My Experience Coming off the Birth Control Pill

When I came off the pill, I did not get my period for 9 entire months. This was a huge shock to me – I had expected a much more seamless transition. I mean, I eat well, exercise and lead an overall healthy lifestyle, yet this was not the case. The entire topic of the pill is one that does not get nearly enough airtime, but it affects so many of us as women. So, let’s get talking.

My story is very similar to one I have heard from other women time and time again. I’d been on the contraceptive pill for about 10 years before I decided it was time to call it quits. At the time it just didn’t feel right to be taking that daily, synthetic dose, so I decided to do something about it. No, I didn’t come off the pill because I wanted to get pregnant; I came off it for personal ethical and health reasons.

I’d been feeling like the pill had been messing with my hormones for a little while, and over the space of a year I changed pills several times, trying to find one that worked for me. The first time I swapped I felt incredibly down. When those feelings didn’t pass, I changed again. This time, I began to bleed. Constantly. I was fed up of trying to find something that worked without the horrific side effects, and started to do some research.

When you’re a teenager starting to take the pill, it seems as though the main concern of your parents and doctor is to stop you getting pregnant. There is very little emphasis placed on the side effects of the pill, or the fact that, whilst it is an effective contraception, it’s definitely not a way to practice ‘safe sex’. And on top of that, it really is just a bandaid solution to any hormonal ‘problems’ it is trying to solve. Doctors don’t tell you that it can be tricky to re-regulate your hormones when you come off it, or that it doesn’t address the root cause of any hormonal imbalances that may be present in your body. For me, I wanted to give my body the chance to regulate. As women, our bodies do incredible things and it just felt as though it was time I gave her a chance. 

It took my body a long time to regulate after making the decision to stop taking the pill. When my period finally did return after 9 months, it was awful – I was in so much pain that I collapsed on the floor of the gym. I made appointments with both a naturopath and an acupuncturist, which both seemed to make a world of difference, and now I am glad to say my cycle is regular and healthy. I love to feel my body each month and see where it is at, and I feel blessed to get to witness the changes as the weeks go by. 

I also get lots of value from tracking my monthly cycle – I use the Glow app to track my period and fertility, and I have learned so much about my body. Yes, my period is heavier than it was when I was taking the pill, but I would prefer that any day if it means I get to know my body is working the way it is supposed to.

At the end of the day, it’s such a subjective topic and every woman’s experience is different. Just like everyone reacts differently to starting the pill, everyone reacts differently to coming off it. For some people, that would look like a return to regular periods really quickly. For others, it could take many, many months to return to a regular cycle. Keep in mind, if you initially went on the pill to try manage some PMS symptoms, they could well reappear. I just think that there are other ways to manage these issues, and that we should be looking at the root cause and seeing how we can balance our bodies naturally, before turning to something as synthetic as the birth control pill. For sure, there are situations where the pill is a great tool, but for me, it just didn’t fit.  

This is just my story. I want to hear yours.