Birth control and I have an unsavory history.
I was a few months out to my wedding- and what does every good Christian girl do?
She goes and gets on birth control. Duh. No biggie.
So I went in to a doctor, asked for it, she prescribed something and I went on my way.
No questions or concerns.
Within the month of getting on them I gained 10 pounds (I knew that might happen so I wasn't too concerned) and then I started feeling off. Like crawl out of my skin, off.
On our honeymoon I decided I was done. With each month after I got off of birth control I continued to gain about 10 pounds for almost a year. Um, not ok.
After a year of this battle I found out I was insulin resistant, estrogen dominant, too low in testosterone and progesterone and my cortisol and adrenal glands were completely whacked out.
On top of all that I was now battling depression, major anxiety and feeling like I was living in someone else's body with no answers on how to "fix it".
The doctor couldn't understand how I was sitting in her room upright after looking at my blood work.
Up until this point in my life I had never really struggled with weight. I was tall, skinny and loved to eat. I lived for food with no consequences. I loved going to the gym and working out and I was studying to be a physical trainer right before I met Adam. This threw me a huge curve ball I never wanted.
For me, I ended up getting off birth control cold turkey (having NO CLUE it mattered).
I was so young.. and hormone health was non-existent in my vocabulary.
With that, I have become an accidental hormone advocate and I want women to know what I DIDN'T know at the beginning.
If I could re-do getting off birth control this is what I would do:
Prepare your body 2-3 months before stopping.
You can stop taking the pill safely at any point in your cycle, though it can be helpful to finish a pack so you can predict your next ovulation or period if you’re looking to plan or prevent pregnancy.
An IUD, can also be removed at any point, though removing it during your period when the cervix is naturally softer could be a bit easier.
Quitting cold turkey (like I did) without any body preparation may make this much more difficult. The goal is to make this as smooth a process as possible so you can feel your best while your body finds the rhythm the Lord created it to have. This means there are steps to take before and after, in order to support and wake up your natural endocrine function. After all, your hormones have been asleep for however long youëe been on the pill or hormonal IUD! They need time to wake up, and your hormones may be very sleepy or lazy at first, which is totally normal. You may not even notice any symptoms until 3-6 months after stopping the pill when your hormones really come back to life. All of this is NORMAL.
ONE: NOURISH YOUR HORMONES!
Diet plays a HUGE part in this process. It sets the groundwork and foundation for healthy detoxification, digestion and well-being during this transition.
- Clean up your diet because none of these steps will work without a clean foundation.
- This means 2-3 months before stopping the pill, feed + nourish your cells with real, whole foods
- You want to stay away from anything processed and avoid inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy and refined/processed sugar) during this time to prime and optimize bodily functions.
- Think lots of leafy greens, all the fruits and veggies (and starchy veggies like squashes and sweet potatoes), plenty of healthy fats (avocado, nuts & seeds, and cold-pressed oils like avocado oil or coconut oil) and small amounts of gluten-free grains/legumes like quinoa, brown rice, beans and lentils.
- Keep it whole and keep it as fresh as possible.
- Use food to nourish and move things along more quickly.
- HYDRATE! Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. **add SOLE to support your adrenals with lemon essential oil (young living)
TWO: REPLENISH NUTRIENT STORES WITH SUPPLEMENTATION
2-3 months before quitting, begin supplementing with all of the supplements.
Replenishing lost mineral stores is SO IMPORTANT (the pill depletes all of these).
Want to know my favorite bio-available supplements that have supported my body so much?
-start by loading up on-
- folate
- zinc
- B-complex
- magnesium glycinate
- iodine
- selenium
- vitamin D3
- iron
- a great probiotic
- and an algae-based DHA/EPA
All of these are essential and will make a world of difference in your post-pill life.
Continue taking them until your period is regular and you feel great, or until you get testing done to see where you’re nutrient stores and hormone levels are at.
THREE: SUPPORT YOUR LIVER
While implementing the above steps, go one step further with Porgessence Plus and Dragon time (this is a must and game changer!). If you feel really brave coffee enemas are AMAZING for liver detox and support. This will help a great deal with PMS while leveling out your estrogen in relation to progesterone and help bring them into ideal ratios throughout the month.
Yes, your liver can use the extra support because the liver is responsible for getting hormones ready to be moved out by way of elimination, the liver has extra work to do, ridding the synthetic estrogen. It’s no secret the pill and other synthetic forms of birth control take a toll on the liver, and this vital organ must be functioning at its best for happy hormones.
FOUR: PRIORITIZE GUT HEALTH
I already mentioned high-quality probiotics above but adding in fermented foods will help restore your microbiome too since the pill interferes with the healthy bacteria needed for a thriving gut. Including raw sauerkraut (my fave brand is Farmhouse Culture), kimchi, pickled veggies, unsweetened coconut yogurt, and coconut and raw milk kefir will bring a variety of good bacteria back to your gut.
L-glutamine also helps to repair your gut lining and feels very soothing in your tummy!
Also, in order to properly eliminate estrogen, you must be having daily bowel movements.
If you’re not pooping every day then you need to dig deeper and figure out why.
Are you:
drinking enough water?
eating enough leafy greens and cruciferous veggies?
taking digestive enzymes?
FIVE: PREPARE FOR POST-PILL SYMPTOMS
If you had problems with your cycle before going on the pill, chances are they may return because the pill temporarily masks any underlying menstrual issues. Consider this a chance to connect and take control of your health. You will want to prepare your mind and know that whatever happens is temporary.
Giving your body time to adjust is so important as well as enough rest and downtime.
Flooding your cells with as much nutritional support and love as possible will only help!
Mindset is a large part of the detox process too, so set positive affirmations that everything will work out, and your body is good to you.
possible post-pill symptoms:
-remember, these symptoms can be temporary until your body balances out-
SIX: START CHARTING AND GET YOUR HORMONES TESTED
I would start charting as soon as you stop taking the pill. Take notes and keep track of any and all symptoms in an app (like Clue or MyFLO tracker) or in a journal, as well as when bleeding starts and stops.
Do you feel cramping mid-cycle? That could mean you are ovulating which is a great sign that your body is working to get back into balance!
3 months after quitting the pill, it may be worth it to get your hormones tested if you are curious to know where your levels are at. It’s a great time to test nutrient levels too (you must ask for a FULL blood panel with iron, all the b vitamins, zinc, etc., otherwise they won’t test them.)
There are at-home hormone testing kits that make it super convenient and easy to see where you are at. This information will guide you in accessing steps to take depending on what imbalances you may have. I use the Women’s Health and Fertility Test from EverlyWell to see where at for peace of mind! You can then bring the results to your doctor or naturopath so they can help guide you in steps to take.
SEVEN: START LIVING IN HARMONY WITH YOUR HORMONAL RHYTHMS
Learn to lean into the beautiful rhythm of your hormonal fluctuations each month and get comfortable with knowing where you're at in your cycle on any given day!
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