Birth control pills contain either estrogen and progestin or only progestin. When used as prescribed, the combination pill will provide you with hormones for 21 days. On days 22 through 28, you take an inactive pill to maintain your routine and allow your period. By changing the pill routine, you can change the date of your period. This does not work with progestin-only pills because they provide continuous hormones every day.
Step 1
Discuss your plans to alter your birth control regimen with a doctor. He can explain the potential side effects of changing your birth control regimen, including breakthrough bleeding and the risk of pregnancy.
Step 2
Take your combination birth control pills every single day until you reach the reminder pill week.
Step 3
Toss out your combination birth control pack on the first day that you would normally take the reminder pills. Your period would normally occur sometime during this week.
Step 4
Begin a new pack of pills on this day. Take one hormone-containing pill each day for one full week. Take one active pill each day for an additional week if you'd like to further delay your period.
Step 5
Take the reminder pills during the week that you want your period to occur.
Step 6
Begin a new pack of hormone pills after the week of your period. Take these as you normally would. Your period date will have changed.
Tips and Warnings
- It may take a few months for your body to adjust if you moved the period out more than one week.
- You may notice spotting during the additional week or weeks of hormone pills.
