S/O tell me about going off of birth control

[kellbell191]

We are not trying to have a baby, I just have some side effects, even on the low dose so thought we would look into alternative methods for a little bit. I've been on it for 10+ years

Share your experiences please!

[lucky513]

it was OK, I breakout more

get yourself an ovulation monitor and chart

[wrathofkuus]

My body is happy as can be (I was on the super low-dose pill, too), but my cycles are weird and irregular, just like they were before the pill. The Mr. is going to be getting a vasectomy.

[ktkl09]

Just went off of it a month ago. So far, its much better. It made me depressed and my period was out of whack (I tried 3 types of pills, IUD and Nuvaring... nothing worked).

I feel more like myself, more energy, and I've lost a few pounds going off of it...woot!

[thebuddhagouda]

My sex drive is WAAAAAAAAAYYYYY better, but I am much more greasy.

I've charted as my only means of BC for four years, and I'm really happy with it.

[bleubook]

My sex drive is better.
I feel bloated more often.
Sometimes I get a pimple now when I never did on BCP.
otherwise its a non-issue.

[Jalapeñomel]

It took me about a year to regulate.

[Deleted]

i get a little more acne.
my first period was terrible, cramps were horrific, but since then it's been normal. my flow is heavier than when i was on the pill.
i lost weight. my boobs got smaller (that was a good thing for me).

[amberlyrose]

Aug 13, 2012 16:27:36 GMT -5 lightyear said:

i get a little more acne.
my first period was terrible, cramps were horrific, but since then it's been normal. my flow is heavier than when i was on the pill.
i lost weight. my boobs got smaller (that was a good thing for me).

All of this, plus a better sex drive.

We just use condoms now. I tried the IUD but it pushed itself out, according to my gyno. She thinks it was from my tilted uterus.

[rupertpenny]

I got off the pill about a year ago and chart to avoid pregnancy. My cycles regulated pretty quickly and my sex drive is better. I haven't had any negative reactions to getting off the pill.

Overall I think charting is pretty easy, especially since I use the fertility friend app on my phone.

[alzi]

i am the worst case scenario, though my periods were pretty regular pretty quickly.

-i gained weight
-i broke out something awful. that did not get better over time
-my skin and hair are greasier

I'm hot. lol

[Deleted]

I went off of it because I got awful headaches and had no sex drive. First we tried the FAM method and while it worked because we had sex without conceiving for 6 months, it was too stressful for me because we simply do not want a child. After that I got the paragard (hormone free IUD) and have had that for 9 months and love it.

[evynsmama]

When I stopped Depo my body went crazy and I was SOOOOO horny it was pretty crazy. Then I went on the nuva ring and coming off of that was no problem at all. I initially went off it to when I wanted to lose weight because I didn't want anything hindering my weight loss while I worked with a trainer. Awesome side effect was my migraines decreased from 4-5 a week to 4-5 a month. We just used condoms which DH was fine with because with 4-5 migraines a week he was not getting much action so a condom was way better than nothing at all. After DD was born we have gone back to using condoms and I will never use hormonal BC again.

[chickenlittle]

I didn't notice any big changes other than my periods were hell and lasted forever.

[Deleted]

I stopped taking a pill.

[mamasaurus]

I was only off it for 1 cycle before I was with child, but that month was a bad month to be TTC. It made sex hurt miserably. My cervix was so tender that if I didn't want a baby, I would have just grabbed a big roll of duct tape and wound it around my legs to make sure nobody was gettin' in there.

[papie]

It took me forever to get my cycles regular and to get pregnant but I would never go back to the pill. My skin looks better and I don't feel crappy And nauseous all the time anymore

[missmaddie]

My cramps got worse; my cycles are pretty regular, but still not as bang on as they were; my normally pretty good skin broke to the point that eating or talking hurt my face it was so tender.

[hymen]

I got off the pill because we were TTC. I was on the pill for 7 years mostly because of painful cramps/heavy periods. After I went off the pill my cramps/heavy period didn't come back. I did get PG the second month off it, had a MC, and then got pregnant again about 3 months later. In the 3 months between getting PG again and my miscarriage I lost a lot of weight (I was working out like a fiend too, but I think if I was on the pill it would have been harder for me to lose it).

I'm planning going back on it though until we TTC#2 next summer. I would stay off it and just chart to avoid but my periods have been really irregular (like, I have them every 2 weeks). I have my annual next week with my midwife so I'm going to ask her if I should go back on it to help me regulate cycles.

[jane6672]

I got my sex drive and my physical responses back (goooodbye lube).

I think my cycle has regulated now (7 months off), it was 4 weeks exactly at first, now it is 5ish.

I'm a little less emotional too.

[kellbell191]

Thanks for everyone's experiences. I went on for heavy periods and do not get my period, plus low sex drive. Dh is uncomfortable just charting and I am not a good candidate for an iud (obgyn said I have an unusually small cervix and they would need a specialist to do it) so condoms here we come. Which we both dislike but hopefully will be better than the alternative

[blackcat]

I went off b/c almost 2 years ago, I felt much better and regained my libido (which vanished while on the nuvaring).

I started temping/charting/checking cervical mucus almost one year ago and so we've been doing NFP to avoid... so far, so good. My cycles are very regular and I feel like I really know my body, so I like this bc method. Plus I just feel like... me. I like not having extra hormones in my system.