Q&A: I was taking my birth control regularly before I knew I was six weeks pregnant.

Good news for you! Because so many women take the pill, there is actually a good body of evidence about pregnancy outcomes for women who were on the pill when they conceived. The pill is quite good at preventing pregnancy when taken perfectly, but even then it isn't 100 percent effective. Add to that human fallibility, and we all know people who have conceived on the pill.

The information available on fetuses exposed to the pill during development is very encouraging. Birth defects do not seem to be increased, and pregnancy outcomes are not worsened. A woman who finds herself pregnant while taking the pill should discontinue her pills, and make an appointment with her doctor or midwife. Because ovulation on the pill will not necessarily be "mid-cycle," ultrasound is usually needed to establish how far along she is. Other than that, pregnancy care for women who conceived on the pill is no different than for anyone else.