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" Question I am on the combined pill and have regular periods.  If I happen to get pregnant while on the Pill, would I still have periods?  I&amp;#039;ve had sickness, weird cravings and very bad mood swings, which I don&amp;#039;t normally get. Answer  It is very unlikely that you would have any kind of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, and in particular, regular periods.  When you take the combined oral contraceptive pill, you do not in fact have a natural period, but something called a withdrawal bleed.  This means is that the oestrogen-containing tablets that you take for 21 days are discontinued for the seven-day break (or for the seven days when you take a dummy pill containing no oestrogen).  This causes the lining of the womb to break down because the oestrogen which maintains it has been withdrawn, and bleeding occurs.  This does not happen when you are pregnant, because during pregnancy oestrogen levels rise to much higher levels than when you take the Pill so that no withdrawal of oestrogen occurs and no bleeding should take place.  Very occasionally some spotting does occur that coincides with your natural period time, although this is very unlikely to happen on a regular monthly basis.  Other kinds of bleeding can occur due to, say, a miscarriage or to softening of the surface of the cervix, a condition known as a cervical erosion.  If you have been experiencing sickness, cravings and bad mood swings whilst taking the combined pill, you should certainly make sure that pregnancy is not a possibility by having a pregnancy test.  The chances of it being positive are very small indeed, but very occasionally a Pill failure does happen or if you have missed a day or two&amp;#039;s Pills.  Your symptoms are more likely to be due to some other cause.  Amongst them, pre-menstrual syndrome is a possibility because this certainly induces irritability and mood swings as well as cravings for sweet and carbohydrate-rich foods.  The oestrogen contained in a high-oestrogen pill can also cause nausea initially.  Talk to your doctor about your symptoms, and have a pregnancy test for your own peace of mind.  Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Am I pregnant? Are there any sperm banks in the UK? Can an ovarian cyst stop me from conceiving? Can I be pregnant? Can I conceive whilst on HRT? Clomid hasn&amp;#039;t helped me conceive - what else can I try? Conception problems with irregular periods Could I be pregnant? Could I still be pregnant despite my pregnancy test being negative? Did my ectopic pregnancy reduced my chances of conceiving? Do I ovulate too late in my cycle to conceive? Does delaying your sex life cause infertility? Does endometriosis affect fertility? Does Ginseng affect fertility? Does lithium affect chances of conception? Does smoking affect fertility? Fertility after abortion Fertility and breastfeeding Fertility query First signs of pregnancy Has Chlamydia made me infertile? Has my fertility been affected by the coil? Home pregnancy test How can I increase my sperm count? How can I maximise my chances of a healthy pregnancy? How does a doctor tell if you&amp;#039;re pregnant How long before I can try to conceive again? How long should I wait to conceive after taking methotrexate? How sucessful is sperm extraction? I have PCOS: can I conceive? I have spina bifida and would like to have a child I sometimes produce milk; is this linked to problems conceiving? I want to conceive: what is the best position to make love in? I want to increase my chance to get pregnant I&amp;#039;m having trouble conceiving and I&amp;#039;m worried that I am not ovulating Is breastfeeding stopping me getting pregnant again? Is it safe to conceive soon after a caesarian section? Is my girlfriend pregnant? My infertility treatment hasn&amp;#039;t worked. What happens now? No period since I came off the Pill One ovary and pregnancy Polio and infertility Polycystic ovaries and fertility Preparing for pregnancy Problems trying to conceive Queries about date of conception, and the need for dietary supplements The Pill: how long should I wait before trying to conceive? Trying to conceive We have been trying for a baby for eight months What are the best ways to try and conceive a girl? What are the chances What is the best way to come off the Pill so that I can conceive? What is the best way to get pregnant? What more can I do to have a baby? When am I most fertile? When am I most likely to conceive? When can I start trying to conceive again after my D When can you tell if you&amp;#039;re pregnant? Why can&amp;#039;t I conceive? Will it take me three years to conceive? Will the coil affect my pregnancy?  Last updated 14.07.2014 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ask-the-expert/pregnancy-and-family/a10035/im-on-the-pill-but-i-have-regular-periods-am-i-pregnant/>