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emotion_bigheart

If it's not too much to ask, do any of you use any sort of birth control, and how long have you been using this method?

And a curiosity question: For birth control pills, is it okay if Week 4 in the pack arrives before the period does?

I do. It's been... two years, maybe? I use the "1/20" pills, like Microgestin Fe 1/20, Loestrin 1/20, etc. since they seem to be rather interchangeable (I get whatever exists at the pharmacy, although I'm 99% sure the prescription is for Microgestin).

By week 4, you mean your "off" week where you have sugar pills/iron pills? What's typical is your period comes during that week, maybe a couple days in, because you aren't getting the hormones and your body decides to shed the uterine lining. So, week 4 should start before your period comes, yes. Sometimes you might miss your period on BC, and that's okay and normal too. If you get worried, take a pregnancy test, but it's not uncommon to miss a period because your body had no need to build up a heavy uterine lining.

Your period might last into starting your next pack as well, if you get longer periods. That's okay too. Just take your pills when you're supposed to. (: For me, I get much shorter and lighter periods on BC, but everyone is different.

I was on it for maybe a year and a bit,

I just went off it now though.

I was on that for three years, and it was great! The best part is that (and it's the same with any pill) you can skip the period week altogether, and NOT get a period.