You want to come off your hormonal birth control because you don't like the way you feel but you're scared because you don't want to get pregnant or afraid that your original awful symptoms are going to come back. That's a totally valid concern!
How many of us originally started birth control as a teenager or young adult, whether that was the pill, IUD or other methods, due to the menstrual symptoms we were experiencing? I'd bet there's a large majority. So that would mean a large portion of people on birth control weren't actually taking it to avoid pregnancy, they were prescribe it to "fix" their problems, aka symptoms.
Unfortunately, the reality is, if we go see our medical providers with our concerns about our symptoms, the most common thing they do is suggest hormonal birth control. What this is really doing though, is blocking your symptoms while you're on it and not taking the root cause of your symptoms into consideration. So what alternative is available to you?
Let me introduce you to the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), if you haven't already heard about it. This method can be used as a natural birth control, to achieve pregnancy or gain better control of your reproductive health.
This is a method that literally takes less that 2 minutes each day and will allow you to observe the changes that are happening in your body each cycle. By taking your basal body temperature (BBT) each morning, observing your cervical mucous and the position of your cervix (this part is optional) you'll know when you're fertile phase is, therefore if you are trying to avoid pregnancy, this would be the time to use alternative contraceptions or refrain from sexual intercourse. This method also allows you to track your symptoms and observe whether or not there's more at play than just cramps and major PMS.
A great resource to learn more about the Fertility Awareness Method is the book by Toni Weschler "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" or by checking out her website at www.tcoyf.com
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