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New here. Getting married soon and a little worried.
Hi all, I'm new here and I'm hoping you all can help me.
I have an appt. on Friday to set me up on birth control pills. I'm worried though that I may be doing this a little too late.... my wedding is in the first week of August. I've been reading about bcp online but I'm still a little unclear about how it all works.
My plan is to get on a pill that allows me to have my period every month, or maybe seasonique. My question is, my period will end on Thursday and my appt. is Friday. Will I be able to start the pill that day? Or do I need to wait till my next cycle in July? Also, will it be effective by August?
Obviously, I will be asking my doc all of these questions, but I can't wait till Friday. I just want to know 
Oh and of course, if it is too late for them to be effective, I am prepared to use other forms of BC.
Thanks so much!
Re: New here. Getting married soon and a little worried.
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It takes about a week for your BCP to be effective. I just looked at two different information packets on pills I have. Even a pill like Ortho Ttri Cyclen (Lo) which has three different levels of hormones only takes a week to be effective (Triphasic). On the rarest of occasion will a pill take longer than a week to take effect.
The length of time it takes for the birth control to become completely effective as a sole contraceptive varies depending on the type of pill you use and when you start the packet of pills. You will usually need to use an alternative form of contraception (such as a condom) for at least seven days after starting, but your healthcare provider should be able to tell you exactly when the particular version of the pill you have been prescribed becomes fully effective against pregnancy. It will normally also say on the advice leaflet that comes with your pills.
http://www.avert.org/contraception-birth-control.htm
How long before I'm protected against pregnancy?If you are taking the Pill for the first time, and you use a Sunday Start, you MUST use a backup method of birth control, such as condoms or spermicide, for the first 7 days. If you use a Day 1 Start, you are protected from becoming pregnant as soon as you take your first Pill.http://www.thepill.com/thepill/faq.html
Check out this website for more info:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control-options/MY01084
Just wanted to say, I've been on Seasonique, and I love it! It's been almost a year now, and it's one of the best BC pills I've ever been on. It may also be a great option if you're concerned about getting your period on your wedding day or HM.
Also keep in mind, that since you're new to the pill, the first one you try may not be right for you. Some women go positively loopy on it, because of the hormone levels changing in your body. Keep this in mind, and talk to your doctor about messing with your body before your wedding. I changed pills a few months before mine, and I went total bridezilla. It wasnt a good move.
Just wanted to inform you of an alternative to bcp, the Nuva-Ring. I'm on it and had switched after taking the pills for years and love it. It is a small ring that you insert vaginally once a month. It's great because you don't have to remember to take a pill every day (and remember you must take the pill at the same time each day to be effective - it only lasts 24 hours). It's also preferable because it's a low hormone option, and it is not affect by foods or antibiotics. Some foods have enzymes that reduce the efficacy of the pill (such as grapefruit), and antibiotics make the pill completely ineffective. With Nuva-Ring, you don't have to worry about these issues.
Many women are squeamish about inserting something vaginally, but I assure you that it's like a tampon in that you (and your partner) cannot feel it if it's in correctly.
While the other women on here are correct about the pill usually being effective after a week, I would say to be extra careful, you should use an alternate form of birth control for a month (regardless of which type of birth control you use), because women's bodies can react differently and it's much better to be safe than sorry, in my opinion!
Incorrect. It CAN lower the effectiveness. It changes your hormone levels therefore increasing your chances of ovulation which could POSSIBLY end in a pregnancy.
It is impossible to determine if taking an antibiotic will interfere with pill use (since each person's body responds differently), so it is wise to use a back-up method while on antibiotic medication as a precaution and ask your doctor.
http://contraception.about.com/od/prescriptionoptions/tp/medication.htm
But in the end, she is right... You should use a back up method if you definitely do NOT want to get pregnant. Better safe than sorry.
Just be carefull about getting on a new pill with your wedding right around the corner... some of the pills can make you bloat and gain weight... that happened to my friend... just make sure you look at some of the major side effects before you start a new pill... good luck