This is breakthrough bleeding, not likely a full-on period. Unless she stacks her pills to only have a period every 3 months. Then it could be a period.
This is what my pill packet always said to do. But it may depend on what kind of pills she’s taking. The packet will have **very **specific instructions on how to handle a missed pill, or 2 missed pills, or 3+ missed pills. Follow the instructions even if she gets breakthrough bleeding. You can have her take a pregnancy test once a week for a month or so to ease your mind.
It’s never a bad idea to use a second form of contraception (like condoms or a diaphragm), so do that if it sets your mind at ease. But for just one missed pill, I do not believe that would be necessary.
This is more consistent with what I was told when I used the pill many years ago; ignore the people who said things like throw the rest of this pack away!!!
Basically when you take the placebo pills, you’re letting your hormone levels drop and your body decides to have a period; usually that takes more than one day of placebo (as I recall) but for some a single missed pill might be enough. The only time I ever had bleeding due to a missed pill was when I left them behind on a weekend camping trip and missed 2 days in a row (that month we used backup methods for the rest of the month).
Thanks to everyone who offered their know-how. Okay, new information: apparently it was a false alarm. It’s gone again. Does this mean we’re good? Or should we still wait/use condoms?
Not really. The question he’s asking isn’t so much “is she pregnant now” but rather “can we rely on the pill alone as contraception, in this situation?” Besides, more than a week before she’s due for a period? The test would be negative even if she is pregnant. (More than one of my friends has gotten a false negative even testing when their period was a couple days late, and my mother got three negative doctor’s office tests with me.)