If you have never taken oral contraceptives before, you many have many birth control questions.  One of the first birth control questions you may have is exactly how to birth control pills work.  Most contain artificial estrogen that mimics the hormones of your body.  They increase the levels of hormones in your body, making your body adjust.  These extra hormones thicken the cervical mucus causing an uninviting environment for sperm, thus preventing pregnancy.  Physicians usually advise you to take your birth control pills at the same time each day.

One of the most frequently asked birth control questions if “I forgot to take my pill!  What do I do?”  If you have forgotten to take your birth control pill, take it as soon as you remember, then take the next pill at the normal time.  The risk of pregnancy is only slightly increased, but you may want to use another form of birth control as a back up for the next week.  If you have forgotten to take the pill for two days, you should take them as soon as you remember, but use an alternative form of birth control for the rest of the month.  Missing more than three pills may mean you need to stop taking the rest of the pack for the month, but you will need to consult your physician or nurse to make sure.

Some birth control questions concern stopping the usage of oral contraceptives.  Many women who have taken oral contraceptives for years may decide they want to get pregnant.  How long does it take for your body to return to normal?  This varies from woman to woman, but most women should wait until they have had at least two normal menstrual cycles before trying to conceive.  This can range anywhere from three months to a year as some women go through a period where they are infertile after they stop taking birth control pills.