Day By Day Pregnancy

The Mini-pill is Another Type of Birth Control Pill

There is hardly any other contraceptive method as efficient as the birth control pill. Women take it daily, and thanks to the combination of hormones, it prevents ovulation and the release of eggs. And it works as follows:

-It contains a combination of estrogen and progesterone, both inhibitors of the ovulation. Without ovulation there is no chance of pregnancy.

-It thickens the cervical mucus preventing the sperm from entering the uterus.

-It changes the lining of the uterus, thus preventing the nesting of the egg.

The birth control pill has to be taken daily, preferably at the same hour, for twenty one days. There is no administration for the last seven days of the menstrual cycle, and it is within this interval that the period appears. The pills are available either in 21 or in 28 pill packages. For the 28-pill package, the last seven pills are inactive, meaning that they contain no hormones at all.

As for the advantages of the birth control pill, they are pretty numerous.

-The monthly bleeding is less intense.
-The pre-menstrual discomfort disappears.
-There are no consequences on fertility following the use of the birth control pill.
-Hormonal imbalances may be treated.
-It prevents some forms of cancer.

There is one special kind of birth control pill that contains active hormones for 12 weeks and then inactive pills for a week. This means that you will have a bleeding once every three months.

Yet, another type of birth control pill is the mini-pill. It contains progesterone only, and it has to be taken daily without any interruption, preferably at the same time every day regardless of whether you have sex or not. The efficiency of the mini-pill has been reported as inferior to the combined birth control pill.

The normal efficiency of the birth control pill is very high, with only 8 couples out of 100 reporting a pregnancy during the treatment. When taking the pill at random hours or when forgetting to use it daily, the efficiency drops. Plus, the efficiency of the medication also depends on some individual factors too.

For example, the birth control pill may not work properly when drugs or herbal supplements are administered in parallel. Moreover, the incidence of adverse reactions should not be overlooked. It is important to read all the warnings on side effects and the possible consequences on the health condition before using this contraceptive method. Stick doctor’s orders for the administration of the birth control pill!