How do I delay my period with OCP's

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, I am using birth control and wanted to delay my period by a few days. Is it safe to skip the gap week, start and second pack and start the gap week a few days later? Or do I need to take the full second pack before starting gap week?

Dear Michelle: You could take the first set of birth control pills and skip the placebo pills and immediately start on the next cycle of pills in order to delay your period. I hope this helps