own rules for what you should do when you miss a pill. Here are some general missed pill guidelines for your combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP).

If you’ve missed one pill (anywhere in your pack) or started your pack one day late, you’re still protected and don’t need to worry. Here’s what you should do:

Take your missed pill as soon as you remember
Take your next pill at your normal time

If you’ve missed two or more pills or started your pack 48 hours late (or more), you might not be fully protected against pregnancy. Here’s what you should do:

Take your missed pill as soon as you remember
Take your next pill at your normal time
Use back-up contraception like condoms for 7 days
Talk to your doctor about emergency contraception if your missed pills were from the first week of your pack, or if you have unprotected sex
If there are fewer than seven pills left in your pack, skip the inactive pills and start your next pack immediately

Missed pills on Microgynon 30 and Rigevidon

Most combined birth control pills have the same rules about what you should do with missed pills, so you can follow them no matter what brand you are taking. What happens if you miss a Rigevidon pill is the same as what happens if you miss a different combined pill.

If you’re taking Microg ynon 30 or the generic Rigevidon and you missed a day, just follow the instructions in our “what to do about forgotten or missed combined pills” section. Or even better, take a look through the patient info that comes with your pill pack. Same goes for when you’ve missed 2 Rigevidon pills. A missed Microgynon or Rigevidon pill isn’t the end of the world, as long as you get back on track quickly and use back-up contraception like condoms if needed.

Missed pills on Yasmin

Yasmin is another common type of combined birth control but has slightly different rules for what you should do when you miss a pill. That’s why it’s important to check the patient info that comes with your pill pack, so you know you’re following the correct instructions.

If you're less than 12 hours late, your protection against pregnancy is not reduced. Take your pill as soon as you remember and continue taking the rest of the pack at the usual time.

If you're more than 12 hours late, your protection against pregnancy may be reduced. The more tablets you’ve missed the greater the risk of pregnancy. The risk of a reduced level of pregnancy protection is most likely at the beginning or end of a strip of pills. So follow these rules:

More than one tablet forgotten - speak to your doctor.
One tablet forgotten between days 1-7 - take the tablet as soon as you remember, even if this means taking two at the same time. Continue taking the rest of your tablets at your usual time. You should use extra protection, like a condom for the next seven days. If you had unprotected sex in the week before forgetting the tablet, there is a chance you could be pregnant.
One tablet forgotten between days 8-14 - take the tablet as soon as you remember even if this means taking two at the same time. Continue taking the rest of your tablets at your usual time. Protection has not decreased but if you forget more than one tablet you should use an extra form of protection such as a condom for seven days.
One tablet forgotten between days 15-21 - there are two options: Take the tablet as soon as you remember, even if this means taking two at the same time. Continue taking the rest of your tablets at your usual time. Skip the pill-free break and start taking your next strip once you have finished the current one. You may experience some bleeding during the second strip but most likely you’ll have a period-like bleed once it is finished. Or stop the tablets and have the pill-free period now (record the day you forgot the pill). If you wish to restart taking your pills on the same day, make sure the pill-free period is less than seven days.
If you forget a pill at any point during your first strip and do not have a bleed at the end of it, then you should speak to your doctor as you could be pregnant.

What to do about missing more than one pill

Whether you’ve skipped a day of birth control, missed 4 pills of birth control or missed an entire month of birth control, the most important thing is to get back on track and use condoms whenever you have sex. The specific instructions for what to do if you miss a birth control pill depend on the type of pill (combined or mini pill) and sometimes on the brand as well. We’ve covered a few scenarios above, but it’s best to take a look at the patient info that comes with your birth control.

Does when you miss a pill make a difference?

For some types of birth control, when you miss a pill is as important as how many you’ve missed. This can be because your body is doing different things throughout your cycle, which changes how likely you are to get pregnant, or because the pill you’re taking has different levels of hormones throughout the month. If you’ve missed a pill in week 1, for example, you might need to do something different than if you’d missed a pill in week 2. The best thing to do when you miss a pill is to check the patient info that came with it, or to look up instructions for that specific pill.

So are you protected the first week of birth control? Maybe. If you start your birth control on the first day of your period, you’re protected right away. This is called being a Day 1 Starter or a First Day Starter, and you’ll see that term in the instructions for what to do when you miss a pill. If you start the pill at a different time, you should wait 7 days before having unprotected sex.

Will I get bleeding or spotting after missing a pill?

It’s possible to experience bleeding after missing birth control pills. This usually isn’t anything to worry about and some people can experience spotting or cramping throughout their cycle, even when they haven’t missed a birth control pill.

Bleeding after missing 2 birth control pills isn’t an issue as long as you follow your pill’s directions for getting back on track. This usually involves taking your missing pill and possibly using back-up birth control like condoms until you’re protected against pregnancy again.

Starting a pack late: do I need to do anything differently?

It depends on how late you’ve started the pack. If it’s just one day, that’s no big deal. Just take the pill as soon as you remember, even if that means taking two in one day.

If you’re starting your pack more than one day late, you should wait a week before having unprotected sex. Use a back-up method like condoms in the meantime so you stay protected.

What’s the best way to never miss a pill?

The best way to never miss a pill is to find a time that works for you every day of the week. Here are a few tips.

Pick a time that works for every day of the week, not just workdays
Set an alarm on your phone, or download a birth control reminder app
Store your pills in the same place, like your purse, so they’re always on hand
Take the pill with other daily medication, like vitamins or prescriptions

Can I change my pill time or take my birth control pill early?

Have a meeting happening right when you normally take the pill? Or, are you traveling to a different time zone and not wanting to get up at 3am to take your medication? If you’re wondering “Can I change the time of my birth control pill,” the answer is thankfully yes. But there might be a few caveats.

You can usually take birth control an hour early without any problem. Some pills have a three-hour window during which you need to take them, but many are even more flexible. You should check the specific information provided with your pill to find out what the rules are.

If your pill has a three-hour window but you’re traveling to a different time zone, you can adjust the time day by day — for example, take your pill two hours after you normally do until it matches up with the time where you are. Using a back-up birth control like a condom can help you stay extra-protected while you do this.

Will taking my birth control pill with food help?

Can you take birth control pills with food? Yes. Do you need to? Nope.

It’s uncommon to have stomach upset from taking your pill, but a small snack can help if you do experience this. There’s no other benefit to taking your pill with food, unless having your medication with a meal can help you get into the routine of taking it daily.

If you eat at regular times throughout the week (including working days, weekends, etc), you’re a good candidate for taking your pill with food. But if your meal-times depend on when you get up, when you’re hungry or when you have a break, you might end up taking your birth control inconsistently.

Are the birth control patch and ring easier to remember?

The birth control patch or vaginal ring might be better suited for your lifestyle, but they’re not necessarily easier to remember. The ring keeps you protected for a month and the patch for a week so they’re more low-key than your typical everyday contraceptive. If you’re good at sticking to routines like a weekly face peel or monthly brow appointment, a more long-term birth control will likely work for you. Just don’t let out-of-sight become out-of-mind. Some people find that a birth control that’s used less frequently can be easier to forget.

Additionally, the birth control ring and patch aren’t suitable for everyone. There are so many different types of pill available that almost all women can find one that works for them — and is safe to take. But the patch and pill are both “combined” forms of birth control, meaning they contain both oestrogen and progestin. If you need a progestin-only birth control (for example, if you’re over 35 and smoke), the patch and ring aren’t a good choice.

Choosing the best birth control for your life

Ultimately, you’re going to want a birth control that keeps you safe, fits easily into your life and has few if any side effects. But that pill can be hard to find. Talk to an expert and get tailored recommendations on the birth control pill that works best with your unique medical history, lifestyle and what you’re looking for in a pill. And be sure to let us know if you have concerns about specific side effects or want a multi-tasking pill that can help with things like acne or your period.

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