Should I Put on My Patch Without a Period?
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I am on OrthoEvra and am now 2 weeks late. I do not have any common symptoms (morning sickness, sore breasts, frequent urination). I do have an increased body temperature, body aches and get light headed sometimes. I have taken HPT's (one 3 days after my missed period and one 10 days after my missed period) which come up negative. I am worried about putting on my patch since I have not had a period yet. Should I be concerned about being pregnant? When should I consult a physician?
ANSWER
If you have your patch off more than seven days, you actually INCREASE your chance of getting pregnant over using nothing at all. So if you still haven't put on your patch after 10 days and are having unprotected intercourse, you may already be pregnant and it is too early to show up on a test. Using the patch for a brief time when you are pregnant will not hurt the baby.When you are on the patch, your periods can be VERY light or even non-existent. That doesn't mean that you are pregnant, so keep using the patch until your pregnancy test is positive.
-- Cynthia, CNM
Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
