How should I switch my birth control from a POP to a Combination Pill (Yasmin)?!

How should I switch my birth control from a POP to a Combination Pill (Yasmin)?

I've been on a POP (Errin) for the past year and a half. I want something to regulate my period better, so I am switching to a combination pill (Yasmin). How should I switch from the progestin-only pill to the combination pill?

Can I just start taking the Yas (obviously at the same time as I take my current pill), or should I start taking it the first day of a period?

Also, will there be any period of time when I need to use back-up contraception?

Is there anything else I need to know?

Thank you so much!

3 weeks ago
Please don't answer unless you can give me information based on this. The whole reason I'm on the pill and not anything else is because I have terrible cramps and a highly irregular period (meaning it can come twice in two weeks or once every five months), and so the pill is the only option. The reason I'm switching is because the POP doesn't really regulate my period all that well and my cramps are still debilitating. Thanks.

It's okay to switch right now, in the middle of the cycle.
The are two reasons why people are usually advised to wait until the end of the pack & start with the new pack -- so your bleeding will still come at the expected time, AND to avoid risk of pregnancy when switching to a different pill.

So, if you switch mid-cycle you just have to take those things into account.
Most likely you will not bleed until the last week of your new pack, because you are actually re-setting your cycle. That's fine, as long as you know what to expect.
The mechanism of action for Yaz is slightly different from POPs. POPs don't always stop you from ovulating, they just make your cervical mucous tough for sperm to penetrate. Yaz works by preventing ovulation.
To be sure, you should use a condom for a full 7 days to give the new pills a chance to shut down your ovaries.