Millinette

What is Millinette?

Millinette is a combined contraceptive pill that contains a low dose of oestrogen (it’s sometimes referred to as a ‘low-dose’ combined pill). Some women are more sensitive to oestrogen than others, and are more prone to side effects from it. If this applies to you, Millinette may be a particularly suitable choice.

It’s a 21-day pill, so you take it for 21 days, and then have a seven-day ‘pill-free’ break. But you can also use it continuously (one pill every day, with no pill-free break) or more extensively (one pill daily for nine weeks, and then no pills for the following four or seven days).

How does Millinette work?

Like other combined pills, Millinette protects you from getting pregnant in three ways.

The two hormones in Millinette prevent ovulation from taking place (when an egg is released from your ovary) to reduce your chances of becoming pregnant.

The pill also helps the mucus in the cervix get thicker, which makes it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg.

The lining of the uterus is made thinner too. This lining builds up over the course of your cycle, and then breaks down when you have your period. Because the pill makes the uterine lining thinner, it’s harder for a fertilised egg to embed itself there and grow. It usually means that your period is also lighter, and less painful.

How effective is Millinette?

If you take it as instructed, it’s over 99% effective. So if 100 women take it perfectly over 12 months, just one will get pregnant.

But if you make mistakes when you use it, or if you miss a pill here and there, it’s slightly less effective. You can help to avoid this by taking it at the same time every day, as advised in the information leaflet that comes with your treatment.

How to take Millinette pills

If you start to take Millinette on the first day of your period, you’ll get immediate protection from pregnancy. You can also start to take Millinette on days two to five of your period, but if you do this, you should use additional contraception for the first seven days while the pill takes effect in the body.

Take the pill at the same time each day, in the order displayed on the strip, until you have finished all 21 pills.

Once you have finished the strip, take a seven-day pill-free break. It’s likely that you’ll experience a bleed during this time. So long as you’ve taken the pill correctly and not missed any pills, you don’t need to use any other form of contraception over the seven-day break.

After the seven pill-free days have passed, start a new strip. You may still get some bleeding at this point, but you should start a new strip regardless. If you take the pill as instructed, you should always start a new strip on the same day of the week.

You should read the instructions in the information leaflet that comes with your treatment before starting to take Millinette.

Are there other ways I can take Millinette?

Yes. You can also take Millinette on a continuous basis (1 pill every day, with no pill-free break) or on an extended basis (1 pill every day for 9 weeks, and then no pills for the next 4 or 7 days). If you’d prefer to take Millinette in either of these ways, our prescriber can talk you through each option during your consultation.

What to do about a Millinette missed pill

If less than 12 hours have passed since you missed a pill, you should take it as soon as you remember. Take any pills that follow at the usual time. This will not affect the protection from pregnancy that Millinette offers you.

Should you find that more than 12 hours have passed since you forgot to take a pill, or if you forgot to take more than one pill, your protection from pregnancy may be reduced. As soon as you remember, take the pill you missed most recently, even if this means taking two pills on the same day.

You should then take any pills that follow at the same time, and use an extra form of contraception, such as condoms, for the next seven days. If you take the last pill from the strip during this seven-day period, start taking pills from a new strip as soon as the current strip is finished, without taking a seven-day, pill-free break.

It’s unlikely that you’ll get a withdrawal bleed while taking pills from the second strip, but you can get some blood spots or breakthrough bleeding. If you don’t get a withdrawal bleed after you finish the second strip, let our clinician know, as you may be pregnant. They can advise you on what to do next.