03/11/2021
I recently came off the birth control pill after 9 years and I’m never going back. My experience on birth control wasn’t horrible, but I knew it was time to give my body a break and let it function the way it’s meant to. I was scared! Before I got on the pill, I’d had some horrible cycles, and was worried it would immediately become horrible again- or even worse, that I had done some serious damage and wouldn’t get a cycle back for a long time.
Since coming off of the pill there have been some positives and negatives, but the upsides for outweigh any downsides.
Negatives first:
😕The most frustrating- I’ve gained weight. Some women lose weight when they come off the pill, I was not that blessed and it sucks. I’m only 5’0, any weight gain is immediately noticeable on me. But now I have to practice what I preach. I tell myself I’ve done something good for my body, and I’m trusting it to respond the way it needs.
😕Skin texture- I now have more skin texture. It’s not super noticeable, I’m probably the only one who can tell, but my skin is not as smooth as it was. The joys of aging 👵🏻 🙄
😕PMS is worse- My exhaustion and cramps during PMS are up a level. Nothing debilitating yet, but it’s gone up a notch.
Positives:
🦄Mental clarity and energy are off the charts- The past couple of years, I have been chronically exhausted. Like, needing a nap two hours after waking up exhausted. It was actually becoming scary, but my doctor said everything looked normal. I started wondering if the pill was a factor. Turns out, it was the BIGGEST factor! I have been able to concentrate much better, and have so much more energy (except for one or two PMS days), and that’s with me reducing my caffeine intake. It’s unreal how much better I feel, and some weight gain is worth it.
🦄My cycle immediately came back- Because I’ve started using the Fertility Awareness Method of tracking my cycle and knew the signs to be looking for, I was able to see in the first month off the pill that everything immediately was going through all the normal phases and functioning correctly, which was very cool and such a relief.
🦄My body is functioning the way it was intended- I am not super “crunchy”- I love McDonald’s and Coke Zero- but even I know my body isn’t meant to be pumped of artificial hormones to suppress my natural cycle indefinitely. It’s empowering to take more responsibility for my health and to be able to listen to my body more closely.
I’m never going back to pill, but I’m not anti-pill. I think it can serve a purpose for periods of time, and I know some women are on it to help hormonal imbalances or conditions they have. But it’s important to realize that the pill is just a band-aid. Any issue is just being covered up, and as soon as anyone comes off the pill, it’s very likely that the problems will just come back, because the root of the problem wasn’t truly addressed.
If you’re on hormonal birth control and have thought about coming off but are too scared, I highly recommend to start doing research. Listen to positive experiences, figure out what alternatives might work for you, and consider taking the leap. You won’t regret it.
What was your experience with hormonal birth control?