Expert: Brigid Kowalczyk - 6/29/2006

Question
I take birth control to regulate hormones.  I take a 28 day pill and just finished my first pack.  The instructions say to start the pill the day you start your period or the first sunday after your period.  Is this only for the first pack or do I wait until I get my period again to start the second pack? Do I just continually take it with no break in between?

Answer
You keep taking them.  There should be no days in a month when you are not taking them.  The manufacturer builds into them the "time off" by giving you the "sugar pills" - this is so that you don't have days off when you might get out of the habit of taking them and forget to take them all together.  You have to remember to take them every day at the same time.