Taking Mircette^®

You can choose which day to start taking your first pack of pills from the 2 options listed below. Decide with your doctor or healthcare provider which option is the best for you. Pick a time of day that will be easy for you to remember. Taking your pill at the same time each day will help to maximize effectiveness.

1. Take the first white pill within 24 hours of starting your period (this is the day you start bleeding or spotting, even if it is almost midnight when the bleeding begins).
2. To remember your starting day, place the self-adhesive “day label strip” that corresponds to your starting day over the area that has the days of the week imprinted in the plastic.
3. You do not need to use another method of birth control as a back-up method since you are starting the pill at the beginning of your period.
4. Remember to take all of the pills in your pack before beginning a new one.

If the first day of your period is a Sunday, you can follow the instructions below for “Sunday Start”.

1. Take the first white pill of the first pack on the Sunday after your period starts, even if you are still bleeding. If your period begins on Sunday, start the pack that same day.
2. Use another method of birth control as a back-up method if you have sex anytime from the Sunday you start your first pack until the next Sunday (7 days). Condoms, foam, or the sponge are good back-up methods of birth control.
3. Remember to take all of the pills in your pack before beginning a new one.

When you open your pack, you’ll see 21 white active pills, 2 green placebo (inactive) pills, and 5 yellow pills that contain a lower dose of estrogen. It is extremely important that you take each pill in your pill pack-missing just one could increase the chance of becoming pregnant.