How to Stop Using Birth Control (And Why You Should)
It’s estimated that nearly 70% of women (aged 15-49) are on birth control pills.
The birth control pill is a pharmaceutical that’s offered to women for everything from endometriosis to period pain and hormone imbalances. It’s a fix-it-all remedy in the medical community—and it’s basically impossible to visit an OBGYN without getting a recommendation to start birth control.
Birth control’s quick rise in popularity led to a normalization of unexplained hormone imbalances, gut issues, fatigue, and other symptoms in women.
The price of pregnancy prevention, it seems, is not feeling your best.
An maybe, not even feeling like yourself.
Many of the women on the pill aren’t informed about the long-term damage and symptoms that hormonal contraceptives can cause.
So, let’s look at contraceptive pills, how they work, and how to stop using birth control.
Is Birth Control Bad for You?
Have you ever thought about how birth control works?
It’s essentially a form of hormone replacement therapy—hijacking your reproductive hormones during peak years of fertility. Hormonal birth control dilutes your natural hormones and replaces them with synthetic versions.
Preventing pregnancy sounds good. But hijacking your hormones, inhibiting progesterone (the calming hormone), depleting mineral stores, and shutting down ovulation? Not so good.
Most people understand reproductive hormones as a singular entity: they work to encourage pregnancy—and that’s it.
When about birth control, we need to understand that reproductive hormones do a ton of good things for your body—and throwing them out of whack can have a domino effect on your entire endocrine system.
Hormones don’t just hang out in a corner of your body “doing their own thing.”
Here are some symptoms you may experience from long-term birth control use and its adverse effects on your whole body:
Heavy metal toxicity
Hormone imbalances
Low libido
Fatigue
Headaches
Mental health issues (particularly, depression)
Mood swings
Decreased progesterone
Weight gain
Digestive issues
Really curious? Check the list of potential side effects included with your birth control prescription.
As a functional nutritionist, I recognize that there can certainly be a place for birth control pills. However, it’s important to understand the risks, seek holistic alternatives, and learn how to use supplements and nutrients to counter-act the adverse effects of birth control.
How to Stop Using Birth Control
Many women assume that quitting birth control is as simple as flushing your pills down the toilet. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Birth control is designed to take over your hormones—and they don’t magically rebalance themselves (unfortunately).
The first week without birth control can be pretty miserable. You may experience headaches, acne, mood swings, and other symptoms. The eventual return of your period may bring heavier bleeding and irregularity (even if you don’t have a history of these issues).
Think of this transition as a detox. Time, minerals, and nutrient-dense meals are your best friends—and eventually, you’ll feel like yourself again.
Hormone Balancing After Birth Control
Your journey of hormone balancing after birth control should take some time. If you don’t regain your period after a few months—or if you still struggle with gut issues within the first year—don’t get discouraged.
Reestablishing your cycle and reconnecting with your natural body takes time. Here are some things you can do to help your body get back into its natural rhythm:
1) Reduce Stress
Any time your hormones are out of whack, your body feels the stress. Long-term birth control (remember: synthetic hormones) are likely to induce extra cortisol production.
Cortisol is the stress hormone, as well as an important function of health. By bringing your cortisol back to normal levels, you can encourage your other hormones to chill out and restore balance everywhere.
For stress reduction, look to solutions like:
Brain retraining
Salt baths
Yoga
EFT tapping
Breathwork
Nature bathing
Adaptogen supplements
2) Respect Your Body’s Natural Rhythms
Hormone health is deeply intertwined with nature. When cared for, daily rhythms like sleep and wake times, eating schedules, and more can help balance hormones.
Remember, consistency is important—and time is on your side. Listen to your body. Observe your circadian rhythm—don’t fight against it. Allow nature to help you gently return to yourself.
3) Encourage Liver Health
Liver health may be the most important part of your journey to healing and hormone balancing after birth control.
Synthetic hormones are tricky because your body can recognize them as toxins. Excess hormones are typically eliminated through the liver, so birth control can put a lot of stress on your liver.
You’ll need to detox after birth control—and you’ll need your liver in good health to do it.
4) Build Your Vitamin and Mineral Stores
Studies show that B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, and zinc can all be depleted when taking oral contraceptives. These nutrients are essential for the upkeep of organs, cells, and energy levels—and without them, it can be difficult to function normally, much less get pregnant.
Rebuilding your vitamin and mineral stores with nutrient-dense meals and mineral supplements can help you restore your sense of self—and might even result in energy levels and vitality you didn’t know were possible for you.
Rebuilding nutrient stores is a great way to reduce internal stress and support your liver.
What If I Want to Get Pregnant?
Many women find it difficult to regain their period and get pregnant after using the pill. This may be partially due to nutrient deficiencies. Your body is brilliant—and it can hold off pregnancies if it doesn’t have enough resources to grow a healthy baby.
Getting pregnant after the birth control pill is a time game. Whether you get lucky with a positive pregnancy test within a few months or you’re still anxiously awaiting parenthood after a year or more, there is still hope for you.
Focus on feeding yourself well with nutrient-dense meals, reducing stress, and detoxing your body from the toxins left behind by the birth control pill.
What If I Don’t Want to Get Pregnant?
Maybe you quit birth control because the pill is making you miserable … but you still don’t want to get pregnant.
Good news: there are a number of natural family planning and contraceptive methods you can use. These options work alongside your body—without disrupting carefully balanced hormone levels.
Basal body temperature. I find this to be the most effective form of natural birth control. You simply check your body temperature every day and log it. Alongside other hormonal cues, like cervical fluid, you can prevent pregnancy fairly effectively.
All-natural condoms. Although not always recommended (some contain nasty synthetic ingredients), these can give you peace of mind when you’re first transitioning to natural family planning methods.
Tracking cervical fluid. Many women find it helpful to track the appearance of cervical fluid throughout the month. Sticky and stretchy fluid that resembles egg whites most likely means you’re fertile. I recommend pairing this method with basal body temperature.
Many of these natural family planning methods and others can be combined for extra protection and peace of mind. Remember, education is your best friend. You’re not destined to stay on birth control or abandon all ideas of family planning.
Work With Your Body’s Rhythms, Not Against Them
Hormonal birth control is often marketed as the cure-all pill—prescribed for all sorts of women’s issues from acne to heavy periods to PCOS. But it’s often just treating symptoms and masking the real problem—sometimes even making it worse.
Most women I work with watch their symptoms return after they stop using birth control. Usually, with increased severity. With the right tools, this should be temporary—and we can get to the real root cause of your symptoms.
There are better ways to heal.
You don’t have to replace the hormones your body graciously provides.
You don’t have to treat only the symptoms.
Your body knows how to heal. We just need to give it the optimal environment—and work gently with your body’s rhythms, instead of against them.
Learn How to Restore Fertility, Eliminate Symptoms, and Feel Like Yourself—Without the Pill