can you be pregnant during breakthrough bleeding from missed pills?

[Oliver's Mama]

I'm on the mini pill and missed/was late with a few pills at a time that puts me at a high risk of getting pregnant, however, whenever I'm late or miss a pill I get breakthrough bleeding, which lasts for a few days and includes red blood, which is happening now.  I stopped taking the pills in case I am indeed pregnant, though it's too early to test. 

So, is it possible to be pregnant while you're having breakthrough bleeding related to hormone levels from missed pills? My guess would be yes, otherwise it doesn't make sense that you can't get pregnant by stopping/missing the pill.  what's the point of bothering taking them routinely then?

Being that the mini pill totally whacks out my cycles, I have no clue when a period would be due. maybe it's now, maybe six weeks from now, but if I got pregnant it would have been no more than a week ago, hence I think it's too early to be testing.

Edited by Oliver's Mama - 5/22/12 at 2:05pm

[pattimomma]

This section of your post confused me, maybe it was worded incorrectly:

So, is it possible to be pregnant while you're having breakthrough bleeding related to hormone levels from missed pills? My guess would be yes, otherwise it doesn't make sense that you can't get pregnant by stopping/missing the pill.  what's the point of bothering taking them routinely then?

It's possible to get pregnant when you miss pills. I don't know about the getting pregnant while having break through bleeding though. A lot of women experience break through bleeding while taking their pills regularly and the bleeding does not indicate that the pills are not working.
 

[Oliver's Mama]

What I meant was, I didn't think it was possible to get pregnant while you're bleeding.  But I'm wondering if that's really true because in addition to periods, I bleed when I miss/stop pills. So I guess I'm asking am I safe from getting pregnant due to missed pills since I was having breakthrough bleeding?

[dejagerw]

You can get pregnant even though you are bleeding. Some people (not taking the pill), have very short cycles and can even get pregnant while on their period. (Meaning, they have sex while on their period and the sperm lives for several days prior to the women ovulating). Breakthrough bleeding can also be fertile times too.

If you're not sure if your pregnant, wait 2-3 weeks from when you might have gotten pregnant and test. Or, if you get your real period before then, then you know you likely aren't pregnant either.