Getting Off Birth Control

Worried to get pregnant? Heavy or painful cycles? Cystic / hormonal acne? Suffering from debilitating PMS? Believe it or not, NONE of these are reasons to use birth control.  We have been force fed a narrative by our society that our cycles are not functional and are not something we can track and be empowered by.  It is time to take our feminine divinity and power back!

Birth control is nothing more than the mute button on a remote.  It is doing N O T H I N G to heal and balance our hormones, in fact it is effectively shutting off our functional hormonal cascade and silencing our body's signals for homeostasis and proper functioning.  While going on birth control may seem to help, this silencing of your body will only result in those same symptoms you went ON birth control for, building up and becoming an even bigger problem.  Whether you plan to have children or not, it is without question absolutely essential for women to be experiencing their natural flow.

If we know how to track our cycle and we can understand how emotional, physical, and spiritual facets ebb and flow with our cycle, we can harness the divine nature of being a woman. It took me far too long to see what a gift this is, and I hope this article empowers you to see this gift within yourself too. 

I want to preface this entire guide to a concept I apply to all the work I share as well as a concept I follow myself.  You know you best. 

While all of this information shared is backed with research and first hand experience, EVERY ONE is different.  We all have complex health histories, different lifestyles, different environments, different genetics, and so on.  Should any questions come up while reading through or referencing this guide, there is an open comment section at the bottom of the page.  A beautiful side effect of going off birth control is coming more into tune and strengthening the ability to hear your body.  Listen to these calls ! Build your intuitive muscle.  Please take what resonates and leave the rest. 

In the beginning of going off birth control (BC), one of the hardest things I grappled with was understanding that to be at optimal function, YOU MUST REST.  BC essentially puts us into a state of masculine function (I will go more into detail on this later in the blog) and disconnects us from the natural ebbs and flows in our energy.  By no means does this mean we have to stop everything and anything we are doing; however, this does mean our lifestyle must be reassessed. 

ALL women should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night.  This should be a huge point of focus if you are just getting off BC.  Sleep is a miracle medicine.  You should also make a practice of finding rest.  Sleep is a form of rest, but rest is so much more than sleeping.  Rest can look like hanging on the couch and reading or watching a show, going for a leisurely walk, painting, cooking, anything that allows you to slow down and step out of fight or flight/ go go go and be present in your mind and body. 

For most of us, conditioned to function like a man in a society structured for a man, this can be extremely uncomfortable.  Be kind to yourself, and give yourself the same love, grace, and space for rest you would give your own daughter. 

Birth control wreaks havoc on your gut by disturbing the balance of your gut microbiome leading to inflammation and damage of the gut lining, which often results in leaky gut. If you are experiencing diarrhea or constipation, bloating, acid reflux, or imbalances in your appetite, acne, eczema, perioral dermatitis, etc., you are likely suffering from birth control's nasty effects. 

While I am not going to go too far in depth on nutrition here, I will give some hard and fast tips. 

• First, cut the coffee. This will not only benefit your digestive and nervous system health, but will remarkably improve the quality of your sleep. If you are not in a place to go cold turkey from caffeine (as most people do not have the time to do this properly due to work/life), then opt to limit how many cups you have and try to cut off consumption by noon to ensure quality sleep. Also, always have protein before caffeine, never on an empty stomach.

  • Note: you may also opt for a gentler form of caffeine like a low caffeinated tea.  Although these tea options are gentler on the nervous and digestive systems, they may still be too much for your body.  Never have caffeine on an empty stomach and try to have these teas with warm water and quality honey instead of with milk and sugar.

  • If cutting coffee/caffeine entirely is not functional for you, another approach that may work is having your regular full amount of caffeine in follicular, half the amount during luteal, and none during your period. 

• Cut out ALL processed foods, refined sugars, and rancid seed oils. This may seem hard, but I promise it is not and you will feel the benefits of this VERY quickly. (check our recipe page for easy, nourishing recipes)

• A cup of bone broth to start your morning goes a long way in recovering your digestion and gut health (try to have on an empty stomach).

• Have 3-5 oz of tart cherry juice daily (you can drink this straight or mix into the water you drink throughout the day- make sure it is organic, NO sugar added, and not from concentrate)

• Incorporate beans into daily diet. Beans are the richest food source of soluble fiber and form a strong webbing that can interact with your bile.  Beans will bind with your bile and pull old bile out which is where we carry a lot of toxins and excess hormones and allow fresh bile to start cirulating through.

  • Liver makes bile, gallbladder stores bile. As you consume food, your gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine.  The job of your food, specifically the soluble fiber you are supposed to be getting in your diet, is to bind with that bile so it does not get recirculated through the intestinal wall.  If you are not getting enough soluble fiber this bile loaded with excess hormones and toxins will continue to recirculate through your body. 

  • Start with a few tablespoons a day and slowly increase daily consumption.  Personally, about 1/4-1/3 cup of beans per meal has been perfect for me.  

  • Gas and bloating is absolutely normal when initially incorporating beans into diet.  This is because they are sweeping out toxins and is why we start with a smaller amount and slowly increase intake.  Bloating and gas will subside if you stay consistent. 

I will post some information around specific foods for cycle syncing later in the blog.

There are many ways to track your cycle.  

First and foremost would just be keeping track of it in a journal or planner along with a note of discharge, mood, energy levels, appetite, etc.  There is nothing wrong with this way; however, for me, this did not feel effective or reliable enough for me to feel safe while being sexually active when I initially came off birth control. 

Second is by using an app on your phone.  This was definitely accessible and easier to keep track of than in a journal.  My favorite that I used is called Stardust. (linked below) But, again, this did not quite feel effective enough.  I felt it gave me good insight to understanding which hormones were fluctuating in what direction, but my projected period date was always a few days off which made me feel insecure about knowing when my fertile window was.

Third, and by far my all time favorite that I will scream from the mountain tops to have everyone use, is Daysy (linked below).  While the sticker shock may dissuade you, let me PERSUADE you. Daysy is $250, but it will last you a lifetime.  Even if you only used it for a year this is less than a dollar a day! Daysy uses Swiss-German engineering and reads with over a 99% accuracy.  All you have to do is take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed.  

When I was struggling with ovarian cysts, I was having ultrasounds done biweekly and one day during an ultrasound the tech said "oh you must have ovulated in the last 24 hours I can see it in the imaging" to which I proudly responded "yep, my daysy showed I ovulated 12 hours ago".  I have NEVER used any other tracking device with this level of accuracy and efficiency. Daysy can also be utilized to prevent pregnancy OR to try to get pregnant, depending on your needs.   

Using Daysy didn't just give me the most reliable insight to my body's rhythm, but also gave me the confidence to start tracking the other patterns of my cycle like mood, appetite, energy levels, etc while knowing that I could be certain if I was in a fertile window or not. 

TIP: use Honey extension, this usually finds a 20% off discount code

This may be controversial, but I personally did NOT work with a gynecologist to get off birth control and I actually advise other women against it as well. This is because most (not all) gynos only know what they know, meaning they only know what they were taught in school and unfortunately, this is primarily going to be education that is fueled by big pharma profiting off of us being sick. I have worked with many women who tried to go off, saw their gyno because they thought this was the right thing to do, and either ended up never coming off of it or went right back on. This is not judgement on those women, rather a huge disappointment that our society has made us dependent on providers who often do not have our best HEALTH in mind. This is not the doctor or the patient's fault, everyone is doing the best they can with the information they have and that is why I am here to provide further information.

That being said; there are wonderful, intelligent, safe, and life changing healers and medical providers that you can and should work with should that be an option for you. Often these providers do not work under insurance, this is because if they do they must treat and prescribe as told. And, since they do not use insurance it can sometimes be a little pricey; however, ALWAYS worth every penny.

The two providers I found to be life changing in balancing my hormones and recovering my reproductive function naturally were a TCM practitioner and a holistic pelvic floor therapist. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will use a combination of herbal teas or tinctures as well as acupuncture. Many people come to me concerned about painful periods, heavy bleeding, hormonal acne, or mood swings -- TCM addresses all of these symptoms and more. Clinical trials actually proved TCM to be more effective than Accutane in lowering serum Il-6 levels (a protein produced by various cells that is elevated with inflammation autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and acne).  When you are taking herbal tea blends from your TCM provider, you do not need to be supplementing with a million vitamins and minerals.  This was a plus for me because I simply didn't want to be taking a million different things every day. 

I also worked with a pelvic floor physical therapist to recover my pelvic floor function. I was experiencing severe pain which was due to an overly tight pelvic floor, which did not directly result from birth control; however, I believe the extreme mind body disconnection from taking birth control for so many years, as well as not operating within optimal flow for my natural cycle, is how I did so much damage.  Working with this provider not only healed the extreme cramping I was having during ovulation and menstruation, but also allowed a beautiful development of connecting to my womb in a way I never had before.  This is a portal for life and something to honor and connecting with my body in this way has introduced me to a side of femininity that is so new and precious to me. 

**Note: Never feel like it's wrong or bad to seek help.  This is in no way, shape, or form telling you not to seek medical care if it is prompted. This is simply my advice as someone who has worked with 4 different gynos who all tried to aggressively coerce me back onto hormonal birth control without making ANY attempt to assess or adjust my diet, lifestyle, etc.

When you first go off birth control, you will not be able to workout the way you did ON birth control. That is normal. It may feel very defeating at first, but maintain the mantra "let it go, let it flow". DO NOT beat yourself up that you can't workout 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, you are not a man.

So long as you are experiencing any negative side effects from withdrawal from birth control keep your workouts limited to 30 minutes or less.  This is because it takes about 30 minutes of exercise to burn through all the glucose in your blood.  After that has been used, your adrenal glands start pumping out cortisol to sustain energy for the duration of your workout.  This circulating cortisol signals your fat cells to switch to sugar, which is what your body will then use for energy.  While at you might think, OMG !!! I will burn all my fat away if I workout past that 30 minute mark, let me assure you, you will not. For women with too much estrogen, which is a very common hormonal imbalance, many miserable PMS symptoms are experienced as well as hormonal acne and missing/irregular/painful menstruation.  If you are high in estrogen, the aforementioned sugars will get converted back into fat and this will throw you into a never-ending cycle. That is, unless you abide to 30 minute or less workouts as your body comes into a healthy hormonal balance.

There is a time and place for everything.  For example, HIIT and an endurance run have no place on day 1 and 2 of your bleed.  When we work out counterintuitively to our cycle we tell our body to burn muscle and store fat and when we work WITH our cycle this signals our body to burn fat and build muscle.  While I previously used to resonate with the fear of "rest will make me gain weight" or "rest will make me lose progress", I am now to the other side and can't emphasize enough how wrong that is.  Working with my cycle and allowing more space for rest and what my body actually needs to support me at that phase has made staying in shape and getting stronger so.much.easier.  It's almost laughable. 

Below are some examples of types of workouts that support each phase of your cycle:

   1. Menstruation: first two days of bleed are rest days, yin yoga, walking, mat pilates, end the week with rest

   2. Follicular: cardio (dance, run, rollerblade), rebounding, jump rope, cycling class, hiking, surf, paddle board, pilates, sports (1-2 rest days)

   3. Ovulation: weights, HIIT, power flow, cycling class, kickboxing, pilates, surf, paddle board, sports (1-2 rest days)

   4. Luteal: HIIT, pilates, weights, barre, yoga (1-2 rest days)

As you come more into balance and connection with your body through this journey you will be able to feel and hear what your body needs during certain cycles.  A huge part of this is deciphering your ego from your true needs.  Often, your ego will lie and try to push you harder.  Listen to the call, is it rooted in fear of weight gain or loss of progress? If so, that is probably your ego.  Also, many people use excessive or overly intense exercise to maintain their mental health, if you feel unable to take rest days due to this I heavily advise you to find a psychologist to work with as well as practices such as journaling to sort your mind so that your physical body does not need to take the blow. 

Just as there is a time and place for certain workouts during certain phases, there is a time and place for work and relationships within your cycle too. 

During this phase your hormones are all at a low point. This is your rest phase. Evaluation and intuition should be practiced.  What came up emotionally for you during luteal? Was there anything you were anxious or upset about? Now is the time to assess these things.  Also take time to revisit your accomplishments and the positive aspects from the last month and give yourself kudos.  Set yourself up for success for the following month by setting intentions.  If possible this is a great week to take a personal day or two off of everything. Indulge in self care and self love, ask your partner for some extra support, love, and affection and always use lube during this phase of your cycle. 

• Foods that can support this phase: buckwheat, wild rice, beets, kale, mushrooms, blackberry, blueberry, watermelon, adzuki bean, black bean, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pork, crab, lobster, mussels, scallops

Estrogen is on the rise here! Creativity is flowwwiiinnngg. This is your preparation phase. Now is the time to brainstorm, plan, prepare, set goals, get out there! This is a good window to take care of difficult mental tasks, collaborate with coworkers, make sales/find new clients, and start new projects. With your partner, it's the perfect time to try out new things (new date night spots, new things in bed, etc.), take a trip together, or get outside and get active!

• Foods that can support this phase: barley, oat, rye, artichoke, broccoli, carrot, zucchini, avocado, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pomegranate, lentils, mung beans, cashews, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chicken, eggs

Estrogen is peaking here. This is a great time to collaborate and communicate effectively. This is your open up phase. This is your best window to BE SEEN. Socialize, pitch ideas at work, go out with friends, meet new people. This is a great phase to have important conversations, whether with a friend or partner or with your boss to ask for a raise! This is a verrry fun time for your sex life, social life, and putting yourself out there.

• Foods that can support this phase: corn, quinoa, bell pepper, brussels sprouts, eggplant, tomato, spinach, coconut, apricot, strawberry, raspberry, fig, almond, flaxseeds, pecan, pistachio, pumpkin seeds, lamb, salmon, shrimp, tuna, chocolate, coffee

Progesterone is at its highest point here. This is the time to get things done! This is your work phase. Do not procrastinate, knock shit off your list in this phase. Wrap up projects and see goals through that you got started in follicular. Get yourself organized, handle admin tasks, get your house in order, set some time aside to do deep self work. This is a good time to enjoy chill connective time with your partner; cook dinner together, evaluate your relationship, enjoy quickies in the first half and slow things down and get more sensual in the second half.

• Foods that can support this phase: brown rice, millet, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, ginger, garlic, onion, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, apple, date, peach, pair, chickpea, navy bean, sesame seed, sunflower seeds, walnut, beef, turkey, peppermint, mint 

DO NOT overwhelm yourself trying to make a million changes at once.  When you first go off birth control, it can take a bit of time to start feeling into this natural cycle and the strengths that come with each phase. I found it best to first change my sleep and workout schedule, then assess my work schedule, then try to incorporate syncing foods with my cycle.  Often when we try to do too much at once, we can become overwhelmed and none of the changes stick.  The food portion can be daunting, work your way up.  Start with small changes little by little.  Every little step counts! 

• Infrared sauna and infrared light therapy are supportive during all phases of your cycle 

• Cold plunge / cold water therapy is also beneficial; however, you want to stop doing this a few days before and during your cycle as keeping your womb warm is imperative for easy blood flow (a warm womb minimizes cramping and low back pain during cycle as well)

• Reduce or entirely cut out restrictive clothing (regular bras, sports bras, tanks with built in bras, tight leggings, anything high waisted, etc.) as tight clothing impairs blood and lymphatic circulation as well as disrupts proper diaphragmatic breath and pelvic floor activation/relaxation leading to more painful cramps, increased lower back pain, inflammation, water retention, pelvic floor tightness or dysfunction, etc. 

• Ditch the crop tops - this tip baffled my college crop top loving self when I was taught about this years ago, but you want to keep your abdomen WARM during all phases of your cycle.  (You would be shocked how big of a difference loose clothing with more coverage makes)

• Keep your feet warm (warm feet = warm womb = easy flow)

I am sure we are all familiar with YinYang, a Chinese philosophy that describes two opposite but complementary forces. These two forces counterbalance and enhance each other. In TCM, the body must have a healthy balance of both yin and yang, of hot and cold, of masculine and feminine. All balanced men will have a healthy connection with their feminine and all balanced women will have a healthy connection with their masculine.  Trying to exist in only masculine or only feminine energy will lead to inevitable burnout and crashing. 

I believe birth control disrupts this balance by pushing women too far into masculine way of operating. I believe birth control is not only detrimental to our physical wellbeing, but also our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. When I first came off of birth control 4 years ago, within the first 2 weeks, my mental clarity and sharpness increased more than tenfold, my anxiety and depression plummeted, my digestive issues receded, and a part of me (my personality, my spirit, my soul, my connection to divinity) that I didn't realize was missing for all these years came back.  It wasn't until I began to reconnect with my soul, my true self, that I realized how severed I was from it by means of BC.  

A part of me almost believes that birth control is pushed so heavily on women to limit them, to keep them separated from their true nature which is inherently divine, specifically taking us out of tune with our reproductive nature.  Our reproductive nature is a direct connection to the divine, we bring LIFE into this world, we are portals between divinity and life on Earth, but this magical connection is destroyed through the use of birth control. 

What makes us so powerful as women is that we have this ability and this connection.  I once read that men are the rulers of the material world, and women are the rulers of the spiritual world.  We have an inherent superpower to create life and when we tap into this we are unstoppable.  When we learn to harness this we can be more successful, more productive, and more efficient than a man could ever dream of being (trust lol). 

• Hypothalamus: releases gonadotropin releasing hormone

• Anterior pituitary gland: releases FSH and LH

• Uterus: where the fertilized egg will develop and baby will grow

• Endometrium: lining of the uterus, where the fertilized egg will implant into

  • This is also what breaks down and bleeds out every month in order to “refresh” for the next month

• Fallopian tubes: where the eggs are fertilized

• Ovary: where the eggs develop

  • Each ovary has a finite number of immature eggs that are called primordial follicles (roughly 200,000 per ovary)

• Day 1: hypothalamus releases gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH) which triggers the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary gland

  • FSH stimulates around 15-20 primordial follicles to start developing within the ovaries

  • As the follicles develop, the cells surrounding them, called granulosa cells, secrete increasing amounts of estrogen

• Just before ovulation: there is a dip in estrogen as the follicles are getting ready to release the egg and there is a spike in LH that causes one of the follicles to reach the surface of the ovary and release the ovum (AKA the unfertilized egg)

  • Ovulation happens at day 14 of a 28 day cycle

• During the luteal phase: the follicle that released the ovum collapses within the ovary and becomes the corpus luteum

  • The corpus luteum secretes high levels of progesterone

  • Corpus luteum also secretes some estrogen

  • IF the egg is fertilized then the embryo secretes human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)

    • HCG keeps the corpus luteum alive and is also the hormone checked in a pregnancy test

  • IF the egg is not fertilized, HCG is not produced and the corpus luteum will degenerate and will stop producing progesterone and estrogen

    • This drop in progesterone and estrogen removes the negative feedback to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland

      • The levels of FSH begin to rise again and the cycle restarts

      • The drop in progesterone and estrogen also causes the endometrium to break down → menstruation occurs

• Menstruation starts from day 1 of the cycle

  • When the superficial and middle layers of the endometrium separate from the basal layer and this tissue is broken down within the uterus and is released through the cervix and the vagina

  • The tissue that is released through the cervix and the vagina is the bleeding experienced as your period, which lasts between 1 - 8 days