Uncovering the truth of BC
This week I am excited to ruffle some feathers and give you a different perspective to BC 😉
<Please know that with any topic I share. It comes from a place of when we know better we can do better. I never want you to feel shame for any decisions you have ever made when it comes to your fertility. You have always made the best decisions for yourself with the tools and resources you had>.
There was a time during chiropractic school when I thought I wanted to go on BC. I did all my research and had decided on the copper IUD. It made the most sense to me logically. It was marketed as low hormonal. (Which I am wondering if they can claim that because they aren't actively pumping a hormone in you. They are just using a toxic metal that inflames your body instead and f***s with your hormones regardless…). I remember sitting in the car with my mom. I was telling her about this boy I like and thought it might be a good idea to get on birth control. I told her all about how I did my research and had decided on the copper IUD.
She looked over at me and began to tell me her experience with an IUD. She had one before she got pregnant with me. She tried 7 years unsuccessfully to get pregnant after she married my dad. She had a few miscarriage, then I came along when she was 34. After my birth she never had a period again, did not go through menopause, just no regular periods. She honestly did not think she could get pregnant and eight years after my birth my little brother came along. The miracle surprise baby. Who I could not imagine life without.
Bless the mammas out there that make it a safe place to talk about just about anything. That changed everything for me. It was in those moments I realized birth control in that form would not be for me. I would stick to no sex, condoms, or praying God provided a baby only when I was ready for one. It was then that I realized I should also track my period. That was over 10 years ago, and I still track my period even though I know it will be a 24-26 day cycle; mainly 25 day cycle. If there was one thing I would have started tracking sooner it would have been ovulation (as this is the one true sign of a healthy period).
All of this to say just how much it hurts my heart that sooooooo many young women are place on birth control, many not even for the reason of not wanting a pregnancy… but for the reasons come down to: acne, irregular periods, menstrual cramps, headaches, hormone regulation, depression, heavy cycles…. The list goes on as I hear more and more reasons for why women were put on birth control pills. It appears to be a solution to every symptoms women have (*insert eye roll*).
What hormonal birth control is doing is stopping your normal hormones from functioning. The bleed that occurs is not an actual menstrual bleed but a pill bleed.It is the shedding of the lining from the build up of the birth control pill hormones that have been in your system all month.
Risks or symptoms associated with birth control include by not limited to: breast tenderness, instrumental spotting, nausea, headaches, weight gain, mood changes, missed periods, decreased libido, vaginal discharge, visual changes (even with glasses/contacts), cardiovascular issues, central nervous system issues, digestive issues, thyroid issues, skin issues, blood clots. Sound similar to yourself or someone you know?
Many of the common symptoms women experience while on their period are issues more related to insulin resistance than needing to be put on birth control to mask their symptoms. When there is excess insulin in the body, the thyroid function decreases which spikes an increase in estrogen. This spike in estrogen causes the uterus lining to thicken which can contribute to many of the common symptoms of a menstrual cycle: pain, cramps, breast tenderness, mood changes, headaches, clotty, bloating. Improving your insulin levels will improve your period. So to me the issue would never be to halt a womens hormones and cycle, but to work on insulin resistance.
Fun story… Back in 2016 there was major headlines on a birth control shot they were giving to men and how the study was halted early?!?! The headlines read along the lines of: ‘due to men not being able to handle the side effects’. While there were many articles that came out later to state the shot worked and they stopped it due to “reported side effects” and safety of those side effects. The point remains that the men experience the same side effects women do from hormonal birth control: acne, headaches, mild erectile dysfunction, reduced sex drive, tiredness, and weight gain. The main symptom the men experienced that concerned the scientist was the mood changes and depression. Yet this is still a very common symptom for women on birth control. Research proves over and over again how hormonal birth control affects the brain of those who use it.
Here is what I do know… women need menstruation and ovulation in their reproductive years to 1. Make their menopausal years easier 2. Maintain bone mass while aging 3. Decrease chances of osteoporosis, breast cancer, and heart disease as they age.
There has even been research emerging that women who are on birth control when they get married and come off of it to have a child with their spouse find their spouse less attractive.😱 Women use their hormones and pheromones to attract the perfect mate for them to reproduce with. So ladies if you are dating to marry I suggest you do not do it while on birth control.
After learning all about hormonal birth control… did any of this surprise you?… Or is there any shock or surprise for why women currently have more difficulty getting pregnant? Not saying it is the only cause for infertility challenges…but imagine being on BC from 13/14 into your early 30’s, that is a long time for your body not to have a normal period. Your body does not even know what normal periods are at that point. My hope is one day women know how to use their periods and not be used by their periods. That they realize that turning off their hormones is usually not the solution to ‘fix’ the symptoms they exhibit but to find the root cause will be the best solution.
This will probably be a topic for another day…. But some of the basics for ways to create a pregnancy or prevent a pregnancy come down to knowing your cycle. We chatted about this a few weeks ago. Are you a 21 day cycle or a 35 day cycle or somewhere in between? Are you ovulating? The only time you can get pregnant is during ovulation. During this window you have about a 6 day window. So to say you can get pregnant 365 days a year like we were told when we were younger… is completely silly. Know your cycle and your life changes..for the better of course 🙃
Just remember there is always hope for you on your journey. No shame in where you are on your journey. And to those of you who are starting their journey off of BC. I give you soooo much credit for coming home to yourself. It is a journey that is so rewarding. When we know better, we can do better for ourselves and our future children.
If you are curious about coming off hormonal or low hormonal birth control and do not know where to start….You can schedule a discovery call to see if this protocol is right for you. Typically most women I work with will be on protocol a minimum of 60 days before they start easing off or removing an IUD. When your body is functioning at baseline health you just don't realize how amazing your body is supposed to feel.
💕 Dr. Ashley