Why Birth Control Doesn't "Regulate" Your Cycle
PSA: Birth control does not “fix” or “regulate” your cycles!
This isn’t a judgment, it’s simply a fact — most of us were never given full information about the way that hormonal contraceptives work and affect us, and we deserve full information about our options.
Hormonal contraceptives work by suppressing communication between your brain and your ovaries, because of the synthetic hormones that are present.
You also do *NOT* get your period on hormonal birth control! If you bleed, this is called a withdrawal bleed, referring to the withdrawal of synthetic hormones in your body. This drop in hormones causes the lining of the uterus to shed— this is why your blood on hormonal contraceptives is typically different than your typical period.
Depending on the type of birth control (estrogen and progestin or just progestin), contraceptives shut down ovulation, thin the lining of the uterus, and thicken cervical mucus in order to prevent pregnancy.
So what’s the issue?
Many people (myself included) were told that birth control would “fix” our hormones. If you’re dealing with painful painful periods, hormonal imbalance, ovarian cysts, PCOS, endometriosis (the list goes on)…hormonal contraceptives may mask the symptoms, but they will not “fix” the issue.
In fact, the nutrient depletion, increased risk of autoimmune disease, gut dysbiosis, mood disruptions, and more can often make hormonal imbalance worse.
The Term “Birth Control”
Honestly, I despise the term “birth control.”
To be fair, I do use it sometimes — mostly because then everyone knows what I’m talking about! But birth doesn’t need to be “controlled,” and that’s not how hormonal contraceptives work!
When we talk about hormonal birth control (the pill, the patch, the implant, etc), we’re really describing an ovulation inhibitor: these synthetic hormones shut down your body’s process of ovulation, and prevent your brain from communicating with your ovaries. No ovulation = no pregnancy!
Aside from the fact that “birth control” is an inaccurate term, as a birth keeper, to me it also represents the dangerous misogyny of our culture’s approach to birth and all womb power: that it needs to be controlled, tamed, maintained and suppressed.
Our fertility is powerful, and does not need to be “controlled.” Rather, it is our birthright to understand, embody, and be sovereign in our fertile power — whatever we choose to do with it.
After being on hormonal contraceptives in my teens (and experiencing a ton of side effects) practicing fertility awareness has played a huge role in healing my cycles, reconnecting with my womb, and not fearing my fertility.
Hormonal contraceptives are not the only tool for pregnancy prevention OR menstrual pain— there are so many other ways that we can care for our reproductive health while addressing the root causes.
If you have even the slightest desire to explore fertility awareness as a practice that can elevate your body literacy, your sensual intuition, and give you the confidence of truly knowing your fertile cycles, now is the time, love!
Check out the FREE Fertility Tracking 101 Workshop at the link in my bio, and learn how to get started tracking your three fertile signs!
This is an introduction to what I teach in my course, Fearlessly Fertile, which you’ll find inside The Womb Room, my container for womb sovereignty.
There, you’ll learn how to track your cycles to know exactly when you are fertile, for avoiding pregnancy (99.4% effective when used right!) planning for pregnancy, or understanding your health.
And, you’ll do the deep embodiment and nervous system work to actually put these radical tools into place in your life and feel connected to the brilliance of your cycles, with the ongoing support from me and a beautiful community.
Check out the free fertility awareness workshop here, and when you’re ready, you can apply to The Womb Room here!