Let's talk about Birth Control

WilliamsPeggy

I've had the Mirena IUD for 2 years & love it. My OB/GYN has one too & highly recommended it.

purpleipod

I lost 56 pounds while taking Yaz, didn't seem to be a problem for me.

cheri0627

im on the depo shot right now, and yes it has made me gain about 20 pounds in 9 months according to my gyno. i heard the ring helps with that, but i don't trust myself putting something in and having a chance that it could be deffective, plus my gyno told me its common for it to fall out during sex. so im sticking with the shot because i onlt have to remember to go to the doctor every 3 months.

I've only had a problem with Nuvaring during sex once in 5+ years. Most of the time, my husband doesn't even notice it's there.

laurensohn22

Bump to read later **

dad106

I stopped taking Birth Control for the very same reason. When I started taking it... I gained 15-20 pounds. I thought maybe I was just gaining weight as I was getting older, but all of the working out and watching what I was eating, didn't do a single thing for me. Kept the same working out/eating regime, but stopped taking the birth control and dropped the 15 pounds very quickly. I mean, I have been married for 10 years, so really, but we are not trying to have any kids. Thankfully my husband is okay on taking on the role of protection.

Okay this is exactly my situation. I work out a LOT. I mean, like, 2 hours of cardio a day, and eat a very clean, zero processed foods diet that I would say is 50% Vegetable, 35% protein, 15% fruit, lol. I mean, I should not be gaining weight. I am always at a caloric deficit. I lift heavy 5x a week. It's frustrating because (sorry TMI) I really hate using condoms, but I hate being fat more. Part of me feels guilty for asking SO to buy condoms all the time, but I've been paying for my BCP all along so....guess I can give it a shot and see how it goes.

How long did it take after stopping for the weight to come off?

Did you ever stop to think that you are A.Not eating enough or B. Retaining water from all the working out you are doing? Those are very definite factors that need to be considered.

I've been taking the pill since 2009(LoEstrin 24 FE)... and gained 40 pounds while in college. I can tell for a fact, it was not the pill. It was the fact that I ate like crap(pizza, jimmy johns and burger king pretty much everyday) and didn't exercise at all. I also drank like a fish. Once i got out of college and away from that, I've dropped pretty much all the weight except for 11 pounds with no major problems what so ever.

I urge you to explore all options of diet and exercise before blaming the pill.. because I'm highly hesitant to blame that weight gain on the pill.

Katie41907

I completely agree! I gained 30 lbs on the shot. As soon as I came off, the weight dropped within a month! I'm on seasonique low now and I LOVE it! It's hardly messed with my hormones. Sex drive is a little down but the rest is just fine. TMI! I know!

kristindesigner

My husband and I are not trying to have kids any time soon, but we decided that I would stop taking BC. He is a physician and is worried about the long-term effects of BC, with which we haven't had enough generations to evaluate yet. After being on BC for ten years, I cannot tell you enough how much BETTER I feel without those fake hormones in my body!

Now I am using sympto-thermal method to track my temp and other symptoms, so it's more work than just popping a pill. (If done correctly, it has the same effectiveness of BC when taken correctly.) In return, though, I am one tenth as moody, have far less PMS, I'm less emotional in general and I rarely have irresistible carb or sugar cravings. I basically just feel like a saner person. I also see my fitness habits (or lack thereof when I slack off) have more immediate and obvious effects on my body; I think this is due to eliminating the constant water retention that BC can cause.

Other girlfriends who have gone the route of ditching BC have found the same great results. Only one downside so far: my skin is a lot more breakout prone. I'm happy to deal with extra zits, though, considering the benefits I've experienced. I try and always eat ABF meats and organic produce, so it only makes sense that I wouldn't want additives within my own body.