Since I'm on my period now and hating it, this wouldn't seem like such a bad idea. Although, I would probably be the one freaking out for 3 months while I didn't get my period, thinking I was pregnant instead.

I totally agree. I've already had one serious pregnancy scare, so now I actually look forward to the blasted, painful thing every month. However, I'm in the process of getting the arm-implant birth control, and I'm very excited about it. 3 years of protection, no pills to take, and it'll regulate my cycle. I'm looking forward to it.

I guess my pills are triphasic? I only have three weeks of pills, off one week, then start back up the week after.

My gynecologist likes to remind me that I can use the ring to skip periods. I've tried it, but I don't like it. I think I get more emotional skipping a period than I do when I'm PMSing.

I would take 4 periods a year; sounds like a good deal!lol. I hate having a period 12 times a year; I'm going through cramps righ now... :^(

I have been doing this for years. I have HORRIFIC migraines and it helps some. When the packs came out with 3 months I thought hey I was way ahead of the curve! hehe.

Yeah, I think getting proof every month that I'm not preggers is worth it.

i'm with you ladies! i just NEED to have that reassurance that i'm not with child every month. i'd love to have children in a few years but it's just not something i'm ready for yet!

No! It's not safe!
I was on the injection and my periods stopped.

I now have lumps in my breasts that need removing, a period which comes and goes as it pleases and the chance that I am INFERTILE as a result.

I didn't believe the scare stories but NOW I DO.

Seriously. Avoid hormonal birth control like the plague.

fluffy. Taking the pill 3 months in a row is perfectly safe I spoke with a specialist before I did it. Not everyone experiences side effects. I am sorry you did but you did say it was from the shot and not the pill like this article is speaking about. But that doesnt make it unsafe for eveyone.

My point still stands and that is that you should not mess around with nature. By pill or shot or anything.

Fluffy - I know many women who have had bad side effects from taking the shot, but the Pill is different - it's a low dose of hormone.

I do agree, that not messing with your period and getting it monthly to ensure you're not prego is a great feeling too. But at least this option is available for women who have horendously painful periods and/or PMS symptoms.

I've been on Seasonale for almost 2 years now and I can't imagine going back to a monthly cycle. It's great! And for those skeptics out there who think that the monthly hormonal withdrawal bleeding when you're on the pill is assurance that you're not pregnant, you should realize that just because you're bleeding (which is NOT the same thing as your normal menses) does not mean that you're not pregnant - you can be pregnant and have the bleeding too. You just have to trust that the pill works and know that you're not having any pregnancy symptoms (swollen breasts, nausea, etc).

triphasic means theres 3 levels of the hormones in your pill pack....... I just started Yasmin..... I think I like it so far... but I don't think I trust 4 periods a year...

i am curious about this pill, I haven't been on any pills for years. I would really hate to go back, I was on triphasal (made me a road rage warrior), ortho novum (made me a nun, I didn't even want to be touched). I prefer to stay with condoms, but we actually had a condom break... talk about your heart stopping.

Personally I would feel more comfortable getting my period every month, just to give myself peace of mind. Like someone mentioned above, I don't want to worry about thinking I'm pregnant! And since I'm on the regular birth control pills now, my periods and symptoms are never that bad anyways.

I was on seasonal for a while and it worked great. However 2 months ago i had to go back for all the fun stuff and the DR gave me Seasonique (sp). Let me tell you it has been the longest 2 months of my life. EVERY single day I would spot ALL day long. It completely stopped for a week and a half. Turns out thats a side effect of this pill. I have never missed a pill and take them within the same 15 minutes everyday. I called the DR after about 3 weeks of this problem. They told me its normal just keep taking it. After 2 months i called them back and said im DONE!!!! I have about a month and a half before my honeymoon and I cant be havin this!!!! So i got some new stuff. Hopefully its better than the last.

I am on the shot and have had NO adverse side effects. I absolutely love it and cannot imagine using another form of birth control. My cramps used to be so bad that I couldn't stand up, and I have some intestinal problems that also have me in pain a lot of the time, so getting rid of the cramps from my period was a godsend!

sciencegirl has a very good point: getting the "pill period" is not the same as your real period, thus it's not an indicator of pregnancy!

and i'd like to add that i heard somewhere that women aren't supposed to get many periods anyways since when we were evolving we were either pregnant or breast feeding most of the time. so periods are what happens when something doesn't go right (i.e., the egg doesn't get fertilized). just saying that's what i heard.

I love seasonale I have been on it since it came out and I love the 4 periods a year thing. I have had no trouble at all. I did just switch to seasonique , no trouble so far its only been about a month though. Really if you have the option of fewer periods why not take it

I trust my doctor and she has me on 4 period plan in order to combat my severe endometriosis. If it weren't for birth control, my insides would be way worse than they already are. And I definitely don't want any more surgery to cut all the endometrial tissue and adhesions out.

To those who reacted terribly to the pill, perhaps you should talk to your doctor about switching to a different dosage. On regular ortho-cyclen, I was nauseous day in and day out. So, I switched to lo-estrin and it was so much better.

There's actually a version of pills (lybrel) that will stop your period altogether that just got approved by the FDA.

I think this is a wonderful idea.
I once read that when the scientists first designed birth control pills (in the '50s or '60s) there wasn't a "pill period" and women took the pill straight through the month with out any sugar pills (therefore no periods). Many women felt unsafe doing this so the scientists put in the "pill period" so that it would mimic a natural cycle. -- Dear could you see if you can verify that for me? I can't seem to find where I read it.

I was on Seasonale for two years. It was good because I do have very severe PMS symptoms- I was getting a yeast infection every time I had my perios, as well as sever cramping. But after I was switched to Seasonique, the spotting was too annoying. The ring is working ok for now.

I never had this problem.

I believe Seasonique is a triphasic pill, like ortho-tricyclin, and has different hormone levels (this is just what I remember reading when I was researching my options) thus is not quite the same as Seasonale. If you're having a spotting problem, chances are the hormone levels aren't right for you. You can also take whatever pills you're on normally and do what the article mentions about skipping the reminder pills and going straight into the next month, but check with your insurance plan first: my insurance plan only covers 13 refills of birth control per year, so if I had done that I would essentially be paying out of pocket for 2 of my refills (and that's expensive!), but it fully covers Seasonale. Just something to think about

thank god someone finally explained this to me. i was always curious but worried about this. it seems like a miracle pill. starting to wonder if i should try it out.

You can take most pills one pack after the other to skip your period. Just ask you doctor. I have been doing it for about 2 years now. I love it!!! It is great for special even't that come at the "wrong" time like vacations, weddings and so forth.

I was on Seasonale for 9 months. The first three months were fine. I was happy and glad to not have monthly periods. And then during the 6th month (2nd pack of 3-month pills), I missed a pill one night. I took it the next day like you're supposed to when you miss one.
And then the breakthrough period started and didn't end until a month later when I started the next pack. I thought I had a cyst, I thought I was maybe pregnant and having a miscarriage, I was in severe pain. i chalked it up to a fluke, but it happened again 3 months later. I had a breakthrough 3 weeks early.

And THEN, my doctor told me that Seasonale isn't for everyone. I'm on Yaz now, which is for a shorter period. It has a few extra than normal monthly packs, so if I need to "schedule" my period, it's a lot easier.

I've been on the Depo Provera shot for 4 years now. I did take a year off to make sure I didn't have any negative side effects. I'm very fortunate because I've heard stories about bad reactions. I went on it because my periods were horrible, and it was very effective as birth control. I get my period a couple of times per year if that.

It's not for everyone obviously, just like the other methods of birth control. One size doesn't fit all.

it sounds a bit scary.who knows what it'll be doing to your system and hormones?

I had wicked spotting on Seasonale and bailed on it. I tried to deal with it for a while but there's only so much you can take. Great idea, just didn't work for me.

You should never mess with your body's natural rhythms. Sure, getting your period sucks, but it also lets you know that your body is functioning properly.

I'd be worried if I skipped one period.

I was changed from ortho-evra to the 4-period a month seasonique last year (similar to seasonale, but different manufacturer) and i had to get off of it right away. i thought my pms symptoms were horrible as they were, but when i was on that i became a raging lunatic - happy one minute and yelling and crying the next. i had headaches all the time and lost sex drive. my best friend had experienced similar symptoms so i got off of it immediately - before i had finished the first pack. also, when i got off of this pill, i didn't get my period for two months.... and you thought it would be scary not to know you're pregnant while on the pill!? that was a nightmare. i know it's definitely not going to happen for everyone, and that the symptoms may have relaxed once i was on it for more than one pack, but i just wanted to share my story with all of you.

I think that it may mess you up!

I've been on this for years and I love it. I went from the shot to this and it's so much better- like fluffy, I had a lot of bad side effects from the shot too. But this is much different and I can't imagine going onto a regular monthly pill.

I heard about Seasonale a couple of years ago from my gyno and at the time, it was a pretty sweet deal. However, I'm one of those people who tends to get most of the side effects of a medication, so I'm not going to push my luck w/Seasonale, lol.

I believe there is a reason we have it monthly...not going to mess around with mother nature!!

I hate having my period but I don't want to mess with nature this much. There are plenty of ways to ease the symptoms of PMS with diet and supplements - I know because I've done it. If you want to try it, go for it, but it sounds a little too scary for me.

It is natural to have natural cycle of period and women should not interfere with the cycle of natural law by taking these kind of medications. Let me ask one thing! Is it okay to have a full moon every 3 months? Or is it okay to have sun light for 4 months out of the year? It will totally mess up the earth. That goes the same for us as microcosmic being. We are the small universe and should do our best to maintain the natural cycle.

I had two packs of Seasonale and hated it. I took the last white pill 10 days ago and still no period. Anyone else have this happen?

I have had horrible periods(severe cramps, HEAVY flow, clots) for about 2 years now. I finally had a hysteroscopic resection of a fibroid tumor that was bulging into my uterus. My Doctor thought that is what was causing the bad periods. Well, my first period after the surgery was a little bit better, but still limits me in what I can do.. I mean for 2 days I can't leave the house. i am starting a new job so any other procedures will have to wait. I started taking Jolessa(generic Seasonale).. I am on my 4th day of my first pack and for the last 3 days i have had pretty bad cramping on my left side and everytime i eat something i feel lousy.. I don't know if i should just wait a few weeks or if this is a bad sign..