Sexual Health Birth Control Using the Pill What to Do If You Forgot to Take Your Birth Control Pill By Tracee Cornforth Tracee Cornforth LinkedIn Tracee Cornforth is a freelance writer who covers menstruation, menstrual disorders, and other women's health issues. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 15, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Anita Sadaty, MD Medically reviewed by Anita Sadaty, MD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Anita Sadaty, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist at North Shore University Hospital and founder of Redefining Health Medical. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Nancy R. Cohen/Getty Images While the birth control pill has an extremely high rate of success, in those cases where it does fail, it is almost always due to user error. In fact, being even 12 hours late in taking your birth control pill increases your chances of getting pregnant. If you miss any of the first 21 pills in your pack you need to use an alternate birth control method, such as a condom, for the next seven days. Less Than 24 Hours If you are less than 24 hours late taking your birth control pill, take your pill immediately and then resume your regular pill schedule. However, if you remember to take your pill the next day and realize you forgot it the day before, take both pills at the same time. Never take more than two birth control pills in one day, unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider. More Than 24 Hours If it's been over 24 hours since you took your last birth control pill, take the last pill you missed and then take the next pill as scheduled. If you've missed more than one pill, throw away those you missed and take the rest of your oral contraceptive package as scheduled. During the Third Week Should you forget to take a birth control pill during the third week of your pack, finish all of the oral contraceptives in your pack and skip the last seven (non-hormonal) pills. Instead of taking those last seven pills, immediately begin a new birth control pill pack, understanding that you may not have another period until you are finished with this new package. Use another method of birth control until you have taken 7 pills from the new oral contraceptive package. Using Alternative Methods As mentioned above, you should use a condom for seven days after you've missed a pill. And if you've missed two or more pills in one cycle, you should use a condom for the rest of your cycle, until you get yourself back on track. Using a condom and spermicide with a diaphragm or cervical cap during your fertile period has been shown to result in almost 100% contraceptive success. You can also call your physician and ask for an emergency contraceptive if you realize you've had unprotected sex. You have 72-120 hours after unprotected sex for emergency contraceptives to be effective. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control. Recommended actions after late or missed combined oral contraceptives. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Emergency contraception.