Although birth control is generally a reliable method of contraceptive, Unexpected star Lilly Bennett knows what can happen when it’s not taken regularly or properly. The teen mom recently opened up about being shocked to fall pregnant while on the pill in a new episode for the hit TLC series.
Lilly was pregnant with her son when the episode was filmed. Though this was the first child for her boyfriend Lawrence Bishop, it was the second for Lilly, who has a daughter, Aaliyah Rose, from her previous relationship with James Kennedy. Lilly admitted that her second pregnancy wasn’t planned. She had been on birth control at the time and “literally didn’t think that I could get pregnant,” she admitted, Soap Dirt reports.
However, the mother-of-two went on to explain she had a difficult time remembering to take the pill every day. Lilly said she would often double up on the pill if she missed it the day prior, but she explains the method clearly proved ineffective because she fell pregnant, much to her and Lawrence’s surprise.
Lilly, now 20, welcomed her son in November. She announced his entrance into the world with a candid post made to Instagram. “Welcome to the world Lawrence Charles Bishop IV,” she captioned the post, adding that the baby boy was born weighing “8lbs 5oz 20 1/2 inches long.” The post was accompanied by a series of photos of Lilly, her boyfriend, and their newborn following the delivery. Her next post features Aaliyah meeting her baby brother. The toddler had a huge smile on her face as she looked deep into the camera.
Lilly’s story is a good reminder that birth control loses its efficacy when not taken properly. In such cases, it’s very possible to fall pregnant, especially if further contraceptives aren’t being used, such as condoms.
According to Planned Parenthood, when taken correctly, the pill is 99% effective. However, given that many people miss a pill or take it at the wrong time, the publication explains the pill’s efficacy rate is more like 91% – meaning 9 out of 100 people fall pregnant when on the pill, on average. Planned Parenthood explains that the percentage goes up depending on how regular you are with the pill. It’s most effective when taken around the same time every day. They recommend using a birth control app or simply setting a daily reminder on your phone in order to remember to take the pill.
If remembering to take the pill continues to be a struggle, it may be worthwhile speaking to your healthcare practitioner about other options for contraceptives that don’t include a daily component, such as an IUD. Speak to your healthcare practitioner for more information on other alternatives.
