Hey Momberries,
Wasn’t sure where to post this but I guess you moms will know quite a bit about hormonal BC so here goes:
I’m going to start taking hormonal BC from tomorrow to make my periods more regular cos I have a cyst on my ovary and stuff but anyway I was just wondering what time of day is the best to take the pill? [name_f]Morning[/name_f] or night and what is your personal experience with hormonal BC?
[name_f]TIA[/name_f], [name_f]Vicki[/name_f] x
It’s 100% a matter of personal preference, the time of day makes no difference at all as long as you are consistent. The best time is a time when you are always awake and you will remember. I used to have an alarm set on my mobile phone for 6 pm. I know some people take it when they get up or when they go to bed, and I understand how it can help to associate it with a certain activity so it becomes part of a routine. However, I don’t always get up / go to bed at the same times, so that didn’t work for me personally. I am never asleep at 6 pm, I’m almost always at home, and I just used the phone alarm to help me remember!
[name_f]My[/name_f] personal experience was basically nothing but good. I had no side effects to speak of, everything worked 100% as it was supposed to from the very first pill. I did once get confused about the instructions on what to do if you miss a pill - if you miss one you should take it as soon as you realise and then just take the next one at the scheduled time. If you miss two (I forgot to take them on a weekend trip, this is why this happened to me) [name_f]DO[/name_f] NOT take both of them as soon as you realise, and then take the next one at the scheduled time. Taking three bc pills in a day will make you vomit, a lot. Haha, this was just me being an idiot and failing to read the instructions properly, but nevertheless I thought I’d mention it to help you avoid the same situation in the future!
@jackal Okay, thank you for all of the advice! I doubt that I’ll ever miss a pill but it’s good to know what to do if I do happen to forget to take it. 
I started taking BC pills a few weeks ago to help make my periods more bearable. I’ve just started my withdrawal bleed and I have the same debilitating pain, nausea and heavy flow 
I’m hoping that my body just needs time to get used to it and that my next cycle will be better.
As for timing, I take mine at night before I go to bed; I always eat it with my supper (snack before bed) so I don’t forget it.
@psg007 If it wasn’t for this stupid cyst then I wouldn’t have to deal with these heavy, month long periods but I am hoping that these pills will make it all better, I’m anemic so I am feeling very weak and useless at the moment too
I think I will take them around that time in the evening too, I’ve always preferred taking them whilst eating, it makes for easier swallowing and stuff, hm. Well thanks for your help.
I’ve been on hormonal pills since I was 12 (so almost eight years). For the first 6 they worked fantastically and then I had to have my prescription adjusted and they started working like a charm (on year 2 of this 'script). I take mine at night before I go sleep since I almost always go to bed at a consistant time (go night shifts!) but when I wake up varies two-three hours.
I prefer it to shots and implants as my mother had a bad reaction to the shots and none of my friends have had good things to say about implants. The other thing I like about the pill is once you stop taking it the hormones are on their way out of your system versus the shots/implants where they can hang around for up to a month or two. Although either way most doctors (around here) will say three months for any hormonal BC to be out of your system.
I think the best time, truly, is whenever you’ll be less likely to forget it.
When I first went on the pill, I took it before I went to bed because that was easiest for me- I was home at a certain time every night, so I started integrating it that way.
When I went back on them a second time, I started taking them at dinnertime because I always got home from class around that time. It was the first thing I did when I got home in the evening. Make it simpler to remember.
And I went back on them again this winter, I take it as soon as I get up in the morning. I keep a pack at my boyfriend’s, and a pack at my parents’ so I don’t have to remember to bring them with me. [name_f]My[/name_f] internal clock always wakes me up at 6am now, so with that being consistent, I take it and half the time I fall back asleep 
Its totally a preference thing. I took mine at night right before I went to bed because I tend to do the same routine every night. I just made it a part of my routine to take the pill and I never forgot. I would say make it a part of whatever is your most “consistent” part of the day if that makes sense.