As if life isn’t already stressful enough, now you’re worried about your period after Plan B. If you have any concerns about whether or not your period should be just like normal after you’ve taken an emergency contraceptive such as Plan B One Step, then it’s better to find some answers than it is to keep worrying about it. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers that women have in regards to their menstrual cycle after taking emergency contraceptive pills.

Will my period be normal after Plan B?

The short answer: probably not. The fact is, Plan B and other similar emergency contraceptive pills perform their function of preventing a pregnancy from occurring by changing your natural hormones. Plan B One Step is a POP, progestin-only pill containing 1.5 mg of Levonorgestrel. This is a high dosage of a hormone that basically disrupts the ovulation, fertilization and implantation of a pregnancy.

This changes the natural routine of your menstrual cycle and creates a different hormonal balance within your body. Most of the time this means that something about your period is going to be different from what you normally experience. These changes affect women differently, and studies have shown that the changes are greatly affected by what point during your menstrual cycle you take Plan B.

Should I expect to see bleeding right away?

First, let us clarify that there is a significant difference between emergency contraceptive pills such as Plan B and RU-486, the abortion pill. You won’t see evidence of a terminated pregnancy like heavy bleeding after you take Plan B. In fact, if you are already pregnant when you take Plan B then you will still be pregnant afterward, because it only works to prevent implantation before pregnancy, but has no affect if you are already pregnant.

So, you should not expect to see bleeding right away unless you were due for your period anyway.

Will my period come at the same time it usually does?

Not generally. Studies have indicated that the timing of your next period depends greatly on the timing of your cycle when you took Plan B.

• Women who took Plan B within 1-2 days before or after ovulation started their periods when they expected them.
•  Women who took an emergency contraceptive more than two days before ovulation got their period at least one day earlier than usual.
• Women who took Plan B more than two days after ovulation got their period at least one day later than normal.

Will my period be heavier or last longer than normal after taking Plan B?

Longer and heavier cycles are common in about 15% of women who take Plan B after ovulation toward the end of their cycle. Women who took Plan B in early stages of the menstrual cycle may experience spotting.

Will my period be late after taking Plan B?

If you take Plan B after ovulating and toward the end of your menstrual cycle, your period may be 1-2 days later than normal. If your period is as much as one week later than normal after taking Plan B- you should take a pregnancy test.