HEALTHY CYCLES
THE Importance of Healthy Cycles
While having a healthy cycle is important for conception, it’s important for a lot of other reasons too. When I was 15 I was put on oral birth control for irregular cycles and acne. At the time I thought it was my only option, no one talked to me about why my cycles could have been irregular or what else I could do. I was told that this would “fix the problem” and it did, kind of. While I did gain normal cycles being on the pill I didn’t realize what it was doing to my body and my hormones. I didn’t realize I wasn’t actually having a period, just a forced bleed without ovulation. Oral birth control contains synthetic hormones that actually stop your body from producing its own. Without knowing that my hormones were vastly important to my health I stayed on birth control for 11 years. While taking a seminar through the ICPA I learned that taking hormonal birth control was much like taking steroids and that it was not good to stay on them long term. It would take half the time off of them that I was on them for my body to re-regulate, this was shocking to me, this meant that it would take me almost 6 years! The moment I left that seminar I stopped taking oral birth control.
Now, getting off of synthetic hormones doesn’t come without a price, at the age of 26 I went through puberty all over again and my body had to relearn how to ovulate and all of the other things that come with it. That’s right, the acne and the mood swings came running back. BUT, this time, I knew it was worth it. It didn’t last long but I will admit I understand why so many young women go on the pill to avoid some of the things that come with puberty. 5 years out from making this decision it has been the best one of my life. I no longer struggle from the things that come with being on synthetic hormones… depression, weight gain and migraines were a few that rang true for me. I also think a lot about the correlation in the rising rates of infertility and use of birth control in young women and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
I couldn’t help but start to wonder, what if parents and young girls knew there was a better way? Wouldn’t they want to know more?
This is why I have created a program, drug and synthetic hormone free for young girls and women who struggle with their cycles. Struggles could include things like painful periods, irregular periods and absent periods just to name a few. Our cycles are a reflection of our hormonal health and I know that so many women struggle with their bodies and their hormones just like I did. I wish I knew there was a better way, so I didn’t feel betrayed by my body or wonder why it “didn’t work” the way it was supposed to. I wish I knew just how important my cycles were to my overall health and well-being and why it was important that they were healthy and regular. I don’t want our young women looking back wishing they knew too.
“I stopped taking
oral birth control.”