Welcome to The Blog 
(All things hormones, birth control, toxic-free living, and self advocacy)
One Thing They Didn't Tell You About Birth Control

The hormones in birth control are not the same as your natural hormones

That's it! That's the end of the blog post! Have a great day :) :)

Just kidding. I won't leave you hanging like that. Whether you've heard this or not, it's true.  A lot of times when people are prescribed birth control, they're prescribed it to help some other hormone imbalance. They think that if it helps them, it must be because it has the same hormones in it that our body makes, right? Not quite...

These hormones are definitely not the same and some of them can even do more harm than good! You've probably heard of progestin, which is found in birth control. Progestins are very different than progesterone, which our body produces naturally. Progestins have been shown to cause fetal abnormalities, can increase blood pressure, thin the lining of the uterus, and cause you to retain water. 

Benefits of progesterone, on the other hand, include balancing out your mood and keeping you calm, helps maintain a healthy pregnancy, and can help with some PMS symptoms too (since most are due to estrogen dominance in the body)! 

I've heard of tons of people say they felt different when taking birth control, myself included. I didn't realize how much it impacted me until I got off, but if you're one of those people who felt "off" and weird while taking birth control, you're not alone and you're not crazy. It makes sense that if these hormones are synthetic and not the same as our bodies produce, they're not likely to play nice with our bodies or minds. Further, that's a big reason why it takes so long to reregulate hormones after birth control. Your body hasn't had to make its own hormones for a while since being pumped with synthetic ones for however long. 

When did you find out that the hormones in birth control aren't the same as your natural ones? For me, it was a few months before quitting birth control altogether. I learned a lot in those months leading up to quitting. 

Want more discussion on how to naturally balance your hormones after birth control? Need some more birth control facts and education? How about a support group of those just like you wanting to get off birth control but are worried about the transition? Join the Happy Healthy Hormones Community! Hope to see you in there :) 

Just so you know, I may earn a commission off the links on my blog at no cost to you through various affiliate programs. I appreciate your support and love sharing my favorite products with you! :)

0 Comments

Leave a Comment

Just so you know, I may earn a commission off the links on my blog at no cost to you through various affiliate programs. I appreciate your support and love sharing my favorite products with you! :)

I Felt Out of Balance

 

It all started with small rashes under my armpits. They grew bigger. They were fiery red. They burned. I couldn’t itch them since they burned so bad. They flaked. They were embarrassing. I didn’t know what they were. Then they showed up on the crook of my elbow and on the top of my right hand. I thought it might be due to a gluten or dairy intolerance, so I changed my diet. It helped temporarily and my rashes didn’t hurt as bad and weren’t as red. But diet changes weren’t enough. I was devastated. My rashes remained for MONTHS!

Then the "fluff" showed up around my belly and hips. Maybe the start of winter contributed as well; either way I swear my pants used to fit me way better…

My hair started falling out. In chunks! I’d always had some hairs come out when I washed my hair, so I was used to it. But not to this extent. I knew something was going on.

My acne became out of control, almost to the extent when I was in high school. Red, painful, cysts that I just couldn’t resist picking. And here I had spent all these years at the dermatologist “healing” my acne for it all to come back with a vengeance.

I was in tears at least once a week. I felt hopeless. I felt so alone. No one could relate besides one girl I followed on Instagram. My boyfriend was supportive, but how could he understand though? He had no idea what I was going through.

I took a deep breath, wiped my tears and trucked on. Then the next week would start all over again with a meltdown because I was fat, my hair was falling out, my acne was returning, and my rashes burned SO. FREAKING. BAD. I was angry, frustrated, confused & hopeless. 

I had heard that stopping birth control could come with some pretty gnarly symptoms. And I thought I was ready for whatever would happen. But I didn’t realize how mentally and emotionally challenging these symptoms would be.

Like many people, I started taking birth control in high school. I took it mostly for my acne, but pregnancy prevention was nice too. My hormones were manipulated for over 7 years. The birth control was prescribed by my doctor, so why would I ever question how it was affecting my body?

Turns out, I had NO idea just how much it affected me. All of me. It wasn’t until I read this book that I understood how much my body was impacted by these synthetic hormones that I didn't even realize were synthetic at the time. How hormonal birth control can be prescribed to “treat” certain conditions, yet it’s really only a bandaid fix. I didn’t want that bandaid fix anymore and I wanted to heal myself naturally. So I took the leap and ditched my birth control.

Aside from some of the challenges of getting off birth control, I noticed a whole new world of positives that came from it. For the first time in my life, I actually had energy! I no longer needed to sleep half the day away. The mental fog was gone! My mood increased, as well as my libido, which I swear was gone for good. I finally felt like I was in control of my health for the first time. Truly healthy and truly better.

My goal is to be that shining beacon of light for you if you are struggling with the decision to finally get off hormonal birth control. You are not alone in worrying how your body will react. You are not alone in this transition and your experiences. It might be challenging. But we are strong. We are healers. We are self-advocates. And only we know what’s best for our bodies.

Ready to join the community?  

Contact

Copyrights © 2025 held by respective copyright holders, including Sydney Veloz.