Your Body on Hormonal Birth Control

Have you ever taken hormonal birth control? (the pill, IUD, patch, injection, etc)

If so, did you doctor tell you about all the potential side effects and long-term risks of taking synthetic hormones?

Before I continue, let me just say that I’m not sitting over here all judgy if you’re currently using – or have previously used – hormonal birth control. And I am definitely not discrediting doctors in any way shape or form. They are highly educated and we need them for many areas of health. Full disclosure, I took various forms of the pill for about 10 years on and off before I had kids!

But I didn’t know then what I know now… and my doctor(s) certainly never told me anything about the side effects and long-term risks associated with hormonal birth control use.

Side effects like:

-Weight gain

-Mood swings

-Low libido, vaginal dryness, pain with sex

-Digestive disturbances

-Interruption to thyroid activity

-Hair loss or thinning

-Increased risk of blood clotting (which raises your risk of stroke)

Or long-term risk factors like:

-Increased risk of breast, cervical and liver cancers

-Increased risk of autoimmunity

-Increased risk of diabetes

-Increased risk of heart attacks

And listen, I’m not necessarily anti-birth control… but I am pro-choice. And you need to have ALL of the information to make an educated and empowered decision. I think that birth control has done amazing things in terms of women being able to choose when they want to start a family. It has allowed for more women to enter the work force and has lead to much needed female empowerment in the last few generations.

But it still pisses me off how quickly doctors jump to hormonal birth control at the mere mention of period problems.

Got heavy periods? Here, take the pill.

Painful periods? Here is a script for the pill.

Irregular periods? The pill can help regulate your cycle.

It’s just bullshit and should not be the norm!!

The pill is a cover-up; a band-aid. It doesn’t “regulate” your cycle. It doesn’t “balance your hormones”. In fact, it blocks the communication between your brain and your ovaries. It shuts down your hormones.

And that has severe consequences for your overall health and wellbeing.

Like your mood, libido, thyroid, bones, mental health, cardiovascular health, immune system, digestive function… and so much more. And oh my gosh, once you go off the pill, you are now lacking in key aspects of bodily function that you need in order to have happy hormones. Women are constantly walking into my life with digestion problems paired with thyroid problems, and are wondering exactly WHY they are experiencing these horrible PMS problems and period problems.

But I guess the medical community doesn’t think those things are important?

I never questioned my doctor. I was conditioned to trust the medical community has my best interests at heart (and I bet most of you are similar).

But it’s time that we collectively rise up and empower ourselves to take back ownership over our health.

My job, as I see it, is to educate and empower my clients and the women in my community to:

-Understand WHAT is causing miserable periods, no periods at all, fertility problems, mood problems, low libido, etc.

-Learn HOW to heal their bodies – naturally – without side effects, long term risks or relying on pills forever

-Have a trusted PARTNER in their health journey

You’ve got me in your corner now.