Birth control pills, also called oral contraceptives, prevent pregnancy by distributing hormones to the woman's body. A 28-day pack of birth control pills is usually made up of both estrogen and progestin. The two hormones work together to prevent the woman's ovaries from releasing an egg for fertilization. The last week of birth control pills are free of hormones and serve the purpose of reminding the woman to take a pill every day at the same time.
Step 1
Fill the birth control prescription given by your doctor.
Step 2
Determine the preferred pill start date. Most pills can be started at any time but the most convenient time is the Sunday following the start of the menstrual period.
Step 3
Choose a time of day to take the pill that will be easy to remember. The birth control pill is only effective when taken exactly as directed, which means you need to take one pill every day at as close to the same time of day as possible.
Step 4
Take the pill every day for 21 days. These 21 pills are active pills containing hormones.
Step 5
Take the seven inactive pills, which would be pills 22 through 28 in the pack. These pills typically contain sugar and other inactive ingredients that have no effect on the body. This is the week of the menstrual cycle.
Step 6
Begin a new pack of pills on the Sunday following the period. Continue the same routine of taking pills. If a different start day was used, such as a Monday, the new pack of pills would begin on that day.
Tips and Warnings
- When taking a 28-day progestin-only pill, sometimes called the mini-pill, pick a day to start the pill and take one every day at the same time of day. When one pack is gone, start a new pack. Some women don't get a period with this type of birth control. If a pill is missed, do not take an additional pill. Instead, resume the regularly scheduled pill and use a backup method of contraception. If a pill is missed, take it as soon as it is remembered and take the next pill at the regularly scheduled time. If the pill is more than three hours late MedlinePlus recommends using a back up birth control method for at least 48 hours. If two pills are missed, take one pill as soon as it is remembered and then the next pill on schedule. Make up the other missed pill on the following day by taking it with the regularly scheduled pill. A back up birth control method should be used for the rest of the month to ensure pregnancy does not occur. If three pills are missed, consult a medical care provider. Often, a woman will be instructed to
