Should I use pills to plan my cycle?
4 October, 2003
Question:Thank you for a wonderful website.
My wedding is in less than three months from today. You write on your website that one is allowed by the rabbis to take birth control pills to schedule the cycle before the wedding. I just want to know what that means.
Can I start taking the pill now, and plan my cycle so that when I have my wedding, I will be at the end of my cycle, and only two-three days after the wedding night I will become niddah (because the cycle starts over) again (since I will be nidah anyways because of dam betulim)??
Answer:The decision to use OCPs (oral contraceptive pills) before your wedding to regulate your cycle is an individual one. If you have a regular cycle and your wedding is scheduled accordingly, it may be wise not to start OCPs for this purpose. All OCPs can cause bleeding themselves (particularly for heavier women) and there is the possibility of side effects. On the other hand, if your period is somewhat unpredictable, then OCPs can help in this regard.
If you do decide to use OCPs, then you should begin taking the pills this month so that your body has a few cycles to adjust to the hormones. You would want to schedule your cycles so that you stop taking the pill after the first time that you have relations (sometimes this does not happen on the wedding night). It would be a good idea to discuss this further with your physican. Be sure that he or she understands that not only do you want to avoid having your period at the wedding, but that the bleeding has to cease far enough in advance to allow you to do a hefsek taharah, count seven clean days, and immerse in the mikveh.
Another possibility is to use progesterone to delay your cycle. This also requires guidance and a prescription from your physician, and can be done closer to the wedding if necessary.
You may want to share our article on Hormonal Manipulation for Brides, in the section of our website for health care professionals, Jewish Womens Health, with your physician.
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