To skip your period on Lo Loestrin Fe, you take only the 24 blue pills from each pack, then immediately start the blue pills from a new pack. You skip the two white pills and two brown pills at the end of the pack entirely. This keeps a steady level of hormones in your system and prevents the withdrawal bleed that normally happens during those last four days.
Which Pills to Take and Which to Skip
Lo Loestrin Fe is packaged differently from most birth control pills, so it helps to understand what each pill does. Each pack contains 28 pills in three colors:
- 24 blue pills: the active pills, containing both a progestin and a low dose of estrogen
- 2 white pills: contain only a small amount of estrogen, no progestin
- 2 brown pills: iron supplements with no hormones at all
Your period (technically a withdrawal bleed) is triggered when you stop taking the progestin in the blue pills and move to the white and brown pills. To prevent that bleed, you finish all 24 blue pills in your current pack and go straight to the first blue pill in a new pack the next day. Toss or set aside the white and brown pills. Repeat this process for as long as you want to skip your period.
You May Already Not Be Getting a Period
Lo Loestrin Fe has the lowest estrogen dose of any combination birth control pill on the market. That ultra-low dose means a large number of users stop getting periods even without trying to skip them. In the FDA clinical trial of over 1,500 women, about 32% had no bleeding at all during their first cycle. By the 13th cycle, that number climbed to 49%. So roughly half of long-term users naturally experience no period on this pill.
If you’ve been on Lo Loestrin Fe for several months and already aren’t bleeding during the white and brown pill days, your body is essentially doing the work for you. Skipping those last four pills and starting a new pack is still a reasonable approach if you want to keep your hormone levels consistent, but you may find it unnecessary.
Safety of Skipping the Withdrawal Bleed
Skipping your period with hormonal birth control is safe. The CDC’s 2024 contraceptive use guidelines address extended and continuous pill use directly, and published efficacy studies confirm that continuous regimens are just as effective at preventing pregnancy as the traditional cyclic schedule. There are no overall differences in safety, compliance, or discontinuation rates between the two approaches.
The “period” you get on birth control isn’t a true menstrual period. It’s a withdrawal bleed caused by dropping hormone levels during the placebo days. It was originally built into pill packs to make the experience feel more natural, not because your body needs it. Skipping it doesn’t cause blood to build up in the uterus or affect your future fertility.
Expect Some Breakthrough Bleeding
The most common side effect of continuous use is irregular spotting or light bleeding, especially in the first three to six months. This isn’t a sign that something is wrong. It’s your uterine lining adjusting to a constant hormone level, and it generally decreases the longer you stay on the continuous schedule.
If breakthrough bleeding becomes bothersome, the CDC guidelines suggest one option: take a hormone-free break of three to four consecutive days. During those days, you’ll likely have a light bleed. Then resume your blue pills. There are two important caveats. Don’t take a hormone-free break during the first 21 days of starting continuous use, because your body needs that initial stretch of consistent hormones to maintain contraceptive protection. And don’t take a break more than once per month, as doing so could reduce effectiveness.
The Refill Timing Problem
When you skip the last four pills in every pack, you use each pack in 24 days instead of 28. That means you’ll need roughly 15 packs per year instead of 13. Most insurance plans and pharmacies dispense birth control on a 28-day cycle, so you’ll run into a gap where you need your next pack before your refill window opens.
The simplest fix is to call your prescriber and ask them to write the prescription for continuous use. This changes the dispensing instructions so your pharmacy and insurance know to fill it on a shorter schedule. Some insurance plans cover this without issue; others may require a prior authorization. Your prescriber’s office handles that paperwork regularly and can usually resolve it with a quick call to the insurer.
If you’re planning to skip your period for a specific event, like a vacation or wedding, rather than continuously, you may only need one extra pack. Ask your prescriber for a single additional pack or request an early refill through your pharmacy, explaining that you’ll be using the pills continuously that month.
Starting for the First Time
If you’re not yet on Lo Loestrin Fe and want to start it with the goal of skipping periods, the process is the same. Begin your first pack as directed, take all 24 blue pills, then move straight into the next pack’s blue pills. Keep in mind that breakthrough spotting is most likely during these early months as your body adjusts. Lo Loestrin Fe’s naturally high rate of amenorrhea works in your favor here. Many users find that after a few months of continuous use, spotting fades and periods stop altogether.