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Here’s what you need to know. As I considered getting off hormonal birth control I did a little bit of research to understand all the pros and cons. How I could best prepare my body, as well as try to familarize myself with symptoms I may experience. However, the best advice is that everyone’s experience varies, regardless of their reason for discontinuing birth control.
Prior to Getting Off the Pill
As a disclaimer, I lack a medical background, and my insights are solely based on personal experience. These resources were key to helping me have a better understanding of what my body may experience when coming off the birth control pill. The first ones are two different books.
These books offer diverse resources and advice, drawing from extensive research by medical professionals and insights from nutritionists. While navigating through this plethora of information can be overwhelming, I found comfort in learning from experts. Additionally, I discussed my decision with my doctor during my annual physical. Although my doctor mentioned there was no immediate need for me to discontinue the pill, I felt it was important. After being on hormonal birth control for a decade, I desired to ascertain whether my menstrual cycle was normal before embarking on family planning. Identifying any irregularities beforehand would enable me to address them proactively.
Transitioning Off Birth Control
Following my withdrawal bleed from the last birth control pack, it was time to explore alternative contraception methods. I adopted the practice of taking my temperature every morning and tracking it using the Natural Cycles app. Surprisingly, this transition felt seamless, perhaps because I was accustomed to taking a pill daily. Tracking my temperature allowed me to identify ‘red days’ and ‘green days’ within my cycle. The app continuously learns from your data entries, providing insights over time. After four months of consistent usage, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the duration of my menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases.
Beyond merely identifying these phases, I also discovered how to support each phase optimally through diet and exercise. However, I’ll refrain from delving deeper into this aspect in this post. However, Pinterest has a lot of great resources if you search “Meals for Blank Phase” or “Exercises in my Luteal Phase”.
