Many women choose to stop taking the pill. Still no trace of the period. Our editor feels the same way – she asked an expert for advice.
311 days without a period. 311 days when I kept asking myself “What’s wrong with me?” I decided almost a year ago to stop taking the pill after more than ten years. Was the decision easy? Under no circumstance. Was it right? Let’s put it this way, it was life-changing!
“It doesn’t concern me”
Let’s go back a little further: For a few years now, I have come across the topic of “taking off the pill” more and more often on social media and the like. However, I didn’t want to know anything about it for a long time. “It doesn’t affect me,” I kept thinking to myself when I read that people reported how much they had changed after they stopped taking the pill. Do thoughts like “I get by very well” and “is also much more practical” sound any familiar? At least that’s what I kept telling myself. Until at some point I had to realize: I’m screwing myself.
At the beginning of 2020 – since the beginning of the pandemic, non-stop home office and limited social life – I noticed that I was becoming more and more sensitive. Emotional short-circuit reactions, crying fits and imbalance have burdened not only me but also my relationship. At that point I knew something had to change. That I have to change I wasn’t used to behaving like that from myself. I also didn’t want to accept that I just “am like that” now. So, from one day to the next, I decided: I’ll stop taking the pill.
With this decision, I’ve felt really good for the first time. I quickly found myself again, am more self-confident, less emotional and can now argue really well with my boyfriend. He also noticed that I was changed. Nevertheless, I had a bad gut feeling the whole time. Because I kind of knew that I wouldn’t just get my period back in four weeks. I knew it was going to be a long way. And I was right.
It’s now been almost a year since I last had my period. If you take it very seriously, then even longer. What many do not even know: When taking the pill, the lining of the uterus builds up, similar to the natural menstrual cycle. If you then take the usual pill break after 21 days, the hormone supply also drops and the mucous membrane is shed. The bleeding that then begins is therefore rather a withdrawal bleeding and does not correspond to the bleeding of a natural cycle. Ergo: It only serves to create the same optical effect. Pretty crazy!
Coaching hormones – is that possible?
I’ll be honest: the fact that my period just wouldn’t start worried me after a few months. I told my gynecologist that too. Your answer to everything: the pill. Yes, you heard right. I have now been to three gynecologists and all of them have advised me to simply take the pill again. Although that was exactly what I definitely didn’t want and didn’t do me any good either. Believe me, I’ve tried everything from chasteberry to female supplements. In my case, none of it worked. Finally, I came across Julia Schultz through social media. She is a health and hormone coach and tries to help women like me who have problems with a natural cycle. And that without pills and medication.
Julia believes that every hormonal problem has a cause. You just have to find it. I met her for an interview and was allowed to ask her all the questions that burned on my soul.
“There are other ways too, because our lifestyle has a huge influence on our hormones and how this relationship can be leveled out again,” says Julia. First things first: It is quite normal that some women do not have a regular cycle for a long time after stopping the pill. But how much longer is “normal” actually? “It is certainly the case for some women that they stop taking the pill and have a regular cycle right away. Then again there are an incredible number of women who are not. Wait at least six months, the pill has such a blatant impact on your body, “explains Julia.
The pill is like a deep sleep of the body that you have simply put on it. First the body has to get a kickstart again.
For some women, according to Julia Schultz, it could even take up to twelve months. In that case, you can also have the hormones checked to see whether there is something deeper behind them.
I’ve heard everything from “No period – it’s practical” to “No period – that can be dangerous for the bones”. But what is really true? The fact is, a regular cycle is important for the female body: “Hormones are important for health. For the mood, for the bones, for the skin. It is also not the case that if the period does not come, no hormones are produced at all. Estrogen is often already there, but fluctuating. Most of the time, the progesterone isn’t there, because that’s what we need to ovulate. “
Stress – the ultimate hormone killer
How can we support our own body to regain a natural cycle? “There are many possible ways that stress can occur. If too many things come at once, it creates a lot of stress. ”Important to know: Stress not only includes stress at work, but also too little sleep, too much exercise or too few nutrients for the body. “It is important that we do something at least once a day that is really good for us and that brings us down,” advises Julia. Even if it’s just a relaxing evening routine before bed. Of course, these stressors are very individual as each of us is different. But if you go deep inside, you may already guess what those are.
You can also do something good for yourself and your body through diet. For example, fats are essential for the production of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as sufficient protein, are important in order to give our body what it needs for a healthy balance. High fiber sources of carbohydrates are also important; Diet extremes such as low carb, low fat or intermittent fasting, on the other hand, are less beneficial.
What should I do to get my period back? I try to let go slowly but surely. Doing a little less sweaty exercise, optimizing my diet (and eating enough) and most importantly, I don’t stress myself. I also always write down when I notice mood swings, skin changes and the like. Because even if I don’t have my period, a lot still changes in my body. I notice that. Would I decide against the pill again and again despite the “exertion”? Yes. It was the best decision I could have made.
Sources used: own interview, juliaschultz.net, rabea-kiess.de, thefemalecompany.com