Is Your Birth Control Controlling You?
Five Ways the Pill May Be Affecting Your Body
(and mind)
Have you ever been told by your doctor that what you’re experiencing is “normal”? Your digestive distress, mood swings, fatigue, lack of periods, or low libido are all considered normal. But just because something is COMMON, does that make it NORMAL? I’d like to share with you five ways that hormonal birth control may be affecting you. It might be controlling parts of your life that you’re unaware of. No, it’s not normal. And yes, there are other options.
1. Digestive Distress
Proper digestion lays the foundation for a healthy body. Birth control pills affect this process by allowing harmful bacteria to make themselves at home in your gut. This prevents your digestive system from being able to function effectively. So the gas, bloating, and other unpleasant symptoms you have may not be unavoidable expressions of your menstrual cycle, after all.
2. Mood Swings
As women, we’ve been taught to believe that our mood swings are just a part of who we are. In fact, our culture has made quite a joke of women in this way. Watch any movie or TV show, and within minutes you’ll probably hear some sort of reference to the inability of women to control their emotions. While I understand that women can be deeper feelers than men, I do NOT see this as a weakness or reason for mocking. In addition, widespread use of the pill has led to widespread mood disorders. Birth control has been proven to increase the chance of developing anxiety, depression, and suicide. These are serious side effects, and if any of these side effects arise, seek help immediately. It is NOT in your head.
3. Fatigue
Another thing that has been normalized in our society is being perpetually tired. While this is very common, it’s not something we have to accept as our inevitable fate. The thyroid and adrenal glands are of highest importance when it relates to fatigue. Synthetic hormones in the pill deplete nutrients that are vital to the thyroid and disrupt the functioning of the adrenals. In time, this may lead to chronic fatigue.
4. Lack of Periods
You may be thinking… Exactly WHY is this an issue? No period, no problem! This is how I felt when I had no period while taking the pill. My doctor told me it’s “totally normal” and “there’s nothing to worry about”. So I was pumped! But when I learned more about my cycle, I realized that it is a reflection of the health of my body. And suppressing my period was just suppressing symptoms of a deeper issue.
5. Low Libido
This issue doesn’t get NEARLY the amount of attention that it should. We’re told not to worry about a low libido. We blame it on being tired, stressed, or just a lack of romance. However, research has shown the detrimental effects that the pill has on female sex drive; including loss of interest in sex, decreased arousal and orgasms, overall lack of sexual enjoyment, etc.
Having experienced each of these symptoms, I’m very passionate about deconstructing the “normality” of them. Now it’s your turn. Take a minute to reflect on your personal experience with birth control. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar to you? If so, your birth control may be controlling you.
So what do we do?
Before I get into the options, I want to be clear that I am NOT anti-birth control. I used the pill for about three years, and I am grateful that I had the option at the time. However, I’ve also experienced the negative side effects it can have, and I just want to provide other non-hormonal options so that you can do some research and decide what the best option is for you.
Here are a few resources to look into:
· Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Tony Weschler
· Condoms/Diaphram/Cervical Cap/Sponge (in combination with other methods)
· Copper IUD (make sure you research possible side effects)
Of course, PLEASE make sure that you consult with your medical provider before you make any changes to your current birth control method. I am not recommending any of these options, only presenting the non-hormonal birth control methods that I myself have looked into. I ended up choosing the Daysy Fertility Monitor in combination with the Fertility Awareness Method as proposed in the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Ask your doctor about the pros, cons, and side effects of each method, and determine which would be the best fit for you specifically.
What are your thoughts on birth control? Comment or email me!