what are the brown pills in birth control

The brown pills in birth control are the last seven pills in a 28-day pack of combination birth control pills. These pills are also known as placebo pills, sugar pills, or reminder pills, and they do not contain any active hormones. Instead, they contain iron, which may help replace the iron lost during menstruation and prevent anemia. People do not need to take the brown pills if they prefer to take a break instead, but they must remember to restart the next pill pack on time. It is safe to skip the brown pills and start a new packet straight away, but it is not recommended to skip more than two consecutive cycles of brown pills. People are still protected from pregnancy during the placebo break of their birth control as long as they have taken their pills correctly for the rest of the pack.