Victoria asked
I want to start taking my birth control a half hour after my scheduled time. I’m only half way through a pack. Would it still be safe to switch the time right now?
Answer
If you want to start taking your birth control pills later in the day than you currently do, the recommendation varies based on the type of birth control pill you are using.
Below, we discuss the how to safely change your usual birth control administration time to later in the day.
The Safest Way To Take Your Birth Control Pill Later In The Day
The safest way to change the time you take your birth control pill to later in the day (in regard to pregnancy protection) is to simply change the time you take the medication once you start a new pack. If you are not taking your birth control continuously (i.e. no placebo or pill free period), this is the best method.
Once you are finished with your pill free period, simply start the new pack at your new time. You should not have any spotting/break-through bleeding and there will be no decrease in effectiveness.
If You Take A Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill...
The most commonly used oral hormonal birth control pills are known as "combined pills". This means they contain both a progestin and an estrogen. With combined pills, there is much more room for error when it comes to dosing consistently.
Generally, protection against pregnancy is not much affected by missing your usual administration time by a short amount. In fact, the prescribing information for most combined hormonal birth control pills state that missing your usual dose by 24 hours won't increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
This quote is from the package insert for the popular combined birth control pill Loestrin:
If you miss ONE blue pill, follow these steps:Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take two pills in 1 day. You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.
So, if you take a combined hormonal birth control pill, you most likely can simply delay your pill administration time to your desired time of day.
If You Take A Progestin Only Birth Control Pill
Although less commonly prescribed than combined hormonal birth control pills, progestin only pills still are often utilized. These pills, as the name suggests, only contains a progestin and do not contain an estrogen. There is much less room for error in regard to administration time with these pills. Missing your usually scheduled administration time can significantly affect your protection against pregnancy and can cause adverse effects such as breakthrough bleeding and spotting.
It is not recommend to make any changes to the time you take your progestin only pill if you are in the middle of a cycle.
Most progestin only products state protection from pregnancy significantly decreases if has been more than 3 hours since your usual dosing time. The quote is from the package insert of Micronor, a commonly used progestin only pill:
If you are more than 3 hours late or you miss one or more POPs:
- TAKE a missed pill as soon as you remember that you missed it.
- THEN go back to taking POPs at your regular time.
- Be sure to use a backup method (such as a condom and/or a spermicide) every time you have sex for the next 48 hours.
While most progestin only pill products will state 3 hours is the cutoff for reduced efficacy, it would be prudent to try and stay as consistent as possible to ensure your birth control pills are working at maximum effectiveness.
Therefore, if you wish to change the time you take your birth control to later in the day with a progestin only product, you should do so only after finishing your current pack and pick your new time when starting the new pack.
