Can birth control mess up your period?

Answer 1

There are many different forms of Birth Control, but if you're talking exclusively about hormonal birth control such as combination pill, mini pill, or ring then they don't so much 'mess up' your period as stop it all together.

Menstruation is part of the menstrual cycle/reproductive cycle, a domino effect of hormonal changes between the brain and reproductive organs over the space of 28 days on average. Menstruation occurs roughly two weeks after ovulation, if the egg released is not fertilised it triggers the break-down in the uterus lining design to support a fertilised egg.

Hormonal birth control such as the combination pills works to suppress the menstrual cycle/reproductive cycle in order to prevent ovulation (it also effects cervical mucus and prevents uterus lining becoming as thick) - as a woman doesn't ovulate while on hormonal birth control it means she doesn't menstruate. The bleeding women get while on the pill is a withdrawal bleed caused by the drop in hormones when going from the active to inactive/placeo pills, this is meant to mimic menstration but is not the same thing.

During the first three months on a new hormonal birth control some irregular bleeding is normal as the body adjusts from having a menstrual cycle to this synthetic pattern of withdrawal bleeds. Irregular bleeding can be a common side-effect of hormonal birth control, if it continues after three months it is best to discuss this with a doctor to consider switching to another brand or form of birth control without this side-effect.