The Pill, how are you "protected"?

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

How does the Pill (more specifially Alesse 21) work, the pill you take proctects you for the previous day, current day, or the next day? Assuming you take it properly from the first day.
for example:
you have sex on monday and ejaculate inside the vagina...
the pill from sunday (previous day) is being utilized
or the pill from monday is is waiting to be utilized.
We had sex in the morning early(6am), condom broke possibly with traces of semen inside, that night (4pm) she had forgotten to take the pill because it was thanksgiving. She wanted to restart the next week, but also forgot, stress this time, so thats 2 weeks missed. Now her period is late we beleive, is it because the cycle has been ****ed over?
How does it work? is it a day to day (pill to pill) basis or week to week or what? I'm asking because a certain girlfriend gets annoyed when I ask her to clearify these kinds of issues.

[demonbuttercup]

The pill doesn't work on a day to day basis... like if you take one one day.. you are protected that day.
It works in several ways.
Mainly, the hormones in the pill keep the girl from ovulating, so even if sperm make it inside the body.... there isn't an egg to fertilize.
Also, it thickens the mucus plug covering the cervix.. making it harder for sperm to get by.
Lastly... it thins the lining of the uterus. The blood that lines the uterus is what nourishes the egg if it was to be fertilized and implanted there. The thin lining isn't a balanced environment for the fertilized egg to implant and grow. That is why women usually have lighter periods while on the pill.. there is less blood.
Now if you miss a pill... then an egg could ovulate at anytime due to the lowered level of hormones... that is why its so crucial to take them daily at the same time...every time.
Yes... missing doses could make her cycle irregular.
Hope this helps... I am sure there are better.. more detailed explanations of how exactly the pill works on the Alesse website... or any other BC pill website.

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

because we had sex at 6am and her dose is usually at 4pm which dose protects us? The 4pm dose or the previous day's dose?

[demonbuttercup]

neither... they both do... Each dose dosen't protect you... its taking them to regulate the cycle is how they protect you.

But if she forgot her pill that evening at 4pm... when did she remember to take it again??
Like I said.. if you forget.. the hormone level drops and an egg could pop out at any time.
Plus sperm can live in the body for several days.

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

she was supposed to take it the next monday

[demonbuttercup]

So have she taken a test yet??
She missed a lot of pills, so even if she gets her period, and then starts a new pack, it'll take her body that month to get back on cycle.

[Luvs2plzU]

you're as SAFE as "they" are diligent in taking the PILL as required!!.." I forgot" seems to be the biggest problem??...

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

no she has not taken a test yet. But there have been a few mood swings, upset stomacs and headaches for the past week.

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

it has almost been one month since the day, but she has had no real symptoms. Its though to tell because theres so many "ifs", could be sick to stomac because of stress due to missed period, all type of things but they arent necessarily linked to pregnancy. What about constanly seeing or talking about baby related things? Paranoia or preminition? ****ed we are so stressed out. We're young but not relativly young, done high school, still leaving at home with full time jobs, working for money to go to school. Personally, I think we could manage a child. But theres always that initial first "annoucement" thats tough. Or we could just leave for a month or two and annouce it while we're out of homes. That is, if the big "if" actually happens. By the way, were born in '88.

[Newtolove]

so your 18 and didn't have the guts to say outright why didn't you just get the plan B pill or emergency contraception pill ?