No Matter What Youve Heard Hormonal Birth Control Is The Only Real Way To Stop Your Period Or Make It Lighter
An anatomy lesson: Your uterus builds up a lining of blood and tissue each month just in case your egg gets fertilized. If no little sperm find your egg, your body sheds it allegg, blood, and tissue .
Behind the process are a couple of hormones called estrogen and progesterone, according to the Merck Manual. And when you’re on hormonal birth control , it manipulates your natural levels of estrogen and progesterone to keep you from getting pregnant typically by stopping your body from ovulating and/or by causing a change in the thickness of the mucus in the cervix to make it harder for sperm to get to the egg.
These are some of the popular types of birth control that can help stop your period:
It’s always wise to talk to your doctor first about stopping your period with birth control. They can advise you as to which method might be the best fit for you and your lifestyle.
What Are No Period Birth Control Pills
Combination birth control pills are often the most common way to stop periods.
Thats because the schedule you use to take them can result in fewer periods or no periods at all.
For example, you may continually take a pill containing estrogen and progestin every day until you decide not to.
Or you might take so-called active pills for a few months straight before having a break. During your break, you might take inactive pills that contain no hormones for a week.
Other forms of birth control can have no period effects but theres often less of a guarantee.
Why You Usually Get A Period On The Off
If you get your period on birth control pills, let’s say during the 7 days of placebo “sugar” pills, it’s because the makers of the original combined oral contraceptives succumbed to societal and cultural pressures to mimic the naturally occurring menstrual cycle – not because it was biologically needed.
So a missed period on birth control doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Okay, here’s some quick science to back this all up because this is some deep, revelatory stuff. So here goes…
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What To Do Next
In most circumstances, missing a period while on birth control is normal and nothing to worry about. If you’ve recently been under a lot of stress, exercising a lot, or have made significant dietary changes, you may want to make a lifestyle change to get your cycle back to normal.
However, in some cases, missing a period on birth control can be due to pregnancy or be an indication of an underlying health problem. If your periods continue to lapse on birth control, or if you’re having additional symptoms, such as fatigue or hair loss, it is important to speak with your healthcare provider about your concerns.
Taking 2 Packets Of The Combined Pill Back
If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on which pill you take.
Examples are:
- monophasic 21-day pills, such as Microgynon and Cilest you take a combined pill for 21 days, followed by 7 days without pills, when you have a bleed . To delay your period, start a new packet of pills straight after you finish the last pill and miss out the 7-day break.
- everyday pills, such as Microgynon ED and Lorynon ED you take a combined pill every day. The first 21 pills are active pills and the next 7 pills are inactive or dummy pills, when you have your period. To delay your period, miss out and throw away the dummy pills, and start the active pills in a new packet straight away.
- phasic 21-day pills, such as Binovium, Qlaira and Logynon the mix of hormones in each pill is different, depending on which phase you’re in. You need to take these pills in the correct order to have effective contraception. Ask your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP for more information.
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives.
If you’re not sure which pill you’re on or which pills in the packet to miss out, speak to your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Avoid taking more than 2 packs without a break, unless your GP says you can.
There’s a risk you could experience side effects, such as:
- feeling sick
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Other Ways To Skip Your Period
Taking birth control pills arent the only way to skip your period. Other options include the progestin-releasing intrauterine device , progestin injection , progestin implant , and the combination NuvaRing or contraceptive patches.
The Mirena IUD works even better than pills to reduce overall bleeding, Dabney says. Many women on the Mirena IUD either get very light periods or no periods at all.
If you arent sure about the pill, speak with your doctor about your other options. Make sure you speak with your doctor before using a birth control patch to skip your period. Compared to birth controls pills, the patch has a slightly increased risk for blood clotting. However, the patch is the same general formulation as combination pills.
Massage With Essential Oil
Simply massaging your abdominal muscles relaxes the uterine contractions. This may help divert blood away from the uterus. Doing this repeatedly may help stop your flow early and fast. This procedure will also help relieve some of the symptoms accompanying your period, such as cramps and bloating.
This is what you need to do:
- Mix some amounts of lavender oil and sage oil
- Into the mixture, add three some amount of warm almond oil
- Use the oil to massage the abdominal and pelvic area
- Do this twice or thrice to stop your period
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If You Just Cant With Your Period Anymore Talk To Your Doctor About The Options At Your Disposal
Dont wait until youre looking to stop your period for a specific window of time, like for a wedding or vacation. Try to give yourself some lead timeif you can give yourself three months, thats better than the month before, Dr. Shirazian says. The longer youre trying methods to stop your period, the more likely they are to give you no bleeding.
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So Then What’s The True Identity Of A Period On Birth Control
Get ready for this:
Your period on birth control is kind of fake. It’s called a “withdrawal period,” not because your body is shedding the uterine lining but because your body is going through hormone withdrawal. Essentially, the lab-derived hormones that the pill delivers are there to call the shots, and when you take the placebo pills, the active hormones start to exit the premises. The change in hormone levels triggers your body to build up or shed that lining, which results in bleeding or spotting.
Your period on birth control is a withdrawal period meant to mimic your natural one. It is not biologically necessary.
So there you have it. That’s why your period on birth control looks and acts so different.
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How Will I Keep Myself And My Partner Safe
One thing I can say about condoms is that thats the only birth control we have that protects against STIs, says Dr. Gariepy. But not all condoms are created equally: Natural lambskin condoms wont protect against STIs because they have tiny holes in them that block sperm but not viruses and bacteria.
However, latex, plastic, and polyurethane condoms will do the trick. . When you pop into your doctors office or local health clinic to talk BC, dont forget to snag a few freebies to make sure you and your partner are covered.
And before you leave your appointment, remember to ask what exactly you should expect in the following months, when to reach out for help, and what to do if you decide your initial pick isnt working for you. Its your doctors job to make sure youre satisfied with your choice of contraception. If youre not, dont hesitate to revisit your checklist and try something else.
Oh, and if you do have unprotected sex before having the opportunity to talk through your birth control options, remember, you can always pop over to your local pharmacy to get the morning-after pillits a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy in a pinch.
What Are The Symptoms Of Perimenopause
Although menopause is a normal, healthy part of life for individuals with a uterus, it typically entails symptoms that can become unpleasant. Some individuals may not notice any significant changes, but many will likely experience one or more of the following:
- Hot flashes and night sweats = a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over the body
- Breakthrough bleeding and spotting = bleeding when not on your period
- Irregular periods = inconsistent timing and heaviness of periods
- Headaches and/or migraines = pain that occurs in one or more regions of your head
- Mood swings = intense and sudden changes in mood
- Insomnia = persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Urine urgency and/or leakage = constantly feeling the need to go pee
- Vaginal dryness = lack of lubrication in the vagina
- Acne = blemishes that pop up on the skin
- Fatigue = feeling more tired than usual
- Breast tenderness = sore and/or swollen breasts
- Lower sex drive = lack of desire to have sex and/or pain during sex
Sometimes, the symptoms of perimenopause can cause significant problems in day-to-day functioning. Fortunately, there are various treatments that can be implemented to help provide some relief.
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My Insurance Was Running Out And I Didnt Want To Risk Not Having Birth Control
I got the Nexplanon implant in October of 2016. I was 25 and had it in for around a year and a half. At the time, my insurance through my parents was running out and I didnât have a full-time job. I didnât want to risk not having birth control if I didnât get a full time job, so I got the implant to be on the safe side. Not because I wanted to. I loved the pill I was on.
Getting it in wasnât bad because the area was numbed, but there was pain in my arm afterwards, which lasted for a few daysâlike someone punched me really hard in the arm. There werenât any mood swings, but there was HORRIBLE acne. I always had almost perfect skin before, then I started to break out every other day, and nothing cleared it up. My period was completely irregular too. I would bleed for three to four months straight, then not get a period for three months, and then it would be back for months again. It was horrible. My period was light most months, but I use a cup exclusively so things got sore inserting a cup every day for months on a light flow. I had to switch back to pads/liners, and I hated using them again.
Who Shouldnt Stop A Period
Girls under the age of 15 should not stop their periods because in the first years of the menstrual cycle, its important to observe the interval between cycles, the quantity of blood lost, and which symptoms you have.
Observing the duration and symptoms of a girls cycle help to assess the health of her reproductive system, if the ovaries are working correctly, or if there is a problem such as ovarian cysts.
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First Lets Go Over How Your Period Generally Works When Youre Not On Birth Control
During your menstrual cycle, your uterus builds up a lining made of blood and nutrients to nourish a fetus if you happen to get pregnant. If you dont get pregnant during that cycle, your body expels that lining in whats known as your period. You might already know that, but the exact way this happens is pretty fascinating and lays the groundwork for how to skip your uteruss monthly temper tantrum.
While you have your period, your pituitary gland makes more follicle-stimulating hormone , which prompts follicles to start to develop on your ovaries. Each of these follicles contains an egg. As your period finishes, one of these follicles continues to grow while the others are absorbed back into your ovaries. That maturing follicle gives off the hormone estrogen, which makes the lining of your uterus get thicker.
At this point, your estrogen levels top off and theres a rise in luteinizing hormone , which prepares the follicle to release the egg inside of it for potential fertilization. When this happens around the middle of your cycle, its known as ovulation. After ovulation, the follicle then produces the hormone progesterone to help your uterine lining get thicker and stabilize.
If you dont get pregnant, the egg breaks apart, and your levels of estrogen and progesterone drop. As a result, you shed your uterine lining, have your period, and start the cycle all over again.
No Period After Stopping Birth Control What’s That About
If youve decided to stop taking the pill, it can take a while for your cycle to return to normal. This varies from person to person. Most people will have their period around two to four weeks after stopping the pill. However, your cycle may be irregular for some time. Its normal for your body to need up to three months to go back to normal after stopping your birth control. If your cycles remain irregular for longer, make sure to visit your health care provider to find out the cause of your irregular cycles.
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Which Way Is Right For Me
If you want to cut down on the number of periods you have per year, then experts suggest standard birth control pills, patches, or the vaginal ring. To stop your period long-term, birth control shots, long-term pills, and the IUD typically work best. Speak with your doctor about it. Youâll work together to figure out which method is best for you.
How To Keep Track Of Your Menstrual Cycle
You can use a menstrual tracker like Flo to keep track of your cycle. Period tracking apps let you log your symptoms and determine when you should expect your period. This can also take some weight off your mind, since you wont have to remember when your period is due to arrive. The app will do it for you!
Overall, as long as youre taking it correctly, birth control is highly effective at preventing pregnancy and those missed periods can happen now and again.
If youre not sure, take a pregnancy test to ease your mind. Adding some relaxing activities to your life and staying healthy can help get your cycle back to normal.
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