I am no longer on birth control. My period is regular and actuall follows the phases of the moon. I am overweight but active. Working on being healthier and a healthier weight.
Now. I use condoms. but stopped BC pills a few years ago due to the outrageously high blood pressure it gave me. my blood pressure is high enough without it. I never looked into pther chenical options because I dont like having my body messed with that way.

I am on Ocella, the generic version of Yaz, and I have no idea if I would be regular without it, either. I’ve been on it for about a year and a half, because it was part of treating my polycystic ovarian syndrome. As I’m newly engaged, of course this is something in the back of my mind.

I did not have a period for about four years, from age 17 to 21, because I was too heavy. Once I started working out and eating healthfully, my period came back and was like clockwork for two years. Once I hit a weight loss plateau and my cycle became all kinds of screwed up, I was diagnosed with PCOS and put on Metformin and the pill.

My friend Wendy is a recovered/recovering anorexic who is four months pregnant. She was told she’d have lots of trouble, but they only tried for two months before she got pregnant. She told me that she thinks the key is going off the pill a couple months before you want to start trying and taking folic acid at the same time.

I was on the pill twice before. However, It made me go crazy and i felt that it wasnt healthy to put it into my body. My period came back on a schedule after a few months. I’m athletic and fairily healthy. I have no idea what my Body fat is but my BMI is 19.5. I get a regular period every Month…anywhere from 24-29 days apart. My best friend is a Doctor and she always tells me…A regular period doesnt have to be regular. Essentially as long as you get it…..You’ll be good to go 😉 Science is crazy now a days.
P.S I read your tweet…I’m not vaccinating my future kids either 😉

I’m a major supporter of the NuvaRing. Less thinking about taking a pill every day! It’s the easiest thing in the world. In high school, I tried the Depo shot, which was the worst decision of my life! It threw my hormones completely out of whack (I was a moody mess), and when I got off of it, I didn’t have my period for nearly a year! And that was WITH the pill. I’m pretty sure it should be banned…

I went off the pill about a year and a half ago. I was on it for 10 years (18-28) and decided that I wanted to stop taking hormones and let my body to regulate them. Well, it was a year before I got my period back and even then it took a couple of months before it was somewhat regular. My doctor said that my pituitary gland “forgot what it was like to have to make the hormones” and so I had to take progesterone a couple of times to force myself to have a fake period for the health of my body. I am not underweight but I work out for about 30 mins everyday, certainly far less than the amount I see on the health blogs these days. I do think that every body is different, but the fact that doctors do not warn us that taking BC could be a risk for never getting your period again (what if I actually waited until I was in my thirties and married, and ready to have kids??). Right now I live 3000 miles away from my fiance and have for the past 2.5 years so BC didn’t make much sense to me. But if we lived together, like we will in the near future….I am hoping the withdrawl method and condoms is enough!

i’ve been on Loestrin for a year, have a 20.0 BMI and i’m training for a marathon– every other period is so light and the ones in between are normal, so i’m not sure if i’d get my period naturally. which kind of freaks me out. however i’m not going to get off of it– my initial reason for taking it was to control a slight hormone imbalance that was giving me a nasty rash on my face that varied with my cycle. i guess whenever i actually want it to be for pregnancy prevention and not for dermatitis, i might give more thought into the whole issue.

I use the ring. When I originally went on BC (the pill), it was in part due to amazingly bad cramps that I would get the first day of my period – without fail, and bad enough that I would be in tremendous pain and struggling to function if I didn’t take advil BEFORE the cramps started. It helped so much, and now, has the added benefit of preventing pregnancy until I’m ready to become a mom 🙂

I started yaz at 15 because of serious pmdd issues.. I’ve been on it for 3 years so far. Within the last year, I lost an extreme amount of weight (from depression..) I was about a 17.2 bmi.. and I still got my period. My doctor said that the only reason I still DID get it was because I was on the pill. I’m back at a healthy weight.. and am still on BC. My cousin was a cross country runner in high school.. during season she would loose about 10 pounds.. and loose her period, and during offseason she would gain weight + get her period back. It differs for every person. I’d talk to your OB/GYN because they’re most likely to know…

To be honest, I hate birth control. I hate how it makes me feel mostly. I have been on pretty much every kind (except for the shot and that thing they insert in you. yikes) but if I wasnt on it, I dont think i would ever get my period. I never even started getting it naturally, I had to go on birth control (wishes do come true, because I think starting at age 12, I prayed every night that I wouldnt EVER get my period. meh irony is a bitch).
I am on the ring now. I like it a lot better because I tend to think about it less. but I feel like it makes me way more moody than need be. Does this ever happen to you? or anyone? I have heard it from a lot of people but I am a stupid bitch sometimes when I am on BC. but I dont want a baby anytime soon so its kind of a double edge sword. It’s give and take I guess. I think its good you just posted this- puts things into prospective for me. i was actually jsut talking to a friend about getting off BC all together. but I think now that its best to wait until Im ready for what could come because of it.

and lets be honest, my dad would probably pee himself.

xo-molly
http://www.givinganythingbutup.wordpress.com

When I lost 40 lbs I stopped having my period along the way. So I stopped taking the pill. I didn’t have my period for 5 years and no doctor could explain to me why. When I finally started seeing alternative doctors I began to balance my hormones again and gain some weight. Finally I started having regular periods again and am now (after two miscarriages) 4 months pregnant. But the journey has been devastating.

I want to say that even though I wasn’t at an unhealthy weight or body fat percentage, it was just too low for MY body to function properly. It took my a while to accept that I cannot have the body that society tells me I should, and still function as a woman who wants to have children. I had to readjust my priorities and ease off my workouts to protect this baby. And I am so thankful that I did.

I started taking BCP when I was 14 for hormonal issues, and continued using them when I became sexually active. I’m 24 now and have been off them for about 3 years because the side effects were becoming too much. My cycles have always been somewhat irregular (sometimes I’d go 3 months without having a period, sometimes it’d come every 1.5 months, and there was a period where I went nearly an entire year), but it took about 2 years after getting off the pill for them to get as close to regular as they’re going to get. I can’t say “ooh, it’s the 4th! time to bleed!” (TMI? is anything TMI here?) but I have a general idea. As of now, I am not interested in going back to anything hormonal. I’d consider the IUD but right now condoms work, as annoying as they are. I’m at a place in my life where although I am not ready for kids right now (and probably won’t be for another year), I know that I would like them in 2-4 years so I’m skeptical of getting back on any type of BCP.

I don’t like that Gulianna seems to imply that she isn’t able to work out anymore because she has to gain weight. It is still very possible if she just changes her routine and eating habits a little! She makes it sound like she’s just going to sit around and “get fat”.

This is such an important issue for so many reasons! Thank you for starting up a discussion.

I went on BC in high school because I had really bad acne associated with my horomones, and it helped TREMENDOUSLY! And then when I lost too much weight due to my ED, even the BC could not keep my periods steady. And once I went off of it, I did not menstruate for at least a year. I’m now back on Lo-Estrin, one of the lowest horomone BC’s out there, and I do ovulate regularly (I think). But I do not like being on BC, I wish that I could allow my body to do things naturally, however my OBGYN feels that since my ED, getting my body “back on track” horomonally is important.

I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to take BC to regulate your horomones if needed, especially when it comes to the weight issue. I am at a healthy weight, but I believe that our horomones are like our metabolism, in that they take more time to adjust to changes in our body.

I was just kind of disappointed in the way the Rancic issue was handled because like “DUH”, is no one going to step up and say, “look if you are not ovulating due to your weight, then let’s get this (weight and mindset) under control before you become a mother”.

I’ve never taken hormonal BC. My periods are spot on regular every 28 days (a very regular yoga practice certainly helps with that), even when I was very very thing (unhealthy thin) I got my periods regularly.

Conversely I don’t want kids so I know my cycle very very well 😉

My cycle is very messed up. I have three children and got my tubal ligation after my final child (the Dr. finally agreed, because I was only 26 they didnt want to, but I begged). I am 30 now and the Dr. wants me back on the pill due to the fact that my period is sometimes only 14 day apart. I don’t want to use the pill so am trying other things such as diet.

I went on the pill when I got married 5 years ago but went off a year later due to high blood pressures (I was 29 and high BP ran on both sides of the family, it was genetic). I have to take meds but my bp is under control. I’ll never be able to use the pill again so we use condoms, what can you do? My cycle is irregular, I do get my period but my cycle can be 21-28 days, two periods in a month is super fun:( They also can fluctuate on the cycle of 2 of the girls I work with! There is a week every month were we are the trifecta of PMS.

I have never been on birth control. Pretty much the minute my husband and I got married we started trying for a baby. We had no idea that we’d be here, three years later and no baby yet!

I used to get my period very regularly when I weighed my highest and after I had lost 90ish pounds I just stopped getting it altogether. I thought it had come back for one month, but I haven’t seen it since. I know I am still technically “overweight” and I’m certainly not at an ideal body fat %, so I’m not sure what’s wrong. I’ve been to the doctor a couple of times, they ran some tests, but so far everything looks fine. I’m just not getting a period, whatsoever.

I pray that you will have a much easier time conceiving when you choose to!

I also think this topic is really interesting. 5 years ago before I was married I was diagnosed with hypothalmic amenorrhea because of the amount of stress I was under. Stress can cause your hypothalmus and pituitary glands to function abnormally.

I was put on birth control then to regulate my cycle b/c I had been without a period for 6 months. The birth control did it’s job until last year when I went off it in hopes to conceive. Two months of really long cycles and then absent cycles again. Playing a role, now in our battle with infertility are Polycystic ovaries. At 5’3″ and 115 lbs., and a body fat of 19% I meet no criteria for PCOS except the cysts on my ovaries. Believe me, if gaining 10 lbs. could regulate my cycle I would do it. But I’ve asked and they said it would not, so injectables for infertility are my best bet.

It’s very interesting to see the effects of all sorts of outside stressors that can mess with your bodies makeup.

I was on birth control for about 2 years, I went off last January so we could start trying to get pregnant. I got one period after that and then they stopped. I have been very active my whole life and always had regular periods, but while I was on birth control I ended up losing about 20lbs while I was planning for my wedding and I dropped to around 98-100lbs. I guessing that my birth \control as hiding the fact that this affected my body. In October my doctor put me on Provera to start my period and then I went on Clomid to help me to ovulate so I could get pregnant, now I have been on it for almost six months with no luck. It has been a very long and frustrating process and we are probably going to have to move into the next phase of fertility treatments. At this point I don’t think I ever want to go on birth control again.

I have two very serious hormonal/ovarian conditions that I will have for the rest of my life. I have been to many specialists and have suffered a lot through the past ten years not knowing what I was putting in my body and how it will negatively affect me.

I have done a LOT of research and you must acknowledge that any “created/false” hormone entering your body can have negative consequences. And the longer you’re on it the more damage you can do.

Yes, everyone is different. But I believe that if preventing pregnancy is your only use for it, don’t. You could inevitably make it much harder to conceive. If you’re on the pill for medical reasons, however, really question your doctor and research as much as possible.

I have been on the pill twice, and about 7 different hormone replacement therapies (HRT) that have done significant damage to me. Now I take none of them and am doing so much better.

Just a suggestion, ladies. It’s so important to question your doctors and really know what’s going on with science and know what you’re putting in your body.

I’m so glad you brought this topic up because I like seeing other’s opinions of it. I am 28 and used the pill when I was 19-23. When I became more aware of my health, I decided to get off the pill and I’m SO GLAD that I did. For me, it was not the right option. I didn’t like the way it made me feel, and I felt like I was putting chemicals into my body and I felt wrong for this because I was trying to live a super healthy lifestyle otherwise. Since being off for 5 years, I feel like I know my body much better. I had no idea what was going on before because the pill was masking everything. My husband and I use condoms, ovulation test strips, and in addition to that we use NFP. All of this takes a lot of effort and doesn’t allow for much spontaneity, but I’ve used these methods successfully for a few years now, and haven’t become pregnant. I get my period every month like clockwork and can usually tell exactly when I ovulate.

I had an almost perfectly regular period from ages 12-17, went on the pill from ages 17-18, am now off it, and have not gotten a period since.

I have no idea what my body fat % is, but at 5’4-5’5 and 107-112 pounds, I’m pretty sure I’m at the lowest acceptable weight for my height. I exercise heavily, but I have no idea at what point my period stopped naturally. I have an ongoing “mystery” health problem, but seeing as it cannot be identified, I have no idea if it’s related.

Looking back, I never would have gone on the pill. I’ve suffered enough from not understanding my body and being subjected to a frustrating and painful condition that I wouldn’t put it under any unneccessary or “artificial” influence.

I’ve always wished that there was an “off” button for getting pregnant. I don’t think men understand how much women have to worry about getting pregnant. After completely hating birth control pills and being very bad about taking them I switched to the off brand of the depo shot. It works well with my body and I love it. I would highly suggest it if you are having issues with taking the pill consistently. It does bother me that I’m putting high doses of hormones into my body but since I am in graduate school getting pregnant is not an option right now.

I have no idea if I would get my period without the BC pill but I suspect that I would not. I am a marathoner who is 5’6″, 115 pounds, and have 16% body fat. It does kind of make me wonder but the hubs and I aren’t planning on having kids so I don’t give it too much thought.

Also, I posted a longer version of this comment on another blog, but I just wanted to say that I’ve read a lot of comments about Giuliana Rancic, and the majority seem to suggest that she’s entirely at fault. A lot of women are “too thin” because of pressure from the media, or whatever it might be, but there’s also (as you know) plenty of women who are truly suffering from eating disorders. There is a difference between disordered thoughts and an unhealthily skewed perception (and I am NOT saying that this is easy to fix or trying to belittle it in any way) and a true disease. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions about her.

I can’t believe that she is making a fuss about 5 pounds. I know that for me I might struggle with it but if it was to get pregnant then I know I would do it. She is too skinny anyway. I use Microgynon 30 (the pill) as it is the easiest control for me. I’ve been taking it for 3 years now and still don’t trust it though! It has helped make my period regular as before it would be so irregular due to my low weight. I hope that when I do decide to come off it, not anytime soon (!) , that I will get my period back normally. Helen x

I don’t get regular periods without BCP. I’m on Yaz now, and I was on Ocella. Unfortunately, I got a blood clot, partially because of the ocella. I have endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. I have to trust that these chemicals are making life easier on me. But that’s not something I can totally know. As for getting preggo, I’m married, but I can not have a baby yet. So, we won’t know until awhile from now. However, adoption is always an option.

My husband got a vasectomy so I haven’t been on any form of birth control for about 4 years. Before that I was on a pill for almost 10 years. My period was pretty regular at first (even off the pill) but the more I work out the less regular it comes. I’m 5’4″, 123 lbs, and somewhere around 20-22% body fat. My period currently takes anywhere from a 4-6 week break in between. I don’t really think about it, though, because, obviously, we’re not planning to have kids. If everything is working, fine. If it’s not, well, that’s one less week I have worry about carrying tampons with me!

I have been using Nuvaring for the last two years, which I love. It’s not cheap, even w/ insurance, but it’s obviously worth it to me. I would rather not be on BC so that my body could just do its thing on its own. My bf would be fine w/ me not being on BC, but I’m really okay w/ taking the risk… so BC it is, for now!

I appreciated Guiliana’s honesty, BUT, how bad do you really want a baby if you don’t follow doctor’s orders and gain 5-10 pounds? I get that she needs to be thin for her job, but she would probably look healthier if she gained the weight!

First, I love your blog! Second, I had to respond to this question because it is one that is near-and-dear to my heart, as I’ve been struggling with it myself for the past year or so!

About two years ago, I switched from the pill to a non-hormonal IUD, for several reasons. Mainly, I already take insulin (for Type 1 diabetes), a hormone, and I’d rather not pump more hormones than I need to into my body – I avoid it in foods, why take it in birth control form? Of course, the pill is a great method of birth control, one I swore by for several years, and if it works for you, by all means, continue reaping those benefits!

When I went off the pill, my periods became really irregular and then eventually stopped altogether. My doctor really wanted to put me back on the pill to regulate things, but I was determined to figure out a more natural solution – one, I couldn’t see the pill being a feasible long-term solution – what if I wanted to have kids? And two, women have been menstruating for years and years without the aid of pills, so I was convinced there was a more organic solution.

At the time, I was working out, fairly intensely, for 1-2 hours per day, 7 days a week. I wasn’t training for anything, but I was definitely at the fitness level of an athlete. After consulting with my doctor, the Internets, several friends, and Mommy dearest, I was persuaded to try taking a day or two off every week (which, in retrospect, I should’ve been doing anyway – rest days are SO good for my body!). And, so far, it seems to be working.

One big lesson I learned from this is that my doctor is not *always* right. She told me that it was “highly unlikely” that I was having this problem bc I worked out too much because I’m not “emaciated” or “super skinny.” Which, is true – I’m perfectly average in terms of weight and body fat percentage, but that does NOT mean that I don’t work out intensely enough to cause my period to stop.

The other thing I learned, which is a silly thing to admit, is that we do NEED to be getting our periods every month. At first, I was like, “Um, this isn’t really a problem for me! I kinda like it!” But, not getting your period can be a sign of low estrogen, and low estrogen levels can hurt your bones – the very thing I was working to protect! It’s important to pay attention to these cues!

this is such an important topic, and i love to discuss it.

from my own experiences, i am very athletic and i always have been. i love being active. i got my period very late, and it was never ever regular. i should have been more concerned, but i was young and didn’t really think about it. i also did not feed myself well for my activity level as a high mileage runner for many, many years (mostly the 20s- very important years). i did not have an eating disorder per se, and i was muscular so i didn’t look very very thin, but i was not healthy. i ended up with a stress fracture of my hip that required surgical intervention to fix. it sucked. it completely changed my perspective on food and my body. i just started taking birth control now after the injury (i am in my early 30s) to regulate my period. one of the reasons my doctors think i was injured is low bone density from years of not having normal periods. if i could do anything in my life over again, it would be to understand the imperativeness of feeding myself right, of honoring my body and the incredible things it can do and was meant to do. i am so much kinder to myself now, and i always am looking for ways to spread that message to other women so they don’t have to go through what i have been through.

Wow, I really appreciate all of these honest responses. I’m in a master’s program studying to be a minister and – if you can believe this, ha – future ministers (especially those who are unmarried) are uncomfortable talking about sex and birth control.

I went on the pill about a year before I got married (it was called Opri – I think it was a generic brand, it was given to me by the University Health Services) and it made me – to put it nicely – crazy. I was nauseous, anxious, shaky, unable to concentrate. My friendships suffered, my grades went down, my husband started to feel anxious as a result and my mom even mentioned to my sister that she was concerned I was bipolar. The straw that broke the camels back was when I was driving to church on Christmas Eve, getting ready to preach in an hour and I started having a horrendous anxiety attack. It was at that point that I wanted my body back – I didn’t take the pill that night and that was the last time I ever took it.

It did take me a couple of months to have any kind of normal cycle again and after a few months I started carefully charting my cycle so I have a sense of when I’m ovulating (we don’t use NFP, we use condoms, but avoiding more fertile times seems to be smart as well) and I realized that while I’m not completely regular (my cycle ranges from 25 to 31 days) I like the fact that I can feel what is going on, chart my cycles, know what ovulation feels like and be ready for a time when I may be ready to conceive.

I think it is really important for everyone to just trust your body!! Instinct is so important and it is what led me to go off the pill. But I know people who have been on it for years and feel completely normal – which is the best decision for them. Ladies – if your doctor tells you something is normal and you feel like it’s not, don’t be embarrassed to get a second opinion – it’s your body and no one knows your body better than you.

Great discussion!!

When I used to train for endurance events (I’ve run marathons, half-marathons and one half-ironman) I didn’t get my period naturally without BC. My body fat was 18-19%. But then I had knee surgery and had to stop heavy training for awhile. My weight and body fat stayed about the same, though. I went off BC in an attempt to get pregnant, and my period came back immediately. (Oh, and believe it or not, I got pregnant the first month of trying. I figured it would take awhile after years of amenhorrea.) I’m obviously not a doctor, but in my experience, heavy training was what caused me to not get my period, NOT low body fat.

I was on BC for a while in college to help me with cramps during my period. To be honest they did not help all that much, but I remained on BC for the other benefits, aka not getting pregnant. I have used a variety of methods, Yasmin, The patch, Nuvaring, all worked the same, however I always felt always a little off kilter on them. After getting married I was still on BC and my husband started complaining of my constant mood swings. I attributed this largely to how my body handles the hormones.

We talked about it and I decided I was also sick of feeling “crazy” so I decided to go off of them. I am 5’5″ very active, run, lift, work out at least 5 – 6 times a week and maintain 130 – 135 body weight. And since going off the BC my period has remained on a regular 28 – 29 day cycle and I am easily able to keep track of it. My cramps are off and on really bad, but usually only last a day and I would rather have that than have to feel out of control emotionally all the time, which my husband can attest he has noticed a real difference. We don’t use condoms or even plan things around my cycle, just the withdrawal method. It has worked find for us, I know there is risk, but we would be fine if we got pregnant. However, jokingly my husband does call this the “pull and pray” method :).

I have to say I saw previews of this upcoming Guiliana and Bill episode and I was not surprised that they needed to visit a fertility specialist. Not to say I think this is wrong, I have many friends who have legitimately needed one. However, I will be honest and say in this case I think it is due largely to her low body weight. I recently read her blog/website in which she lists out what she eats over the coarse of a day and how much she works out. Let’s just say she is not adequately feeding her body. I feel bad for those out there who have legitimate problems getting pregnant due to health issues, genetics, etc. But I have a hard time feeling bad when it is because of her own vanity and not wanting to gain a couple of pounds to bring life into the world, I mean come on, you must not want to sacrifice your body that badly!

I was on Orthe Evra (the patch) for 6 years and just switched to the pill (ortho tri- lo) this month. So far I do not like it. I had originally taken the pill before the patch and woke up nauseous every single day, that seems to be coming back again. I think I need to try nuva ring, or something else that doesn’t go through my digestive tract (the patch worked really well for me but I started getting nervous about it because of so many lawsuits against it.)

I asked my Dr. for a copper IUD and his office refuses to give them to anyone who hasn’t had a child yet.

Has anyone in the NY/CT area gone to a Dr. who was willing to give a copper IUD to someone without children?

I have 13% body fat and am on the PIll but still get my periods. I have a low body fat because I have a ton of muscle but I also feed myself well.. it becomes a concern if you have a low body fat because you don’t eat enough- that messes with your hormones! My nursing instructor once told me her sister went low-fat with her diet and it stopped her period. I think it just depends on the person and their diet to be honest!

I use the generic version of Ortho Tricyclen. It’s the same kind I’ve used for almost 9 years- figure I shouldn’t change what works. I did get my period on a regular basis before I took it, but it wasn’t consistent on length or when it happened. I do worry about getting pregnant as I’m about to discuss this next week with my doctor at my annual visit. My husband and I have never used any other method when I’ve taken antibiotics (which has been many times since we’ve been together), and nothing has happened.

Needless to say, I don’t like depending on a pill with hormones every day, but I do like having control of when I get pregnant or not.

the thing that bothers with with Guiliana is if she can’t even gain 5 pounds to get pregnant what is she going to do when she has the baby and NEEDS to gain weight to nurture the growing child. It concerns me that she is so scared to gain 5 pounds for the sake of her health and her baby.

The lovely birth control issue.. I haven’t had a period in 2 years. Don’t know my body fat, but im guessing its low. Healthy weight – lower end, but eat a high fat diet. Long distance runner training for 3 upcoming half marys. My doctors say its due to low estrogen. The gyno. isn’t worried since Im only 17 and don’t plan on having kids for quite a while, but my primary doctor is a little worried about what it might due to my heart later in life. I feel like im stuck. Im nervous to go on birth control because strokes run in my family but I know not getting my period isn’t healthy either. stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I am a healthy runner who is on BC pills and I will get my period maybe once or twice a year. Before I had my kids, I would get it monthly, even on the pill. I take Lo Estrin (Junel is the generic). My dr doesn’t seem concerned, but I have been. My body fat is between 17 & 20%, so I don’t think that is it.

finally someone is talking about this!! I was on ocella (generic yasmin) for about 2 years. I decided that yaz sounded so much better, i wanted to try it. yaz made me insane!! my poor boyfriend must have wanted to run, but it messed with my emotions so much i couldndt take it. I switched back to ocella and i was better but still not myself. I was anxious, and depressed all the time. My boyfriend encouraged me to stop taking them and i finally listened. I started them because my periods were so irregular (sometimes skipped 3-6 months). When I went off of them i got my period for a few days the next month. I am waiting for my second period since stopping the pills (which should be in a few days) but it is scary to be off them again. My boyfriend and I currently use condoms but its a scary thing wondering if my cycle will be regular or if i am skipping a period because im preg! I started the pills when I was 16 and am not 22 so I dont know if taking them that long has hurt or helped me regulate. everyone is different, but I can say that while on them it was wonderful not having to worry about getting preg but I alwasy wondered if i was hurting my body by taking them. My roommate told me that her 16 yr old cousin had to get surgery for a blood clot in her leg that almost traveled to her heart. Apparently there is a genetic mutation called the leiden factor which causes you to be more at risk for blood clots. (i may not have all those details correct but i know its called the leiden factor and it increases your risk for blood clots). my roomates cousin had this leiden factor protein and being on birth control caused her to get a blood clot seeing as she was predisposed. I think that it should be a mandatory thing for all women thinking about the pill to take a test for this. im rambling here, but in essence, i think they are great for preventing pregnancy but i just dont see how they can be that healthy for you.

I am active and have played on varsity basketball and tennis at my school. Now that it is over, I am still running and excersisng because I feel better when I excercise. However, I haven’t had my period since last July and I told my doctor and I took blood tests; it says my hormones are normal and I didn’t get anything else back from my doctor, so I guess it’s not that serious (for me, anyways)? It’s actually nice that I don’t have to deal with it, especially whenever I’m going on vacation like I’m doing this weekend (June Mountain)!

I was on Ortho-Tricyclen for 8 years and decided to go off to give my body a break from all the chemicals. At the time, I had just begun training for my first marathon. My period didn’t come back, so after about 6 months, I went to my gyno. She said it was normal and might take my body some time to regulate itself.

I exercise regularly and have a BMI around 20%. Long story short: 3 years, no period. Several trips to doctors (gynos, endocrinologists) lots of tests, and all they could come up with was, “Stop running” and “go back on the pill.” For better or worse, I chose to ignore that advice, and my period FINALLY came back – on its own – this summer.

It’s a scary deal. My husband and I aren’t having any kids, so I wasn’t worried about that. But I can imagine it might get scary for ladies trying to conceive. I wish I had any advice for you, but everyone’s body is so different. I have no idea why mine behaved the way it did. Take care of yourself and good luck!

Oh my gosh, I saw that Guiliana Rancic interview the other day, and about fell out of my chair when she said that! She would look great with 5 lbs more on her! And doesn’t she realize when she gets pregnant, she will gain even more than that?!! That’s part of the whole ‘getting pregnant’ idea… Geez.

I was on birth control for over 11 years, and quit it for the new year. I have NO intention of getting pregnant anytime soon– and we are still actively preventing it– but I was really curious to see what my body would “naturally” do! I’ve heard so many scary stories of women who stop taking the pill, and don’t get their periods back for years, so I wanted to give my body a good amount of time to ‘get back on track’ before I wanted to get pregnant! (a good 2-3 years away for me and my husband) 😉

I was one of the lucky ones who got right back on track, cycle-wise, but I’ve noticed it’s taking a while for the rest of my body to get back to normal– I’ve heard it takes about 3 months for your mood, sex drive, and skin appearance.

I have to say, I’m SO HAPPY not worrying about taking my pill ‘on time’ anymore! I feel so free!!

I think it’s interesting that there hasn’t been a more thorough discussion of condoms. Yeah, there’s a few minutes of interruption in the “passion”, but they are a safe, easy method of pregnancy protections. And, who cares if it inconveninces the man a bit? Women deal with a lot when it comes to our bodies/sex/babies and it’s fair that they share a bit of that responsibility.

Guiliana’s comments are all over the internet right now. I think we need to remember that we are not her doctor. Apprehension or refusal to maintain a body weight sufficient for ovulation is worrisome for an eating disorder. We really do not know what is involved in her quest for fertility. However, EDs are true medical conditions. I’m quite sure the nature of comments would be very different if we just discovered she suffered from leukemia.

I use birth control pills, but more to make my symptoms calmer. I started as a freshman in college, but then lost it when I was sick and I don’t know when that was. I later was taken off of them a few times to see if I could get it naturally and at the time I couldn’t. When I knew I could about 6-8 months ago, I got back on it, but it’s not something I think about a lot now since I’m healthy.
In the meantime, I think her Giuliana’s reaction to gaining weight is a little disordered, just because I’ve seen her diet plan and the way she works out so she probably needs those pounds to be healthy anyway. Yes it’s for the baby, but hopefully she’ll continue it afterwards since it’ll give her a better life as well. And frankly, she can still workout every morning if she must, she just has to eat more to compensate for it and gain weight.

What a great topic! To make a long store short, I have been on three different birth controls and am now taking none (not to get pregnant, but because the last one made my hair fall out.)

The NuvaRing, which I’m sure you’ve seen a commercial for, make my hair fall out!! I kid you not… I thought I was losing my mind. I ‘googled’ losing hair while on NuvaRing and it’s apparently one of the most likely birth controls to cause that. After months of crying and my hair getting thinner and thinner… I made a big decision to stop the use of hormones all together. I’ve used a diaphragm for almost a year now and have had success with it.

However, my periods are not regular and I ust finished a three week stretch of “kinda” having a period – it was weird. Also, my acne is terrible now that I’m off of hormones. I finally feel as though I have control over my emotions (unlike when I was on BC) but am actually considering going back on a low-dose BC pill again to see if it helps with my acne and doesn’t cause any hair loss!

I can only imagine the number of comments you’re going to get on this post…

Giuliana infuriates me. Not only this, but whenever she does red carpet shows she can’t stop talking about people’s weight or diets. It’s almost embarrassing to watch! She seriously has a f-ed up view on body image.

i had been on the pill for awhile until I stopped last year (not in a relationship and didn’t want to waste the $$), and haven’t had a period since. so now i’ll be sceptical of using hormones in the future…

wow! sooo many comments already! This is such an interesting topic for me because I just went off BC after being on it for 7 years, (18yo to now, 25yo.) I went off it NOT because my hubby and I want to have a baby (Not for a few years, thank you!) But because I wanted to NOT be hormonally regulated for once. I was on Ortho tri cyclen LO, then the past year I was on the Nuva Ring, and for a couple months now I’ve been 100% natural! My last period HURT… It’s the first “real” one I’ve had for 7 years! The hubby and I use Skyn condoms now which work out pretty well for us. Aaaaaaand that’s all the personal info I could ever post online randomly. LOL!

I really couldn’t read through all the posts, but my best friend read “Taking charge of your fertility” and went off BC and has been charting since about May. She was trying to get pregnant, but it helps you know when you’re ovulating so that you can do birth control the natural way.

I’m on Yaz…and I like it but I don’t really like taking BC period. I’d like to read the book and chart, but I just haven’t yet!

I went off birth control a couple of years ago and it’s honesly the best thing I ever did. It took me a good 4 months to get a period afterwards (which was stressful) but now my cycle is more consistent than ever. I figure I’ve been married a year now, and don’t get me wrong we are careful, but would getting pregnant be the worst thing in the world? I feel waaaaaaay more in tune with my body and honestly I HATED how the hormones in birth control made me feel!

My advice: Go off the pill lady! You won’t regret it I promise. Pull and pray (just kidding of course).

Interesting topic for discussion! I had been on some form of birth control for about 13 years (various BC pills, Depo Provera, and Nuvaring). Then this summer, the hubby and I decided to try to start a family. After I didn’t get my period back for 3 months, and pregnancy tests were negative, my OBGYN suggested I see a reproductive endocrinologist, who diagnosed me with low estrogen and hypothalamic anovulation. Basically they don’t really know why, but my body’s not ovulating. Further testing ruled out more serious causes, like a pituitary tumor. I, too, eat healthy and exercise regularly, but not in intense/training mode (about 45-60 min cardio 4x/week, plus 2x/week of yoga or weights), and am at a healthy weight and about 19% BF.
Caitlin, shout out to your hubby, b/c my hubby and I decided to try Chinese medicine prior to pursuing artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization. I started acupuncture and Chinese herbs about a month ago, and we are going to give it 3 months to see if it gets me ovulating (and hopefully pregnant!) before going the Western medicine route.

Jen

wow, this is a loaded subject! i was on birth control for 3 years, and 2 summers ago i just decided i’d had enough. i was on Yaz, which was fine, but i was never getting my period. i just really worried that i would be one of those freak cases where i got pregnant on the pill, but was scared b/c i’d never know. i also HATE taking medications (even for headaches) and just decided that BC wasn’t for me. i just couldn’t justify putting drugs in my body that would make it so i wouldn’t know if i was pregnant…

i think every woman needs to decide for herself what’s right for her body…after i talked it over with my husband we both decided that we were OK with having faith that we won’t get pregnant til it’s right for us!

I’m chiming in late, but I just wanted to tell you…I have a friend who was on birth control pills for at least as long as you. She got married last fall, and she and her husband wanted to try for a baby right away (she’s 33). She had the same concerns as you about not know what her natural cycles are like, or if she was even ovulating, but now she’s pregnant, sooner than they expected!

As for myself, I was on BCP off and on (mostly on) from age 14ish until my first year of marriage at age 25. I first went on them because I had really heavy periods. I went off them because my periods became really irregular. After roughly 6 months of not trying NOT to, if you catch my drift :), I got pregnant with my daughter. I took the mini-pill for about a year while I was breastfeeding her, (though it was probably not necessary, because I didn’t have a period AT ALL until she semi-weaned and started eating solid food) then went off the pills and got pregnant with my son within a few months. My cycles were like clockwork in between the two kids. I was temping and chart (for fun, I’m a science nerd :)), and even had my ovulations pinpointed. After he was born, I got a Mirena IUD, which is good for 5 years. I couldn’t be happier. I don’t get any sort of period at all. I even gave away all my tampons away. 🙂 One thing I really like about the IUD vs. BCP is that it uses a much lower dose of hormones because it’s placed near the ovaries. Plus, it’s supposedly more effective at preventing pregnancy than sterilization. 🙂

as a health care provider (a pharmacist counts!) when a woman doesn’t get her period it is usually cause she is TOO THIN or TOO overweight…or there is some sort of hormonal imbalance going on. The whole reason I freaked out about Guiliana’s comment is because she probably doesn’t ovulate because she’s TOO THIN. Many people with eating disorders don’t get their period. Gaining 5-10lbs doesn’t mean she couldn’t work out anymore! She can still work out!!! BTW if you go on her blog she lists what she eats for a day..it’s basically NOTHING.

http://giulianarancic.com/Blog/2009/4/13/Giulianas-Meal-Plan/
Not trying to judge, but seems pretty neurotic if you ask me….’disordered eating’ if not diagnosed eating disorder…IMHO…

I’m on Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I lost my period at 19 or 20 during my eating disorder. I now have a normal BMI but low body fat, and I know if I went off I wouldn’t get my period. I’m working on getting the body fat up, but it’s still psychologically hard. Further, because of my hectic schedule (doc) I dont have time to sit down and eat at normal times, so maintaining my weight has been a challenge. I’ve had to switch pills several times because I messed up my hormones so badly when my weight dropped. I changed to OTC-Lo over the summer, which led me to get my period every 1.5 weeks because there wasn’t enough progesterone. This also caused really painful sex for some reason, decreased libido, and terrible moodiness. I hated hated hated that pill!! Anyone else feel this way on OTC-LO?
Thankfully, I finally started seeing a reproductive endocrinologist in the fall (if anyone needs help with period issues, HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you see a repro endo!!!!!), and she put me on the regular OTC which has been working great!
I’ve heard the IUD’s are the best things since sliced bread, but I don’t think I can get one until my cycles are regular. For someone earlier who said they aren’t approved for people who haven’t had children, I am nearly positive that is no longer true. Europeans have been using them for awhile, leading to the US to reevaluate its standpoint, and I know many more docs are giving them to their patients. I wish I could have one!
I’ll probably never go off the pill, until I definitely want a child, as I am absolutely TERRIFIED of unplanned pregnancy.
In so far as “extraneous chemicals” vs organic foods—this argument makes no sense to me. For some women, such as myself, these hormones would be otherwise missing, and are thus essential to maintain normal reproductive function and especially bone density. I actually became osteopenic at the age of 21 because I’d been missing estrogen for so long. Beyond that, the amount of hormone in your average BC pill is INFINITESIMALLY small. Hormones are spectacular–you need only MICROgrams to get the job done. So no, a microgram doesn’t worry me. I think before people get all up in arms about “foreign” chemicals, they should read some journals (not propaganda) so they know what’s really happening. I recommend NEJM, JAMA, or even the Mayo Clinic’s website. Please don’t go by what’s on 3rd party sites, as their information is invariably laughable in its error frequency.

This is already a lengthy discussion so you probably don’t need any more input but I was out of town all weekend and feel the need to weigh in… I was on the pill for 11 years and had been reading about how chances of breast cancer goes up 40% after you’ve been on the pill for more than a decade… Also, beluga wales are being diagnosed with breast cancer because of the hormones we pee out into their water… lovely…

Anyway, last July, I decided to go off the pill. It was time for my annual OB/GYN exam anyway so I discussed the non-hormonal options with my doctor. She was great and referred me to some websites to help me understand the options. Ultimately, I chose Fertility Awareness/Sympto-Thermal+rythm method. I take my temperature every morning and look at the other big indicator of fertility regularly.

I didn’t know how bad I felt until 2 months after I went off the pill… I thought that I felt normal when I was on it. In hindsight, my lows were much lower and my highs were so dull compared to how I feel now. I also believe that being on the pill contributed to my eating disorder and going off of it has helped my recovery so much!

Sorry, long-winded, I feel very passionately about natural birth control and believe that I’ve made very healthy choices for myself and my family as well as the well-being of the earth.

Oops, Caitlin–sorry, I mistyped in my comment up there a ways, I meant to say I had 2 babies in TWO years, not 4. Probably a minor typo to you, but it helps explain the timeline of how long I’ve been pg, nursing, weaning, and on the IUD.

I’m on the pill, I look forward to my period every month so I take ginger root and drink fennel tea two days before it starts. I don’t even have to take much. Works like magic for me. Chamomile tea is also a good easy one to. Without it I would not have one at all.

I also tried the Mirena IUD. Since I’ve never had a baby I was way to small inside. It took two nurses and one doctor to put it inside with force. I was bawling and limping from the doctors room to the lobby about to faint from the pain. It was so painful I couldn’t drive myself home. My mom came and picked me up. I screamed and cried all the 25 miles home. My mom said that I sounded like I was in Labor. Long story short I had to be taken to the emergency room that night and had it removed. And that was my hellish experience.

I have stage 4 endometriosis which means that I am unable to take BC pills or any hormonal treatment with oestrogen as it “feeds” the endo. I have terrible bouts of depression and moodswings along with excruciating menstrual pains every couple of months. Thankfully not every month as I have to take time off work.
Exercise and activity, as well as keeping my weight down, can help the pains and the symptoms.
While I am very lucky in that I know my cycle inside out and it is very regular (every 28 days almost to the hour) I know plenty of others who are not as lucky.
I believe that doctors have to listen more to their patients as to their needs. I know that in Ireland, there is very much the mentality that period pains are there to be dealt wtih and “get over it”. As someone who had years of pain and depression (as well as having my appendix removed when it was a ruptured endo cyst)it is heartbreaking to know that many women can’t get an answer from their doctors.
While a little off topic, I know that exercise and activity certainly helps me cope – sometimes mentally more than physically. But you know what, mentally is enough for me.

I agree with Alexandra above. I was on the pill for a few years and have since stopped. It really was negatively affecting my hormones (aka I was a raging b*tch). I’m not uptight or angry off of it. Around my period I do get some pretty bad PMS, however it’s worth it once a month, rather than allll the time!

I’m late to the birthcontrol party, but I wanted to throw my hat into the ring.
I’ve been using hormonal b/c for five and half years. I’ve been on 4 variations of the pill and nuva ring. My first two version of the pill were fine, and I didn’t notice any side affects. My 3rd version, was TERRBILE. I think it was Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 or something. It was a pill that had three different levels of hormones, and then a week of the placebo. The varying levels of hormones TOTALLY wacked me out. I was SO EMOTIONAL. I seriously would cry all the time, over nothing.
I then started on the nuva-ring…I used that for 2 years. I liked it, until I realized that it killed my sex drive. My husband didn’t notice or care (we still had sex just as frequently, but it took me alot more time to….get warmed up, and get in the mood…if you will). I was hesitant to stop using the nuva-ring, because I enjoyed not having to take the pill each day (even after 3 years I would occasionally forget), but not having a sex drive REALLY bothered me….so just this month I started on the pill again. I love my OBGYN and explained all my previous issues…she prescribed me a pill that DIDN’T include 3 different levels of hormones.
The verdict? So far? SO GOOD!

I am fairly athletic, participating in 2 marathons 3 halfs and several shorter races over the last 2 years. I’ve always had a very low body fat percentage (like 12%) even after having babies. The only time my periods were inconsistant was during my high milage months and they were just lighter and maybe longer by as much as a week. I am not on any birth control and when I did get pregnant with both my boys and the miscarriage I didn’t have that much higher body fat percentage (around 15-16%). This is NORMAL FOR ME. I also didn’t have trouble getting pregnant. Actually all he had to do was look at me cross eyed for me to get knocked up I swear. Not as fun but effective for us. He he he he Proof that we are all different and our bodies react differently.

I think that for many of my friends who run marathons they have had a harder time concieving than I did. That makes me sad that things were so easy for me and not so easy for them but they refuse to take my kids for practice so maybe I shouldn’t feel SO bad. I think that having your body at healthy levels of essential nutrients before consieving (folic acid, fat%, healthy eating lifestyle, not drinking, smoking or doing drugs) is important in healthy baby development and she is making too big of a deal out of it. If she is malnourished or underweight then yes, your body will rebel and not let you concieve but we all do things when we want babies, our lives change. She could always go back to all that working out after the babies born.

Very late response, but I just wanted to add my plug for a totally non-hormonal copper IUD. Here in Oregon I had zero trouble finding a doctor willing it do it for a woman who had never given birth. She warned me that there was a greater chance I would reject it, but that it couldn’t hurt to try. While it is an uncomfortable experience, the result CHANGED MY LIFE. I love knowing my own hormones are in control, and my periods have never been more regular. My boyfriend and I can have condom-less sex as much as we want, and I have zero concerns about pregnancy (copper IUD is99.4% effective). I have had it for three years now with no regrets, and will not have to worry for another seven years. My insurance didn’t cover it so I paid $250 up-front, but will not have to shell out more money for birth control for ten years.

We will be switching to the FAM after the baby is born. I prefer to let my body’s cycles happen naturally- I don’t see how it can be healthy to disrupt it with artificial hormones. I have a regular cycle and period, and I’m athletic (well, when not pregnant!). My periods do get shorter when I am extremely active, and a little lighter as well, but I’ve never not had my period. I like to know what is going on with my body, and FAM helps with that.

(PS I was on the pill for 2 yrs and had terrible side effects- weight gain, emotional issues, depression, loss of libido, miscarraige. I went off it, and it was like I was a new person!!)

This is such good timing! I just had a consult with my obgyn and have decided to go off the pill. I haven’t had a normal period in over a year, even with the pill. The solution from the doctor was to continue giving me hormones (progesterone to start the period and estrogen to stop them). I am at a healthy weight, and have enough body fat that my body should be having normal periods. I decided to go off the pill to figure out if my body isn’t behaving normally or if the pill had messed me up. We’ll see what the result is over the next few months!

Great topic, great posts! 🙂

I’ve been on the BC pill since I was 20, so I guess that makes it just over 10 years. I was originally put on it because of hormonal issues that I needed sorted out. I have tried going off it before, but because my cycle was so irregular to begin with (due to said issues), I never regained my period and broke out in horrible acne. I’m sure if I stayed off it long enough, these things would sort themselves out, but I wasn’t willing to wait that long to find out. I’m going to be switching to a new brand soon, and I’m interested to see how that goes. I would like to go off it, simply for the fact that I don’t want to pay for pills, but just the fact that I do have a regular cycle while on them is very attractive vs my old random, not knowing what’s gonna happen when cycle.

I also have little worry about infertility – not only do I have no desire to procreate in the future, but due to other issues, the doctors are pretty sure I am infertile, or would need to go through in vitro/infertility treatments anyways.

I’ve been on birth control since I was 16, so for the past 9 years. I have tried to go off birth control a couple of times through out the years. But I have have a very irregular period and don’t like how I feel while I’m off. My sisters and my mom, barely ever get their periods so I’m sure I would have the same hormonal issue as them. I would like to at some point be hormone free but the fear of getting pregnant is to great for me. I also get concerned about the effects of being on the pill for so long. I have no plans to get pregnant for at least 4 or 5 more years, but definetley want kids at some point.

I had this exact problem after getting off the pill two years ago to try and get pregnant. My periods never came back (10 months w/out a period) becuase of my low body fat %. I saw countless doctors who assured me that weight and body fat were not my problem, but all my hormone tests kept coming back normal. After 1.5 years of trying to get pregnant I finally quit exercising completely, gained weight and was able to get pregnant (after 2 years of trying) with the help of fertility treatments. I will never go back on the pill again because I’d like to have more children and I don’t want to risk that the pill will mask other symptoms.

I’m now 6 months pregnant and have started incorporating moderate exercise into my routine and an focusing on eating HEALTHY. Not just LOW FAT. The low fat eating was what really messed up my body, I believe, and I’m learning to embrace the benefits of eating lots of healthy fats and natural products.

Such an interesting convo going on here. Wow. I’ve had irregular periods for the last 4-5 years or so since beginning more intense workouts and regularly training for half or full marathons. A few years ago, I went to my doc after not having a period for 6+ months and had my hormone levels and blood tested. Everything came out fine. She couldn’t figure out what the issue would be other than possibly body fat, but I know that’s not it. I’m 5’3″ and 130-135 and muscular, but definitely not too low in the body fat range. Basically, she said I could go on BC to regulate my periods. So, that’s what I did. It’s a low hormone dosage version so I don’t really feel many side effects. But this conversation really has me thinking “um, why should I be on it if the dr couldn’t even figure out why I wasn’t having a period. Isn’t that the bigger issue?” Anyway, the temp checking and “pull out” method seem a little harder than BC pill to me.