"this is my first time ever taking birth control of any kind. i&#039;ve been seeing my boyfriend for about 8 months and until about a month and a half ago we used condoms, then i decided to get put on birth control. i&#039;m currently about halfway through my second pack, and things seem to be going pretty well. probably about the second week of my first pack i had abdominal cramps. just like period cramps. my breasts also hurt really bad. but both of these symptoms went away within a few days. my period was also shorter and lighter, but my cramps were just as horrible as normal. i haven&#039;t gained any weight, that i know of. i don&#039;t weigh myself weekly so i&#039;m not sure about that. but everything else seems pretty normal."