Ways To Support Your Body When Transitioning Off The Pill
The good news is that there are many ways to support your body to ease the transition off of birth control with nutrients, herbs & lifestyle behaviors.
If youve already stopped birth control or youre on it currently and considering this transition, these tips will help you focus on some of the key areas for restore balancing and minimizing symptoms.
Resources To Help You In Your Journey With Birth Control And Hormone Imbalance
- Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten: This book is a must if you want to heal your skin, normalize your period, boost fertility, or lose weight after getting off the pill. Dr. Brighten also gives practical advice on how to support your body on the pill if you choose to do so.
- Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden:This book discusses natural treatments for better hormones and better periods. Every woman should own this book and educate themselves on everything we didnt learn in the ONE period class we had in middle school. Dr. Briden talks about how to break up with birth control, better birth control options, helps you understand what your period should really be like, and other helpful period talk.
- Dr. Jolene Brightens Programs: I highly recommend any one of Dr. Brightens courses. She offers Birth Control Hormone Reset, Hormone Revolution Detox, Period Problems Solution, and Post-Birth Control Rx. I took the Post-Birth Control Rx and was immediately given the tools to start healing my body after birth control.
- Laura Schoenfeld: I worked with Laura through private coaching for 6 months. It was the best investment I have ever made in myself.
- Daysy a personal fertility tracker that helps you get to know your own cycle
Herbal Support For Restoring Hormonal Balance And Promoting Ovulation
If you have tried to change your diet, are taking a whole food multivitamin and you still do not have a menstrual cycle yet you may want to learn how herbs for fertility can help promote hormonal balance, restore ovulation and bring back a normal menstrual cycle. Restoring a natural menstrual cycle is also important for egg health. Hormonal birth controls prevents ovulation, which can decrease egg health. Our follicles require a normalized release of our natural hormones and adequate nutritional levels synthetic hormones disrupt these which may impact egg health.
Fem RebalanceOnce you have stopped using hormonal birth control your body may be confused and in shock. One day your body was receiving hormones and then suddenly it was not. On top of that, your liver may still contain some of those synthetic hormones, which may confuse the body further.
Fem Rebalance is an herbal blend designed with great consideration to women whose bodies may need support to restore hormonal balance when coming off of birth control containing hormones, HRT or great times of stress, including rapid weight loss or gain. This blend may help to restore proper hormonal function.
Suggested usage for this blend would be for 2-3 months after coming off of hormonal birth control. This blend is not recommended for use during fertility cleansing.
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How Birth Control Pills Work Inside The Body
Most oral contraceptives are made with combinations of synthetic estrogen and progestin, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone. After taking the pill, these synthetic hormones enter the brain and act as endocrine disruptors, interfering with the signaling process that is necessary for ovulation. In particular, they prevent the hypothalamus from signaling to the pituitary gland to secrete the hormones that cause an egg to be released. In the unlikely event ovulation does occur and an egg is fertilized, the synthetic progestin thins the uterine lining, making it more likely that the egg will be shed.
Many birth control pills include a week of placebo pills that induce monthly breakthrough bleeding, but this is not a real menstrual period. It is an artificial pattern that eliminates the natural ebb and flow of estrogen and progesterone throughout the cycle.
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It Can Help You Chill Through Perimenopause
Normally, birth control is associated with women of childbearing age, but staying on the pill while you’re going through menopause can make the transition a little easier. “It helps keep your hormone levels balanced and controls some menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and irregular bleeding,” says Dr. Dweck.
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You Had Easy Breezy Periods And Little To No Hormonal Concerns Pre
The envy of many, you may experience some breakouts or mild anxiety as your body weans off its daily dose of synthetic oestrogen, but youll likely be fine to stop taking the pill and see how you go.
Supporting your body to start ovulating and producing its own natural progesterone again will help to soothe any low moods or anxiety, and promote regular, symptom-free cycles.
To help your body ovulate ASAP, make sure to:
- Get plenty of sleep and manage your stress levels. Easier said than done, we know. Try cutting back on additional stressors such as over exercising, caffeine and alcohol.
- Make sure to eat plenty of nutrient-dense wholefoods, and include a good balance of healthy fats, quality proteins and the right kind of carbs in your diet.
- Keep your nutrient stores tip-top, particularly zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. These key nutrients nourish the ovaries and support ovulation – find these all in our beloved Take Me With The Pill
You Can Get Pregnant Rather Quickly
Increased libido combined with uninhibited ovulation is a recipe forâ¦pregnancy! If getting pregnant is your goal, then great, you are on the right track. One study found that at 12 months post oral contraceptive use, women had a quick return to fertility. Another study following 21 women of childbearing age showed that 18 of the 21 women were pregnant within 13 months of cessation of birth control.
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How Many Women Start The Pill
Maybe you started taking birth control for its intended use to prevent pregnancy. And maybe your doctor told you that your mild acne would resolve as an added benefit. Or maybe your periods were so heavy and so painful, your doctor felt this was the only choice. In truth, sometimes birth control is the best choice for endometriosis, seriously heavy periods, or PMDD.
Or maybe, and this is the one that really displeases me, your periods were irregular, you had acne, difficulty losing weight, hair loss or growing hair in unusual places and your doctor started you on birth control and told you that you could figure out what was going on when you wanted to become pregnant.
Women are passed the pill at such a high frequency that things like PCOS, endometriosis and autoimmune disease are often left undiscovered, undiagnosed and untreated. And sadly, sometimes they find out only when they are ready to have children that they have a condition that makes it so much harder.
Your symptoms have a root cause. And while hormone symptoms suck, understand that birth control won’t fix them.
Sure, maybe your periods and skin get better, but the cause of your period problems isn’t addressed by birth control.
Birth control was designed to deliver you enough hormones to shut down your reproductive function. Yes, hormones that suppress your body and therefore, can’t fix the true issue.
Got heavy periods? Could it be thyroid disease or anemia?
Women deserve better. You deserve better.
Show Your Liver Some Love
The liver is responsible for processing and packaging up hormones to get them ready for elimination from the body. Since the pill is introducing extra hormones into your body, your liver might benefit from extra support throughout the process of your body beginning to cycle on its own. Frequently consuming things like quality animal proteins, dandelion root tea, dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, garlic and antioxidant rich berries are all excellent ways to help support the liver’s ability to detox naturally. Talk to your provider about targeted herbs and supplements that help support hormone detoxification.
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Replenish Nutrient Stores With A Quality Prenatal Or Beef Organ Complex
Hormonal birth control causes leaky gut, preventing your body from absorbing all the nutrients from your food. As they say in Ayurveda “you are what you digest.”.This is why women who come off hormonal birth control are deficient in nutrients and minerals such as zinc, B12, magnesium, D3, iodine and selenium-all nutrients necessary for ovarian health. So it’s imperative to replenish these levels ASAP. I prefer replenishing with a quality beef liver/organ complex such as PaleoValleys Organ Complex. Using this link will get you 15% off your order. If organs arent your thing, I recommend this prenatal from Needed .
How Does One Come Off Detox From And Rebalance Their Hormones After Hormonal Birth Control
The post-pill or post-IUD aftermath varies but the challenges it may bring are often surprising. Your doctor may tell you that the acne you have 6 months after is unrelated to quitting birth control, but that couldnt be farther from the truth! If you are still on the pill, I recommend reading my post on how the pill really works?first, then come back to this one. Im not a doctor and this more holistic-based 7-step protocol may not work for everyone, but I have changed my focus to balancing womens hormones naturally this past year by becoming a Certified Hormone Specialist through The Institute of Transformational Nutrition, and Ive learned so much! I wish I had this info when I quit the pill 5 years ago.
Once again, Im not against using birth control, I think all women should have the choice but we are not getting the full story and that is a problem. Women dont know what they are getting into before going on a medication that turns off their hormonal system and natural rhythm. Until they are fully equipped with knowledge of how the pill works, how it may affect their bodies as well as all possible side effects, only then do I believe she can make an educated decision about her reproductive health. Education is lacking in a major way .
Your body must reestablish equilibrium someday, you know? What is the alternative? Staying on the pill until menopause?
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Here Are My Top Tips:
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Support stress levels: journal, have time in nature, exercise, having calming herbal teas, practice daily breathing exercises, and participate in meditation.
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Participate in regular exercise: gentle exercise helps to produce feel-good neurotransmitters including endorphins which are linked with lowering stress and boosting your mood. Exercise also helps to support healthy blood sugar regulation and improve insulin sensitivity to help promote balanced production of female hormones
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Ensure adequate sleep and practice sleep hygiene: This involves turning off technology 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Try reading a book or doing some guided meditation with dimmed lighting to signal to your body its time for rest
Signs Of Postpartum Depression
Postpartum hormonal shifts can leave many new parents feeling down and not like their usual selves. Mood swings, poor sleep, lack of appetite, depression and anxiety, as well as irresistible urges to cry, might all become commonplace. Fortunately, baby blues tend to subside after a week or two. When these feelings dont go away or get worse, they may indicate postpartum depression. Warning signs of postpartum depression include:
- Loss of interest in the newborn
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Feeling generally unwell
Postpartum depression is a serious condition that should not go untreated. If you observe any of the above symptoms, its important to contact your health care provider immediately.
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Side Effects Of Getting Off Birth Control
Side effects might differ if youre stopping hormonal birth control as opposed to non-hormonal birth control. This is due to the fact that stopping any form of hormonal birth control removes external sources of progesterone and estrogen in the body, says Dr. Roskin. Many of the PMS symptoms that hormonal birth control can help mitigate, such as cramps and acne, may reappear.
Stopping non-hormonal birth control, like the removal of a copper IUD, may not cause as many side effects as getting off a hormonal form of birth control, like an oral contraceptive pill or hormonal birth control ring would. This is due to the fact that the body does not have to readjust to changes in hormones as a result of its removal, says Dr. Roskin. An IUD removal procedure might cause some side effects, including bleeding or cramping, but thatll be more immediate after the removal, she adds.
Other side effects of getting off birth control, according to Dr. Roskin, might include:
- Heavier periods
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The pillâs main function is to prevent your body from ovulating, or releasing an egg, so itâs safest to assume that normal service will resume as soon as you stop taking it. âIf you consider the âmissed pill rulesâ, which is the advice we give to women taking the pill, there is a risk of ovulation after just 48 hours, and therefore a risk of.
How Long Does Birth Control Stay In Your System? For most women, it takes only 2-3 days for hormone levels to return to normal after they stop taking most forms of hormonal birth control.
These tubes, which are about 4 in long and 0.2 in in diameter, are found on the upper outer sides of the uterus. They open into the uterus through small channels. It is within the fallopian tube that fertilization, the joining of the egg and the sperm, takes place. During tubal ligation, the tubes are cut or blocked in order to.
After I go off my hormonal contraceptives, how long should I wait before I try to conceive? It can take a while for a womanâs body to adjust back to a normal menstrual cycle when she has stopped taking hormonal forms of birth control. While some women may return to a normal menstrual cycle right away, others can take as long as a year.
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Periods May Become Heavier And More Painful
After about 30 days, your period will start up again. The type of flow you’ll experience may not be pleasant, though. “Birth control pills usually make your period lighter, less painful, and more predictable, so a woman might experience heavier or more painful periods or slightly irregular cycles,” says Twogood.
The Bottom Line Is This:
When you stop taking the pill, your brain and ovaries havent communicated with each other in months, if not yearsexpect it to be a little awkward at first!
There may be a few bumps along the way, but remember, the transition is temporary and somewhat inevitable .
As a rule of thumb, we recommend giving your body around three months off the pill before testing your hormones. From here we can guide you with personalised advice tailored to exactly what your hormones are doing.
There are ways to support every hormone imbalance through diet, lifestyle and nutritional changes – you just have to know what youre dealing with.
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Are There Any Benefits To Taking Birth Control Pills During Perimenopause Or Menopause
Oral hormonal contraceptives like the pill are often the best birth control option for perimenopause symptoms.
The biggest benefit of taking birth control pills during perimenopause or menopause is that it keeps you from getting pregnant. You have a chance of getting pregnant as long as youre still getting your period. Birth control pills are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken as directed.
Birth control pills can help regulate periods, reduce bleeding and pain, and help with acne, as well as keep your hormones at consistent levels. So, during perimenopause, this can mean fewer hot flashes. Oral contraceptives can also help maintain bone health and strength.
But I suggest my patients stop taking the pill once they reach menopause. While every womans situation is different, there are sometimes risks with staying on the pill. Its best to talk with your primary care doctor or OB-GYN to help decide whats best for you.
Expect Your Period To Return Within Three Months
If you had normal and predictable periods prior to going on the Pill, you should expect your period to return within three months of coming off the medication. Remember, it takes a bit of time to restore communication between the brain and the ovaries, and resume its natural rhythmic signaling cycle and ovulation. Therefore, waiting up to three months to get your period is fairly normal. During this time, you may experience changes in mood and libido, anxiety, or acne as you wean off the synthetic hormones, but this typically does not last longer than three months.
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When To Seek Professional Treatment
Side effects that occur after stopping birth control generally disappear quickly, but some people may experience them for a few weeks or months.
Talk with your healthcare provider if your symptoms do not seem to be going away on their own. If your period hasnt returned for 3-6 months and you know you are not pregnant, you may require treatment to help restore your regular menstrual cycle.