How to manipulate cycle with pills

Hi:
Thank you so much for this service: I've found so much useful information here:

I am getting married bh June 24. I just started taking birth control yesterday (March 4), on the first day of my period, per the instructions of my doctor.

I'd like to time my period so that I have a few backup days before the wedding, meaning I'd like to be able to go to the mikveh around the 21st or so.

It seems that all the counting involves confuses me and the doctors I asked, who have never heard of nidda and will likely never hear of it again. Any advice would be appreciated:

Thank you:::

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

Mazal tov on your upcoming wedding!

As of now, if you stick to 28 day cycles you would get your period around June 19, just a few days before your wedding. Therefore, it is simpler to delay getting your period for one week than to move it up two weeks. One way of doing this is to gradually increase the number of active pills you take each cycle. For example, this month take the precise 21 active pills and 7 inactive pills. You would then start your next pack on April 1. During the next cycle take 23 active pills and 7 inactive pills (using active pills from another pack). You would start the next pack on May 1. The next cycle you should take 26 active pills and 7 inactive pills. The next pack would start on June 3. You should continue taking active pills until you have consummated the marriage.  

This will leave you plenty of time to complete your shivah neki'im and immerse before the wedding. You should immerse within four days of the wedding. You should discuss the precise scheduling details with your kallah teacher.

This schedule should not present any medical problems; however, it would be best to ask your physician to approve it. You can print out the articles on Hormonal Cycle Manipulation for Brides  and Hormonal Cycle Manipulation from www.jewishwomenshealth.org, our site for medical professionals, which may help your doctor understand the issues involved. In the future, you may want to refer him or her directly to the site, which is designed to assist health care professionals in providing optimal care to patients who observe hilchot niddah.

You may also be interested in our online kallah course, Kallah Companion, which addresses many common questions and is designed to supplement regular kallah classes.

B'hatzlacha!

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases.

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