birth control

Episode #49: Mood swings, menstrual cycles and my journey of going off the birth control pill | A Solo Episode

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On today’s episode I’m deep diving into the past year of navigating my body and hormones after going off the birth control pill.

This time last year, I remember sitting in a coffee shop with my friend Jen talking all about the birth control pill. She had decided to go off of it 6 months prior and was sharing her experience with me and it got me thinking ... "why have I been on the pill for so goddamn long?"

I mean OBVIOUSLY to not have a baby. But the reason I went on the pill in the first place? I was 15 years old and my doctor misdiagnosed me with PCOS and said "here, just take the pill. It'll help your symptoms." And she was right, it did. And I didn't question it (and hadn't questioned it for years).


But that conversation got me thinking about how I'd been putting synthetic hormones into my body for 12 years of my life without question ('cause ya know, everyone is on the pill, right?) and that I hadn't even thought to question it.  And after my 27th birthday, after all of the medical stuff going on with me at the time, and the incredible conversation I had with Claire Baker on episode 7 of the podcast and speaking with my doctor, I decided to officially go off of the pill. 

Now I want to preface this by saying this is in NO WAY a "you need to go off the pill" podcast. YOU are the only person that can make choices for YOUR body (and girlfriend, you 100% know what's best for YOU and where you're at in life), but this past year has given me SO much insight into my body and my hormonal health

So here is MY story based off of my personal findings, speaking with my trusted hormone experts, my doctor and MY BODY.

Things I cover in today’s episode:

  • My journey with the birth control pill

  • What is actually happening to your body when you’re on the pill

  • Why I decided to go off the pill and what path I decided to go with

  • The nitty gritty of what it's really like to get an IUD inserted

  • Embracing my body and learning to love myself via my menstrual cycle

  • The pressure to show up in a way that goes agains our bodies in a masculine focused world

  • Reframing cramps and our periods as positive and beautiful experiences

    *edit: the Paraguard lasts 10 years not 5!

Episode #7: Going off the birth control pill & period talk with Claire Baker

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EPISODE SNEAK PEEK

"Life just became more vivid than it ever had in those 10 years. All of my senses had been heightened and I felt like I was getting to know parts of myself that had been muted for years."

Claire Baker is an Australian women’s coach and writer based in London. Through her popular blog, eBooks, online courses and live workshops, Claire teaches self-care, creative rekindling, how to live life aligned with your menstrual cycle and being kind to yourself and the world. Claire believes in less stress and more flow (and dark chocolate) and knows that working with our natural rhythms is ‘the missing key’ when it comes to women’s wellness. She’ll have you throwing out the scales, booking the flight, launching the blog – and falling back in love with your life.

Here are a few things we discussed in today’s episode:

  • Her journey with the birth control pill and why I'm considering going off of it
  • How she lost her period for a year and her journey exploring her hormones
  • Her PCOS diagnosis & my misdiagnosis of the same
  • Libidos & navigating sex as a freaking WOMAN
  • Learning how to embrace our natural rhythms of our bodies
  • How to navigate the 4 seasons of your menstrual cycle and embrace the energies attached to them
  • How to honor what your body is actually telling you in little ways throughout your day
  • How she uses her passions to help women unlock parts of themselves they're dying to unleash
  • Holistic practices that has helped her on her journey
  • My weird celebrity crush and one of the most incredible moments of my life

LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

Natural cycles app

Dr. Nat Kringoudis // hormonal health coach 

FEM Method

Claire's free downloadable calendar to track your cycle

 

CONNECT WITH CLAIRE 

Claire's website // Instagram  

photos by Kyle Wilson , Zeke D and Cam Frontain