The pill is a sticky plaster for your symptoms…

I want to start with saying that I am not anti-hormonal contraception.

I do think that hormonal contraception has a place but I also believe that it should always be an informed choice made from a place of both understanding the body in its natural state (something that we are just not taught) as well as understanding all of the options for different types of contraception and the pros and cons of them.

I have spent almost 15 years of my own life taking the contraceptive pill so believe me when I say that I know how easy it is to fall into the trap of ‘convenience’ - believing that not having a period is normal and that it makes life easier, right?

HOWEVER

Recently I’ve been having A LOT of conversations with different people about coming off their contraception but being scared to in case they get pregnant or because they won’t know when their period will be or thinking that they won’t be able to have sex…

These are all things that we have been made to believe because we have never been taught to tune into our OWN bodies. This is WHY I am so damn passionate about this work because I believe we all have a right to know how our own body works - for fuck sake!

I know too many people who are taking hormonal contraception to ‘manage’ their symptoms - only to stay on the same contraception for years and years and years, never coming back off it to see if those natural symptoms have changed at all because the contraception is not a solution. It is a mask.

The symptoms are most likely still there because the contraception doesn’t fix the symptoms - it uses synthetic hormones to change how your body functions to make you think things are better but that’s because the cycle you are having is no longer a natural cycle. Even if you do have a bleed on hormonal contraception, it is not a period - it is a withdrawal bleed. A withdrawal bleed, from hormonal contraception, is not even medically necessary - it was designed because people were used to bleeding as a sign of non-pregnancy.

But what if the symptoms you had before are not there anymore?

There is a testimonial on the 1:1 support page of my website which tells a story of someone who was on the implant AND the pill to manage symptoms of difficult periods but was bleeding almost every day for years and years without ever getting a review or medical support. In the end, it turned out it was the hormonal contraception causing these symptoms and she is now contraceptive free and living with a healthy, regular cycle.

I would love to say that this is an exceptional story but I speak to too many people who are experiencing irregular bleeding and unusual symptoms even with hormonal contraception. My main concern with this is that - even with a referral to a gynaecologist - they are not then being assessed on their natural symptoms because those symptoms are being masked with whatever hormonal contraception they are taking, which is also potentially causing new or different symptoms.

I don’t understand why people aren’t taken back off their hormonal contraception before they get medical intervention or support - to assess their true, natural cycle and symptoms and then work from there.

For people who are not using hormonal contraception, I would always recommend tracking for a minimum of 3 cycles to identify what is regular for you. For anyone who is planning to come off hormonal contraception, I would recommend tracking for an absolute minimum of 6 cycles because it can take 2-3 months for your cycle to regulate and I have known people to have symptoms from their hormonal contraception continue for a lot longer after that as well.

I say cycles, rather than months, because some people I have spoken to have been confused between monthly calendar dates and their menstrual cycle - thinking that their cycle is irregular because it doesn’t start on the same calendar date each month. The menstrual cycle is the length of time from the first day of bleeding (Day 1) all the way through to the day before bleeding starts again. The period is only part of the menstrual cycle - quite a small part in fact.

So what I teach is how to understand the whole menstrual cycle - not just the period - because it all matters. For example; if you’re experiencing stress, it can slow progesterone which can affect the shedding of your uterus lining and subsequently your bleed. If you’re not producing enough estrogen (which is common for people who are experiencing perimenopause) it can not only affect your mood - as estrogen affects feel good hormones such as seratonin and dopamine - but it can also have physical symptoms such as creating irregular cycles and hot flashes. Estrogen is also responsible for keeping vaginal walls thick and well lubricated which is why the drop in estrogen can also result in vaginal dryness during menopause.

It all ties in together - but if you’re using a hormonal contraceptive, you can only really track when you’re bleeding because they will generally suppress ovulation and affect your natural hormonal fluctuations making you unaware of the natural changes in your body as you move through each cycle.

Preparation for menopause is, perhaps, a whole other conversation but quite often this is another place where we see problems. As menopause is confirmed, and contraception stops, lots of people have spent the majority of their cycling years taking hormonal contraceptives and are suddenly faced with the reality of their natural hormone cycle - which they have not been prepared for. The luteal phase, specifically pre-menstrually, is a great indicator of how perimenopause might feel for some people and is a great way to practice how to support yourself in that phase of your cycle (and in life).

This is why I will always argue for people to at least have a break from their contraceptive options, even just for a short while, to learn about your own natural rhythm in order to make a more informed decision about what is truly the best option for you and for your body.

If you’d like to learn more about your menstrual cycle including each phase of the cycle, supporting yourself and how to track what is regular for you - I am now offering 1:1 support which you can find out more about here or email me directly at hello@periodsandpleasure.com for more information or to sign up.

Whatever path you follow, all I ask is for you not to settle for the illusion of convenience without having all of the information first.