18 May
Period Suppression
One last post from the archives, but only because I want to talk about my period, fertility, birth control and other matter, and whenever I go to write a post I realize it would require a mention of this period suppression thing. Readers who’ve been with me since That Bride will have to forgive me since this is a post they’ve already seen.
The Weddingbee post”Letter to Aunt Flo” inspired me to write a post that I have been sitting on for awhile now. I (happily) could not identify with anything she was saying because I haven’t had a visit from my Auntie darling for almost 10 months now.
Source
First let’s cover the argument against the idea. Christine Hitchcock, Ph.D., research associate, Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research, University of British Columbia in Vancouver makes three distinct points. 1st that periods are normal and ordinary and that we shouldn’t be ashamed of what our body can do. 2nd is that the newest no-bleeding pill (at the time), Lybrel, didn’t completely suppress bleeding in all women. 3rd is that the long-term effects of taking period suppression pills still hasn’t been studied enough.
I won’t address the 1st and 2nd parts of her argument (because I think they are kind of ridiculous), but as far as the 3rd part, the the period suppression supporter in the article, Leslie Miller, points out on her website NoPeriod.com that the original birth control dosages contained about 10,000 mcg of progestin and 150 mcg of estrogen, compared to the 100 to 1000 mcg of progestin and 20 mcg of estrogen that daily continuous use pills have now. So 40 years ago women were taking much much higher doses than we are today, and I haven’t heard of any horrendous side effects yet, have you?
In her piece arguing for period suppression, Leslie Miller, M.D., clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington states that she hasn’t had her period in almost 12 years. Doesn’t that sound glorious? Her argument succintly states that there is no medical reason any woman needs to have a period, unless she’s trying to get pregnant. The last week of pills in the traditional 28-day pack are just sugar pills to help the user keep track of which pills they have taken, and when you skip those on a regular basis, your uterine lining will not build up, so you will have nothing to bleed out.
What originally got me was her argument that period suppression not only cleans up the messy side of things, but it can help with menstrual migrains, mood swings, reduce the risk of anemia and vaginal infections, and of course, eliminate those horrendous cramps I was enduring. It doesn’t have to be expensive because all you have to do is ask your gynecologist for any low-dose oral contraceptive (and make sure and explain what you are planning to do). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said it is safe, and so far no published papers in scholarly journals have indicated that there is any danger.
Before I went in to see my gynecologist, I tried to arm myself with a little more information (from the internet of course). The only other arguments I could find against the idea stated that it could be dangerous because a woman could be pregnant and not know it (because she isn’t having a period at all, and most women figure out they are pregnant because of a missed period) and then spend her time smoking and drinking and potentially harm her baby before she even knew she had one developing inside of her. This does not apply to me, as I do not ever smoke or drink, and I am not sexually active, so not only is there no chance of me harming my baby, there is no way to get impregnated in the first place. [Editors Note: Again, this was written before I was sexually active. Now I am in a monogamous sexual relationship and still do not smoke or drink.]
Yes, it is more expensive over time because I have to buy more packs of pills, but That Groom (now That Husband) is more than willing to pay for it. He LOVES That Bride (now That Wife) with no period, and I know he has tried to convince several of his guy friends to get their girlfriends to suppress theirs as well. I don’t get really really tired for a week before like I used to, I don’t have those weird mood swings where nothing can be done right, and I don’t have those horrible horrible cramps that sometimes had me moaning in pain.
Anyone else a period suppression advocate? Those of you that say I am denying the very essence of my womanhood, you should know that I never felt very excited about being a woman when Aunt Flo was hanging around. I plan on having many many children to surround myself with in Poland someday, I want to enjoy a few years without the monthly visit while I still can. [Editors Note: Baby fever set in quite quickly didn't it? No more few years without children for me!]
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Very informative, I may look into this. I am going to ask my Ob friends for more information. I am sure hubby would love the idea as well.
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1Nothing makes me feel less like a woman than camping out in front of the TV with my tubs of junk food and curling up in a fetal position to ward off the pain of cramps, bloating, and fatigue. I can’t imagine that some would consider that the essence of womanhood!
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:33 am
Indeed!
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Are you worried about how birth control would effect a baby if you accidently get pregnant and not know about it for a few months? This would freak me out a little bit.
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Tanne Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 1:03 am
I meant “affect” sorry
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Kristin Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am
This was my question as well, and would like someone to weigh in on it. Most birth control packs contain warnings that if you suspect you are pregnant to stop use. Smoking and drinking aside, I would think that the hormones would have some affect on the baby, no?
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blablover5 Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Yes that was exactly what I was going to say. When you become pregnant that little embryo sends out HCG hormone which tells your body to turn off the menstral cycle.
That’s why you stop bleeding, because it needs that message to tell the uterine lining to not slough off and doesn’t clean it out.
I don’t have all my old cycle charts in front of me right now but there is such a special balance when it comes to pregnancy hormones I’d really think that taking a higher dose of estrogen and progesterone would mess it up. (I wanna say that it’s prostaglandin but it’s been a few years).
Another question I always had is does the lining keep building and building? We are a very strange species (basically us and Chimps) that will continuously build up the lining and then flush it down when not pregnant.
Just about every other animal will begin to build up a lining in preperation of going into heat. But if you never go through menses when you do allow it after not for 10 months wouldn’t you have a whole lot of tissue to be rid of?
That isn’t to say that skipping menses for some women isn’t an option. For some it is blinding pain and can be quite bad because their own hormones are a bit messed up. But to say that everyone should do it just because they don’t like the hassle could be a bit short sighted.
Frankly I’m tired of always having to appologize for the damn thing. Hell they can’t even talk about it on TV, instead it’s blue water poured onto a piece of cloth. Society is so damn scared of something that happened to 51% of the population every month or so for no damn good reason.
So we invent euphamisms and refuse to talk about it. You get taken to a class in the fifth grade and made to feel like a freak while all the boys are taken away. It’s the othering of mestruation, treating it as something weird instead of just a fact of life that pushes it into this weird taboo area.
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Cate Subrosa Reply:
May 19th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Blablover - I read a book a couple of years ago called The Curse: Confronting the last Unmentionable Taboo, Menstruation by Karen Houppert that I think you would find really interesting.
With regards getting pregnant, taking the contraceptive pill will not harm a developing embryo. The hormones the body kicks out in pregnancy make those in your little pill pail into insignificance. [ Trust me, I'm on the rollercoaster right now
]
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:35 am
Blue water poured on a cloth. Awful, I agree.
Excuse me if this is TMI, but as a newly sexually active woman, the first time my husband blanched at the idea of sex while I was “surfing the crimson tide” I told him to get over himself. And I think he did.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:34 am
Although I would like a better source than this, this was the best I could do.
http://contraception.about.com/od/thepill/f/pillusepregnant.htm
So far, science says no.
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I did this for awhile — about four months on, four months off. It was LOVELY! I didn’t know that doctors would let you go longer — my doc was originally the one who suggested it, so I just went for it.
Now I’m on the Nuvaring and I feel more normal on that. But you can’t skip, I don’t think anyway. I never really found a pill that worked for me.
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Christiana Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
You can skip on NuvaRing - I do
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Natalie Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Good to know! Thanks, I’ll have to talk to my doctor!
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I am a total period suppression supporter. for all the same reasons.
Although the birth control pill is considered a category X for women who are pregnant- from what I have seen, the babies turn out fine, the pregnancy isn’t entirely threatened, and thankfully most women realize they are pregnant before taking months and months of BC anyways. -I took care of a baby who’s mom wasn’t planning on having a baby. The mother had an IUD- and the IUD became dislodged- she became pregnant. Three ob/gyns failed to remove the IUD during her pregnancy- and kept telling the poor woman she might miscarry. Fast forward to one healthy baby boy. But she was terrified and bleeding throughout her pregnancy. I think I would be more fearful of being pregnant with a loose IUD than with taking BC.
Ugh. Talk about the baby itch. Each pack I take I keep thinking; ‘this could be THE LAST ONE!’ (we are planning on actively trying in December!
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:36 am
This was the best source I could find which talks about birth control not causing damage to the baby:
http://contraception.about.com/od/thepill/f/pillusepregnant.htm
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I am considering doing this. I have awful period pains, ovulation pains and shocking PMS. The only issue is that I have had bad reactions to a number of BC pills and have a family history of blood clots. I’ll need to experiment with some different options I think and talk about it in depth with my doctor.
I have heard shocking things about IUD. My mother had a terrible experience with one. She was in such agony with a poorly fitted one that she tore it out (that’s how poorly fitted it was).
I had the injection in February and it has been a nightmare. Spotting, insane fluid weight gain and horrible headaches. Same goes for the implant in your arm.
Another option is Nuvaring, and I think you can do period suppression with it. I’ll have to check that with my doctor too.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:38 am
Christiana, above, says she skips on the Nuvaring with no problems. Talk to your doctor about it!
Oh, and if you happen to encounter a gyno who resists the idea of period suppression ask him if he has read any conclusive studies which say it causes any harm. So far I haven’t been able to find any!
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P.S. I hear you on the baby itch All my girlfriends seem to have it at the moment whether they are in a relationship or not. I think it is partly a hormonal thing at our age (my friends are in the 23-26 bracket).
I know I’ll be waiting another four or five years before babies are an option (I have another two years of university, my partner has masters to complete and we don’t plan on getting married for a few years). I’m totally not even on the baby plane in a lot of ways yet, but my hormones are sure making a song and dance about it!
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7Just FYI, the original unbelievably high doses of birth control have been linked as an extremely contributing cause of breast cancer in women. There were also some other really nasty side effects - my mom said when she tried the pill (for 2 months or something) it caused her to have really bad chest pains and heart problems. I think a lot more people died from using the pill when it first came out than die from it now. The side effects were kept pretty quiet, because the pill was so well received, but they were really horrible for people.
Since my period on the pill lasts for a max of 2 days, and I don’t get cramps (yeah, I know, everyone hates me), I don’t see a reason for me to do this, but if you have cramps, I say do it.
I did have a friend who was on Depo, and got pregnant, and didn’t know for four months until she missed her period. For her, it was a problem because she probably would have had an abortion, but they couldn’t do it at 4 months when she found out. This also probably wouldn’t apply to you. It is frustrating to find out when you are that far along though, because you kind of want all that time to be pregnant to get ready for the baby. She felt pretty rushed.
I would say if you’re going to do this, and be sexually active, just take a pregnancy test every 3 months to be sure. You’ll spend less on pregnancy tests than you would on tampons, and you know for sure.
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8It’s hard for me to relate to this article because I don’t have periods. EVER. Now before everyone goes and tells me how lucky I am, just let me state that I would rather have a period every month than not have one at all due to the fact that not having a period, ever, makes it difficult to get pregnant. So to this I say, I think all of you ladies are lucky that have monthly periods. I, in a sense, envy you. It must be really nice to have the option of period supression. Too bad there isn’t an option to make them come when you don’t have them. (I know there is progesterone but that only builds up the lining of your uterus. It has nothing to do with ovulation).
*I haven’t been formally diagnosed, but I am suffering from the symptoms of, and am being treated for PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
However, I do not envy the mood swings, fatigue, cramping, etc.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:39 am
How long did it take the two of you to conceive? Are your chances of more children good? Little Ella is so sweet and cute!
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I’m still against the pill (any bc pill) for me and will never ever try it, but if it works for you then wonderful
. Plus, my cramps and fatigue and things only last for less than a day. So it’s only one day every month and when I take something (Hyland’s tablets work great for me) it usually subsides within an hour or 2. Last time I took ibuprofen and it took several hours (like 5) before I felt better. I hardly notice the thing after that and usually forget about it. I’d still rather have it than the side effects I know are likely with bc considering my family history (…an identical twin and 2 other sisters to test everything out for me and tell me how it goes 
).
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hannah Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I think if my period and related hormonal fluctuations weren’t somewhat of a hindrance to everyday life, I wouldn’t feel the need to use the birth control hormonally and would rely on another form of prophylactic, because I don’t like the idea of pumping added hormones into myself unnecessarily. I’d kill to have a 2 day period. Unfortunately mine lasts seven days all up and is agony for at least the first three days, and I have cramps up to two days before it. I also get so bloated and uncomfortable that can look up to six months pregnant (ironically).
That being said, I am relieved that I get a regular period because I suppose it rules out some hormonal imbalances, right?
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While I have no problem with the period suppression concept and any one who does it I thought I would shed some light on the getting pregnant after BCPs. Several of that period issues you mentioned in this post are related to a condition called endometriosis. I suppressed my period with a 3 month continuous pill for several years until I got married and then moved to a more tradtional pill. Once I started having my period again I noticed menstral migraines, horrible cramps, and very heavy bleeding. After about 7 months of my OBGYN trying to figure out what was causing all of the pain (I literally would miss 2 days of work each month) I had surgery to investigate. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis and it is the direct cause of my infertility (my husband and I have been working with a fertility specialist since Novemeber with no luck and have just started our first cycle of Invitro).
While not everyone that supresses their cycle ends up in my situation, I believe that had I dealt with my symptoms and not supressed them I would have caught my enometriosis sooner which would not have affected my fertility as much.
Since you have been vocal about having the baby bug, it may be a good idea to start regulating your cycle several months prior to trying as you may have conditions that will either prevent your period from coming back or may need some time to regulate again.
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Erin Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I have endometriosis and it was caught when I was 16 (my mom, gma, aunts all have it too - very hereditary). That is partially the reason WHY they suggested I suppress my period. When you have endometriosis, when you menstruate not only is uterine tissue shed outside of you, it is also shed inside of you and it clogs your tubes, wraps itself around your intestines, etc. and cause all sorts of problems. By menstruating less (through period suppression) I actually have a better chance of getting pregnant. I knew when I was young that I’d want a career before children - and so I’ll be 30 next year when we are trying and I’m glad I’ve been suppressing for so long. As a side note, I probably have break-through bleeding once every 3-4 months or so, and then I just let myself have my period (my doc’s rec) and it is not that bad. I’m so glad to hear other ppl do this because so many ppl think I’m bizarre.
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Lindsey Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I agree that once you have a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis and don’t hope to become pregnant in the near future it is in your best interest to either suppress via continuous birth control or some other medication like Lupron. My point was simply that had I not been suppressing to cover up undesirable symptoms I would have gone to the OBGYN sooner and been diagnosed sooner. I was suppressing when I didn’t know my condition which caused it to go untreated for several years.
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I am all for period suppression. I’ve been doing it for ten years now, since I was 13, because I have endometriosis and my periods are horrendous. I’m on the Nuva Ring now and I love it, but every 2 months or so I have a 5-day period. It could be worse, but not having one for 12 years would be heavenly!
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12I took BC in highschool and the first couple years of college because of hormonally-influenced acne (ie, washing my face and not eating greasy foods just wasn’t gonna cut it for me), and I never tried to skip a period. My mother had infertility issues, and for me, having my period every month, unpleasant as it can be, is to me my body’s way of checking in and saying “Everything’s still working okay down here!”
I was never the kind of girl who had horrid periods anyway… mine at most required a heating pad and a hefty dose of ibuprofen for cramps, and my bf/fi/husband putting up with a little existential questioning of the universe and my place in it for a few days.
And when we got married, no, I didn’t go back on hormonal birth control. One, although I am by no means a hippie, I don’t like to medicate my body to fix something that is, essentially, good (period suppression would fall under this for me too). Two, I am still uncertain about the risk of unplanned early abortion that can occur with the pill, as it functions not only as an ovulation suppressant, but also, should ovulation and subsequently fertilization occur, prevents the embryo from making implantation. I have heard good arguments from anti-abortion experts on both sides, and I’m just not willing to take the risk. What are your thoughts on this potential side effect of birth control?
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Hailey Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I love the idea of the pill but I worry about the side effects too! I know in the United States they don’t advertise as much the studies that link prolonged use of the pill to increased risk of breast cancer, but that seems to be a well accepted theory here in Australia. What I worry about most though, is that I have heard some argue that the longer you use birth control, the longer it will take for your cycle to regulate once you stop taking the pill to get pregnant, and therefore the longer it will take to conceive after you start trying. Any thoughts on this, anyone?
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Hailey Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:13 am
*oops sorry I meant, the longer you use THE PILL, not the longer you use any form of birth control.
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Ms Snowflake Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
I personally know someone who stopped taking the pill to get pregnant and got pregnant pretty much IMMEDIATELY. As in, she thought her period was late because her body was re-regulating itself, then she took a pregnancy test and get a positive result.
That being said, I believe the pill effects different women’s bodies DIFFERENTLY. I know girls who have gained weight on horomonal birth control, yet I lost weight. So, while they list various side effects to it, horomonal BC is got going to effect every woman the same way.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 am
Yeah, pregnancy and conceiving are SO different for every person, I don’t think it can be determined how someone will react and how quickly they will conceive. Everyone seems to have a different story about a friend of a friend you know?
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I think its really convenient, but I’m really skeptical of putting that many hormones in yourself. I think that the pill should only be a short term solution, and not a life-long way to avoid having children.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 am
Well I won’t technically be avoiding children. Just avoiding the period.
Bring on the babies!
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I had the worst cramps in the world - vomitting, migranes etc., so I’ve been on the pill from a young age. About 3 years ago I started doing period suppression and it’s lovely. I technically take 3 packs and then have a period (on advice from my MD) but that’s 4 periods a year vs. 12. I’m all over that
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15I’m not sided in the period suppression…my periods lasted 3 days max, never cramped, was always able to function completely normal. I got an IUD after I had my baby and haven’t had a period since. No complaining on my end! {Or my husbands}. The pill made me slightly “bipolar” as my husband put it and he didn’t want me on any type of pill after the baby.
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16I still have no clear idea how I feel about this - getting ready to have a baby in just about a month means of course I don’t have to worry about it right now! I totally read and understand all the reasons why it’s considered safe to supress periods, but something else in the back of my mind just keeps thinking-hey, that’s the way God designed for our bodies to work so maybe I should mess with that too much. It’s no fun whatsoever, and I certainly don’t enjoy because it makes me more “womanly” - just I’m a little leary about messing around with my body *too* much.
Of course I don’t think any less of anyone that does - we all have to make decisions based on what’s best for us, so I wouldn’t judge. I just don’t think I’m ready yet to take that step personally (this is the same girl that is still a little scared to get Lasik despite it’s great record of success…but come on, these are my eyeballs for crying out loud! Makes me nervous…)
I used to have the most HORRENDOUS cramps and pretty bad PMS before having my son. Now, my periods are very easy and I rarely feel a slight tinge of pain - maybe if this is common, that is something to look forward to for all you gals that have terrible cramps…they might get much better after you have a baby! (it’s almost like the pain of contractions/labor calmed down the ‘ol uterus - I really have almost no pain now!)
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:45 am
God didn’t give us bras, but we still wear them.
Or toothbrushes, but we still use them.
But I DO hope that what you say about things getting better after I have kids will come true!
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I think it’s up to each person to decide whether or not they are going to suppress their period or not. (It also depends on how ones body reacts to it as well.)
For me, I don’t think it’s in the equation - I’m not currently on BCPs because once I was put on the medications I am currently on, I decided that 3 different things were too much. I tried to skip my period once when I was on the pill and it ended up with me bleeding for the entire next cycle. I’ve also found that now I’m off the pill that my period is less severe and is shorter, so I’m not complaining.
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18Despite the fact that I suffer from terrible cramps, back aches, head aches, fatigue, hot flashes, nausea, and a heightened sense of smell (in other words, I become a menopausal pregnant woman) while on my 8-day-long heavy flow period, I don’t see myself using period suppression at any point. It’s something I might have theoretically explored before becoming sexually active, but even then, I feel odd about changing my body’s natural rhythm to that extent, even if my body’s natural rhythm is all kinds of messed up.
My sister got pregnant while using traditional birth control (admittedly, she was not using it 100% correctly, as she wasn’t aware she needed to take it at the same time everyday) within wedlock, but about 5 years before they planned to have children. Despite having something of a hormonal baby itch myself, I’m also about 5 to 10 years away from wanting to start having child(ren). I get paranoid I might be pregnant every few months as it is. I’d be a nervous wreck if I didn’t have the monthly reassurance of my terrible period.
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19I’m glad to hear from other women who will not use hormonal birth control at all. I’m in the same boat, for a zillion reasons, but the biggest are:
1) I don’t see being shackled to a prescription drug (and giving my money to pharmaceutical corporations) as excercising my right to reproductive choice,
2) My body isn’t broken, so it doesn’t need fixing, and
3) The dumping of vast quantities of hormones into the water system is terribly damaging to the environment.
In addition to all that, it’s been eye-opening to me to see how wonderful my husband is when I’m having a bad month (and to be fair, most of them are not bad months): when he appears like a benevolent angel without having been asked, with a hot water bottle, a cup of tea, and some Advil, I love him even more. I think working together through small incovenience/discomfort like a bad period is just tiny mini-practice compared to what I’m sure the challenges of parenthood will bring for both of us.
The fact that the menfolk are so excited about period suppression actually makes me a bit unnerved… I don’t expect my husband to be perfect, sexy, and in a good mood 100% of the time, and he doesn’t expect that from me, either, because we married humans.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 am
Actually I think husband appreciates the period suppression because of what it does for me, not for him. He doesn’t like to see me taking 6 advil at once, squatting in the middle of the living room, and holding heating pads to my stomach for two days due to the craps, you know?
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While I wholeheartedly support every woman’s right to make the best decision for herself, this post and many of the comments makes me sort of sad.
In our culture, we’re taught to dread our periods, and the side affects we experience are either treated with drugs or “suffered through.” But some doctors-Christiane Northrup is one-believe our periods have lots of benefits that birth control pills suppress.
Five years ago, I started paying serious attention to my periods, monitoring my moods, dreams, insights, even the phase of the moon at the time. (And I’m not a hippie or pagan! Promise!)
My periods have gone from 5-6 days in duration to 3, and my cramps are much better. I’ve discovered that the dreams I have right before are vivid, very intuitive and bring major insights. I still get a little cranky, but I’m realizing that the things that make me cranky are things that I need to address and otherwise postpone dealing with. During PMS, I have less energy and want to be alone more, but I realize now that that’s simply a call for me to take some time to go within and focus on myself.
This is not to say that “welcoming your period” is right for every woman (and yes, I do realize how cheesy this sounds), but I can’t imagine my life without the insights and dreams my period brings, and I wish more women were taught to learn about their own cycles. Northrup is a good (and very rational) place to start.
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MrsW Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Women’s bodies and cycles do really work in mysterious ways, and I wish we didn’t have to defend ourselves or say “I’m not a hippie!!” whenever we want to do something other than what the medical community has decided is the most efficient or “clean” thing to do, whether it’s accepting our periods as they come, or choosing NOT to flood our bodies with artificial hormones, or choosing some degree or another of natural childbirth.
Of course, those who DO make these choices shouldn’t be looked down upon as “less womanly” either, but it seems at this point in time it is easier for society to accept those women than those who they call hippies.
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mhb Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
This is interesting, Angela. I have found that when I’m at my healthiest and feeling balanced out, my period is _exactly_ in line with the phases of the moon. This doesn’t cease to amaze me. Your comment makes me want to record more about my moods and dreams during these different phases, too.
And I’m a young urban professional, by most accounts.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:48 am
Angela, are you only anti period suppression, or anti birth control (except for natural family planning) altogether?
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FYI Jenna, you may want to be careful with the BCP: the hormones can have lasting effects on your body and, consequently, fertility, for months after you stop. Just as some women are able to get pregnant first cycle off of the pill ( or on the pill, accidentally), many more find that it can take their body an unexpectedly long time to regulate itself (hormonally, as well as rg. cervical mucus which is essential for conception) after being artificially regulated for such a long time. If you plan on being pregnant this summer, as earlier stated on WB, you may want to get off the pill as soon as possible.
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Erin Reply:
May 19th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
There is no scientific evidence (and lots of studies have been done) supporting the claim that it takes longer to get preggers if you were on the pill. It is ALL anecdotal and for every person having trouble post-pill, there is someone who had no trouble post-pill. Likely everyone would be having the same conception difficulty and conception ease if they’d never been on the pill.
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I guess I find this a little unnatural. Though I feel like a hypocrite when I say it, since I am on birth control (NuvaRing), and that’s pretty unnatural. I do love NuvaRing though, my periods now last 4 days (5 max), and are usually pretty light. I guess I feel as though our bodies do things for a reason, that God made us this way, and I would rather not mess with that. Granted, my periods were never “bad”- very little cramping, soreness, etc.; I might feel different about this had my peroids been impossible to live through.
Oh, and to add to Mrs. Shortcake’s message about getting off of your BC asap if you have a certain date by which you would like to pregnant: you should! It has taken several of my friends up to 6+ months to get pregnant after stopping their BC. So now a few have taken to stopping their hormonal BC 4-6 months before they want to get pregant (they use condoms instead). Just a heads up…
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23I’m definitely a fan! I started BCP last year a few months before my wedding and my doctor was an advocate of period suppression. I decided to try it and it has been a huge help for my the many migraines I used to get. I wasn’t aware that they were so hormonally based, but apparently so. I love not having to worry about a period either, although I am paranoid every now and then that I’m pregnant so I’ve gone through quite a few pregnancy tests just to know for sure! Not that it would be the worst thing - I’ve got the baby bug too…but we are trying to wait a few years to enjoy being married first.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:49 am
I’m planning on buying the pregnancy tests in bulk. Have you seen a good price on them anywhere?
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I have the depo shot because it is the only option for women with heart issues and I LOVE IT! I love not having a period, I am less all over the place and I love that I don’t have to worry about taking the pill, which means that I don’t worry about getting preggers all the time (I was horrible with the pill).
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25I have been researching birth control and was really interested in an IUD, but I am thinking this might be even better! I hate periods, eww!
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26Just as a little PSA, for those who do worry about birth control that could also function as an abortifacient, the IUD can prevent the blastocyst (technically the correct word, it is not an embryo until it implants?) from implanting in the uterine lining. If you believe that life starts at conception, then IUDs run a risk of aborting a baby.
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27For those of you who are concerned about CM and conception, check out http://www.preseed.com. They are the ONLY intimate moisturizer approved by the FDA for the medical establishment to use during IVF, IUI, etc. fertility treatments. The testimonies alone are enough to convince many women (and men) to use their products - and, it was invented by women. I’m not paid to write this, though I am their webmaster
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:53 am
Interesting. I think I’m going to place an order. Even if I suspect you are biased…
Thanks for admitting your connection to them in your comment!
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I suffer(ed) terribly every month from every symptom imaginable, so have been doing period suppression for several years. It’s very easy with Nuvaring — no pills to worry about, just a new ring every 3 weeks. (And it’s one of the lowest-hormone options as well.)
Before I made the choice, I went back and forth a lot over whether it was “unnatural.” And ultimately decided the “natural” (historical) state of things was for women to be pregnant for much of their reproductive lives and thus NOT to have periods every month. So glad I made the choice, because avoiding all my horrible period symptoms has made life much, much better.
With regard to the worry about becoming pregnant, I think the chances are extremely low on constant Nuvaring. No pills to miss or time incorrectly, so the hormone levels always stay constant.
On a final note, I’m convinced all those months of not ovulating saved my eggs for when we needed them. May be more superstition than science, but there’s just no reason a 37-year-old with a history of chemo should have gotten pregnant a mere few weeks after stopping birth control!
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 am
Interesting idea-that women used to be pregnant for a significantly longer portion of their lives than we are now, and thus endured fewer periods.
Should we vote for having more periods, or more children to solve this dilemma of what is natural?
But, does period suppression prevent ovulation? I thought it just prevented implantation? (Although, whatever happened was definitely a miracle in your case!)
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Just to add my story, maybe to add balance to the debate… I was on the pill for eight years, suppressing my periods for at least five of those, before we decided to go for a baby. She was conceived on the second cycle of trying.
There is lots of anecdotal evidence of women having trouble conceiving after coming off the pill, but studies actually show a rise in fertility directly after stopping. Who’s to say how long it would have taken these women to conceive or how regular their periods would have been otherwise?
I love the pill and will be right back to suppressing as soon as it is safe to do so. Of course periods shouldn’t be taboo, but we shouldn’t make ourselves endure them when medical science can free us either.
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:56 am
Yes. Although some “naturalists” are genuine in their avoidance of medical science, I believe most who claim that a period is natural and thus should be endured are still using modern medicine to cure what ails them.
And anyone who tells me that my debilitating cramps do not “ail” me can come on over to my house on a day when I am experiencing them and try and convince me!
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this isn’t normally a conversation ‘d chime in on, but as uncomfortable as and having periods and talking about them are (and i don’t think they socially should be!)
I’m happy to have my monthly reassurance there is no pregnancy. Even though bcp has given me somewhat lighter periods, I wish I was patient and diligent enough to do natural family planning so I don’t feel chained to a pill that is doing more things to my body then just preventing fertilization.
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31I’m all for period suppression and so is Dr. McDreamy. Every doctor I know says it’s safe. I use NuvaRing and get a period only a few times a year (if I decide to have one). Since the life expectancy of women has increased and the number of children born per woman has decreased, women are experiencing many many many more periods than they did one hundred years ago. Also, the average age of first menstration has moved from approx age 18-21 years old (what it was 60+ years ago) to children as young as 9 years old!!!
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32Jenna-
From the time as a young girl my mom always thought I was just making up how bad my periods really were. While I only bled for 2-3 days generally and only one heavily, I was in pain and I have a very high tolerance for pain for several days before and I could even tell you the exact day I ovulated (I could feel the muscles moving the egg).
Before I got married I started on the DEPO shot, after about 9 months so 5 months into my marriage, my husband wanted to divorce me. It seems that I had really bad mood swings and crazy thoughts, so I stopped that and it was back to normal me (and no worries we celebrate 13 years next month *:))
Then I tried several different BCP and it took a long time to find the one that worked best for me. Once we did I started period suppression and loved the results! I didn’t have to worry about my period and it didn’t affect my hormones. However I was never one to like to take pills and wanted something more permanent as I knew I didn’t want children. So we talked about an IUD.
I researched and researched and looked into the two different options and decided to go for it. It was the worst pain I have EVER felt in my life getting put in, and it wasn’t until my 1 year anniversary on it that my body decided to “reject” it, so the next month I had a new one put in. March was 3 years for the second one and its been the BEST.
I now live in the islands (BVI) and don’t have to worry about not having tampons and I don’t have to worry about leaking while in the water (I am a SCUBA instructor in water 8 hours a day).
Remember everyone is different and what works for one won’t always work for another, but for me I can’t believe I didn’t have this option so much sooner in my life!
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 am
Thanks for sharing your story Angela!
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My doctor had told me a few years ago that I should aim to have it four times a year, just to make sure things are on track, and other than that, there is no medical reason to have Aunt Flo visit. I know a lot of women who routinely skip all of their periods, with no complications. My question now is this: I have a terribly difficult time getting my health insurance to refill my prescriptions in time!! They don’t want to refill until 3 weeks after the last pack of pills, which means I have to start the sugar pills before I get a new pack. Any suggestions?
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Jenna Reply:
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 am
The birth control I’m using is from the student health center so I don’t have any good answers for you. They let me buy a box at a time, like 18 packs, and I’ve never been denied in my request for a refill…
I was also duly covered by both student health insurance and my parents insurance at the time, so I’m not sure how that affected things. We’ll see what happens when I need a refill now that I am married.
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my two cents is that we don’t know what the effects were 40 years ago. the earlier detection of disease, pregnancy, miscarriage, etc. means that often, our mothers seldom knew when they had an early stage miscarriage. that was almost a blessing, in that if we didn’t have access to know so soon now, we wouldn’t know the negative repercussions. also, a lot of women in the 40+ years ago birth control days didn’t choose birth control. frankly, and let’s be honest here, when women got married in the 50s and 60s, they more often than not were ready to start a family. this is up for dispute, i understand, but i believe firmly that this is the case. also, we don’t know when your statement re: not hearing about horrendous side effects, if there were accidental pregnancies that led to deformities or worse, nor how much information was available to the woman who was prone to take BC at that time. i’m not disputing - just saying, that lack of information doesn’t equal no damage. sometimes it is quite the opposite.
fyi i am young and infertile. i started bc due to painful periods when i was 15 and stopped when i became engaged. there has been no history of infertility in my fam, and i have had no serious illnesses that could explain this away. this seems to be more and more common these days, and no doctor who i have seen and respect has said unequivocally that my long term BC use is not responsible. therefore, with the question unanswered, i’m not willing to buy that period supression is a good idea.
again, my 2 cents, worth that much!
-karen
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35I know I’m way late to this post, but I just linked over from your OB/Gyn post. I have Migraine and have been doing this for about ten years. Long before it was mainstream. I recently went of BCP to TTC and just as I suspected my Migraines and cramps are back with a vengeance. While I totally get why people don’t want to take Rx drugs, I also know that someone with my condition would likely have never married or had a career 50 years ago. I call it better living through chemistry.
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36hey i thought id leave something here unfourtunetly
yasmin only works for me but recentlyi started countinous use ive never experience so much sickness in my life and pelvic pain omg
it wasnt wonderfull for me i thought this would help but now im going back to having a period and my boyfriend totally thinks its way better a little pain is better then having no period and more pain i guess and then im eventually going off the pill mabey in a year or even earlier because im 23 and my bf is 35 and we have a good relation ship and money so it is a good choice later for me i just wanna be regulated again hope i hear from some on here soon
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37Jenna, I clicked on the link to your breast reduction surgery and started flipping through old posts. I thought this was funny cause I wondered how your views have changed on this since you’ve gone all crunchy granola.
I did the 4 times a year thing, but I usually wouldn’t get my period on that anyway. I would just take a pregnancy test every time I didn’t get it.
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Jenna Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Ha! I admit I haven’t really researched it very much. I don’t use hormonal birth control now because I want to lose weight and I don’t need anything messing with my hormones and making that harder than it already is. But I admit I don’t really feel any desire to start on any form again.
I want this to hurry and come to the States. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/male-birth-control-reversible_n_1400708.html
Looks like it should be available right around the time we have our third, which would be good timing for us.
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