Changing birth control pills

[Anonymous]

If you went from Lo estrogen pills to higher estrogen pills are they effective at preventing pregnancy in the first month?

I didn’t skip the inactive pills on the lo estrogen pack - just finished the pack and started the higher estrogen pills. I got brown spotting 2 weeks after I started the pills and haven’t had a period since then. Am now on week 7 of the new pills and haven’t had any period.

I am 42 and am taking these to prevent pregnancy and regulate my hormones. I assume I am too old to actually get pregnant while on the pills. My doctor didn’t mention to me to use any back up contraceptives in the first week or month.

[Anonymous]

Take a pregnancy test

[Anonymous]

Also can’t higher estrogen pills cause nausea and breast soreness?

[Anonymous]

why do this to yourself? just get a paraguard put in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why do this to yourself? just get a paraguard put in.

Op - yes that probably would be a good idea. But that doesn’t help my current situation. I guess I could take a pregnancy test. I was just going to wait till I got my period.

[Anonymous]

I’ve switched between different types/brands of BCP’s over the years, including from a low estrogen one (I think it was Lo Estrin?) and my understanding was that you’re covered as long as it was taken regularly, including the inactive pills. What might be happening is that your current brand will give you little or no period - I’ve had at least one pill where my period was only a touch of spotting.

[Anonymous]

Take a test OP, my mom had her last child at 43. That child is now 37 and a niche editor of an international journal. Find out if you're also pregnant with a genius wunderkind.

[Anonymous]

You are not too old to get pregnant at 42.

[Anonymous]

CNM here- if I understand your situation correctly, you should be fine. Simply switching from one combined hormonal birth control pill to another doesn’t require using backup. That’s only if you’ve had a gap in taking them. That said, taking a pregnancy test is never wrong if you just want to confirm and have peace of mind, pills are great but nothing is 100% effective even in our 40s.