One year off hormonal birth control

On By MissVioletGreyIn Birth control, Blogging, Reproductive Health, Uncategorized, Writing

Three days ago marks one year since coming off hormonal birth control with no intention of going back on it.

For those who are new to these updates: first of all hello and welcome! Second: I don’t take hormonal birth control and use condoms with my long-term boyfriend. As far we know we’re both armed and dangerous on the reproduction front, so no unprotected sex here.

For the most part, there’s not been any massive changes since coming off it apart from feeling relatively ‘back to normal’ so to speak. My boobs aren’t perpetually sore and I don’t have to worry about forgetting to take anything.

However, I’ve not had a period in almost seven months. I’m not pregnant (seriously, I’ve done enough tests that I should invest shares in Clearblue) and I can date it accurately as I was coming on when travelling to London for Eroticon this year.

Normal procedure advises that if you haven’t had a period for three months to see a doctor. I did and from what I told him, he surmised it was probably still straightening out from the pill. Doc’s conclusion: wait another three months and come back if still nothing has happened.

As of now, still nothing. I’m still getting PMS like symptoms, like cramps and mood swings, but they come on intermittently rather than the usual build-up before the period starts. I’ll have sudden moments where I suddenly feel really moody (that’s where ‘the brat’ can really come out blazing!) but it’ll go as quick as it comes.

The state of ‘readiness’, so to speak (fellow uterus owners will know what I’m talking about) when you feel like your period is due any moment, I feel like that a lot of the time, with nothing to show for it.

I admit, it’s annoying getting the PMS but no period. With the water retention and just generally feeling yucky that comes with it, you just want to get it done and out your system before the next cycle comes along. Until then, Mother Nature seems to be stuck in traffic.

So that means back to the doctors I go, which probably means I’ll end up having a blood test, scan or both. If in the event it is something like a hormone imbalance, however, the main course of treatment is *drum roll*: birth control pills or some other form of hormone medicine. *Groan*

If that’s the case, my answer is still going to be a big fat no. I’m not going back on hormonal birth control unless it’s a potentially life-threatening situation, where a hormonal option is my only option. i.e. How The Mirena Coil can be used for treating uterine hyperplasia (enlargement of uterine lining) that can develop into uterine cancer.

Until then, forget it. I wholly respect doctors wanting what’s best for us and of course, trying to save a life-giving organ. But it would, generally speaking, deliver a blow to my health, and I don’t wish to go down a road of taking medicines to counteract the side effects of the others I am put on etc.

When all said and done, if I feel like shit because of medication, the last thing I’d want is to put a baby in there, no matter how likely or unlikely I may be to change my mind.

But that’s all speculation until I find out what on earth my ovaries and uterus is actually up to. Chances are, it’s just doing a ‘five more minutes, I want to sleep!’ before kick-starting back into action again.

Generally, I do feel better not being on birth control anymore. It sucks not being able to take my reproductive autonomy completely by the horns. But having said that, I suppose I am in deciding not to take it.

Let’s see what happens and I’ll keep you all updated!

 

All my love,

Violet xx

22 thoughts on “One year off hormonal birth control”

  1. There seems to be this idea out there that women’s bodies all work like well oiled production machines. Everyone ticks along popping out an egg every twenty eight days and then having PMS for exactly three days followed by six days of a period.

    It seems such an affront to medical practitioners when it doesn’t work that way and, surprise, surprise everyone is different! I wish medicine actually listened when women talk about their body. I wish we were more accepting of our differences.

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    1. I agree that there is a notion of ‘why can’t you just take the pill?’ and not really thinking about the potential risks involved. The hashtag #MyPillStory was a good one that raised awareness about how everyone reacts differently to birth control in response to a woman being denied sterilisation (she didn’t want children), when someone commented to her ‘can’t you just go on the pill for the rest of your life?’

      Thankfully, for the most part I’ve had good experiences when it’s come to doctors and medical advice. However I have experienced a few things where I’ve not been taken seriously when it comes to reproductive autonomy. Xx

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  3. I wish you good luck on this road. Hormones really are a bitch, and I am happy I haven’t had to deal with artificial ones for years now. However, I do have to deal with menopause… Honestly, I will much rather deal with this than the bloated feeling of an ‘almost-period’. You have my sympathy, and I hope things sorted itself soon.

    Rebel xox

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  4. Oh, how frustrating for you. I can appreciate what you say about that “state of readiness”. I went through a four months where my period vanished though I wasn’t pregnant, and when it finally came back, I cried in relief. It was very unexpected – never thought I’d miss the bugger! 😉 Fingers crossed that your cycle gets its groove back soon xx

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  5. One of my daughters recently stopped hormonal birth control and her periods are painful, one of the reasons she was advised to go on it but her mental health has improved so much. I would really urge everyone to really research what ever they are prescribed – it is a mind field. Glad u made the choice that is right for u x

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    2. Gosh I hope you get to the bottom of your body stalling and that it’s just working itself up to cycling again. I’ve been hormonal contraceptive free for 6 years now, after 20 years on the combined pill, 2 babies, trying the mini pill that gave me continuous bleeding and rages and the copper coil with failed catastrophically on me. In the end C had the snip and it’s been so much better. I find though I get horrendous PMS, verging into PMDD every month but feel stuck on what to do as I don’t want hormones in me again…anyways, enough of me! I hope you get some answers and can do what’s best for you and your body.

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  6. I tried the pill once when I was young and it made me crazy. I have never taken a hormone contraception since. Condoms have been the way and a vasectomy is the best invention ever if you know you are done or don’t want kids

    mollyx

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    1. Tried a few different combined pills, pop pill and implant, none of them were brilliant. Best experience I had out of all of them was the first one I ever went on which was Microgynon, which was the one I went back on and subsequently came off. Didn’t work out well for me the second time round! So far I can’t fault condoms at all, they certainly don’t leave you with a shit tonne of side effects like that, for sure! If I was absolutely, 100% sure that I’d never be having kids in the future (I can see myself in both having and not having them) I’d go down to the docs tomorrow to get my tubes tied, but even then I’d probably get turned down as they’d say I’m too young.
      Rigevidon was probably the worst one for me, eight weeks in I came off it. Turned me into an absolute moody pschyo! The PMS was so bad I’d break down in tears as if I’d literally just learned it was the end of the world, it was horrible! 😨

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  7. Great post, thank you for sharing. Firstly, good job on prioritizing yourself and knowing your body, not just blindly following the limited advise of doctors. I was on the pill for a long time and hated it, tried many and eventually got off it, had horrific periods and landed with the Mirena which has worked for me but it’s certainly not right for everyone. Only YOU know what feels right for you!

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    1. Thank you Violet 💝 There was no way I’d just blindly follow, I’m far too inquisitive for that! 😂 Luckily the doctor I do see is far from a pill-pusher and has so far, over the last few years I’ve known them, been fantastic. My only other option would be a copper coil, but the procedure is so invasive that I don’t feel comfortable having that done only to find out it’s not compatible with me. So I’ve decided against it. I’m glad you have something that has worked for you, it certainly is trial and error most of the time!
      And completely agree, what’s best for one is definitely not the best for someone else. Xx

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