Pregnant? Breakthrough Bleed? Confused!

[Tie999]

This is my 3rd month being on the Marvelon birth control pill, and normally my cycle comes and goes with no hitches or confusion. However, this past month I have been a bit worse about taking it on time, though I have never forgotten by a full day (at most, I have forgotten by 4 hours). This month I was also put on iron pills and stool softeners to help with my anemia, which has resulted in some bouts of diarrhea. I know that both of these situations can lower the protection which birth control provides, so everytime that my boyfriend and I have had intercourse, we have used condoms as well. The condoms have never broken, or fallen off.

Yet, being the paranoid person that I am, I am terrified that my pills have lost their effectiveness. On Monday, exactly a week before my expected period, I had bleeding and abdominal cramps. It soaked through my pad and onto my bed! I had moderate bleeding on Tuesday, but by Wednesday and today the bleeding had become light. The abdominal pains are still killing me though.

Could this be from taking my pill that little bit late? Or from the iron supplements? Or could it be an implantation bleed?

On the last birth control pill I was on, I had breakthrough bleeding for 3 weeks straight. But I have never had bleeding before on Marvelon. I plan to take a hpt in one week, on the day of my expected period.

[Tie999]

Thank you very much! I'm just very nervous, as pregnancy is something which I really am not wanting right now. Plus my breasts are becoming tender, but that could just be from the pill as well. ARGH, stupid hormones...

[Clysta]

I highly doubt you're pregnant. Implantation bleeding is never enough to soak through a pad and onto a bed. At most its light and lasts maybe a day or so. It sounds like breakthrough bleeding personally, just from you being less than perfect taking your pills.

[PetiteWonder]

Its hard to speak about every situation. But With BC pills, you have a 1 hr window to take them. For example, if you take them at 4pm, you can take them as early as 3pma nd late as 5pm.  Any later and it is a miss. So taking your pills 4 hours late, reduces the effectiveness and counts as a miss and increasing the chances of pregnancy.  That is why they say to use condoms if you screw up a bit with them.

I was famous for that with birth control pills, taking them late, etc.. When I took them late more than once (one time usually didnt have an effect), I always had breakdwon through bleeding. One time,  i ended up bleeding 3 weeks in a row..  But before I was married I usexd condoms with my BC pills....

You probably are not pregnant though there is a risk...

[Tie999]

Anyone?