Hi there,
I have a question regarding ovulation.
Now, i know is some situations it can be possible to ovulate while on BCP, however, i was wondering is it possiblt to experience false ovulation signs without acctully ovulating?
My question is rather that,i am on day 9 of my active pills which in my calculation would be around the normal time to ovulate when not on birth control. Since last night i had sligh sore breasts, where as today they are actully very very tender around my armpitt area.
I know i'm not pregnant because i had a period 9 days ago, but i'm concerned if i am actully ovulating on the pill, OR my body is is still surpressing hormones at this time to result in sore breasts without actuall ovulation?

I missed one pill at the beginning of the pack and late on a few others due to a recent overseas holiday.However, i have been late on a few pills in the past but always double up on them and havn't had a problem.
Thankyou for your answers!

i'm not sure if i am allowed to link you to another website that could answer your question. The following answer is from the {removed} . i will try to summarize what she has to say about ovulation.

first of all i want to stress the importance of taking your pills correctly and correctly means taking it everyday and at around the same time. anytime you miss a pill, or more than six hours late, you need to use a backup method like condoms

ovulation means an egg being released. a woman on birth control does not have the same cycle as a woman not on birth control. a woman on birth control should not ovulate at all if the pill is working properly. but sometimes it does not work as it should. maybe it is the pill's fault, maybe it is the woman's fault by being careless about taking the pill. so whenever the pill failed or whenever the woman missed a pill, there is the possibility for ovulation to occur. if she misses a pill the second day of the cycle, she will ovulate then. she won't wait until the the 14th day of her cycle to ovulate. ovulation occurs when there is a drop in the hormone levels after missing a pill. ovulation can occur as soon as a few hours to a few days after missing a pill. or you may not ovulate at all after missing a pill.

i used to be careless about taking my pills. sometimes it was not convenient to pop a pill while around other people. sometimes i simply forgot. sometimes i don't have the pills with me. what i do is make sure to take it at a convenient time. for me it is before going to bed. and when i used to go out a lot or spend a lot of time at my bf's, i would always keep in my purse. my friend uses a timer on her cell phone to remind her to take the pill since she always has her cell phone with her. some women associate it with another task they do on a daily basis like brushing their teeth. if it is a real problem, you may want to consider the patch. i can't stress enough about the importance of taking your pills correctly. if you are not going to take it correctly, you shouldn't be on it because some women are so fertile that the day they decide to stop taking birth control, they get pregnant while others wait months after getting off birth control before they can get pregnant. i know i am not fertile and yet i am still very paranoid about an unwanted pregnancy. i can go on and on about emergency contraception and other issues but that is another topic.

i suggest you use a back up method since you said you missed a pill in the beginning of your pack and you were late taking a few others. it is better to be safe than sorry.

Hi again,
Thankyou for your reply, it was interesting to read, i'd love to have a look at the complete website where you got your information from, so i can do some extra reading.
I understand everything you said, except for this:

"if she misses a pill the second day of the cycle, she will ovulate then"
If this was true, then wouldn't you ovulate when you start the placebo pills, as that is a drop in the hormones?

I completly missed day one back on the active pill, and was late for day three.

Thankyou for your time, it was very reasuring to have a second opinion.

Sore breasts are a common side effect of the pill. It does not mean you are ovulating.

"if she misses a pill the second day of the cycle, she will ovulate then"
If this was true, then wouldn't you ovulate when you start the placebo pills, as that is a drop in the hormones?

I completly missed day one back on the active pill, and was late for day three.

Thankyou for your time, it was very reasuring to have a second opinion.


...omg great point... that makes me REALLY nervous to have sex then around the time of my period because wouldnt i ovulate since i stop taking the pills?????

Sore breasts are a side effect of the BC pill, due to too much estrogen. Not many women can actually feel physical side effects when ovulating. The way most women tell is buy looking at their Cervical mucus, and Measuring their temp, usuing the calender method and even using ovulation detectors. Just because you are experincing breast uncomfort does not mean that you're ovulating. If you miss a pill and you follow all of the instructions (ie. Take two the next day), then you should be fine and ovulation should not occur. The pill doesnt not only prevent ovulation, it creates other changes which prevent pregnancy.