How to Balance Your Hormones After Stopping Birth Control

# How to Balance Your Hormones After Stopping Birth Control

**When the modern birth control pill came to market in the late 1950s, it revolutionized women’s rights and reproductive autonomy. Birth control quickly became an empowering choice for women to take control of their reproductive health and prevent unwanted pregnancies.**

**Birth control was slightly taboo when it first became available to the public, and it was marketed as a drug to regulate women’s cycles, with a contraceptive side effect. We have come a long way since then, with the first over-the-counter birth control recently being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).**

**There are many different kinds of birth control available today. The most commonly prescribed birth control is a combination oral contraceptive with the synthetic hormones estrogen and progesterone. When taken correctly, the pill works 99.9% of the time by preventing sperm from reaching the egg, suppressing ovulation, thickening the mucus in the cervix, and thinning the endometrium lining.**

**Research shows that oral contraceptives can interfere with a woman’s natural body cycle and create hormone imbalances. Additionally, many women experience side effects like mood changes and lowered sex drive.**

**With input from women’s health coach and fertility awareness educator Berrion Berry, we will explore the use of birth control, why women choose to stop using it, and how women can balance their hormones after stopping birth control.**

*Editor’s Note: Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.*

**Berrion Berry is a Women’s Health Coach, Fertility Awareness Educator, and Optimize Your Flow creator. She fiercely advocates for women’s health and restoring a balanced hormonal state. She has created a hormonal balance reset program that empowers women to balance their hormones in a stress-free way that supports their bodies.**

## How to Balance Your Hormones After Birth Control

**If you’re like many women today, you’ve been on an oral contraceptive since high school. Many changes are happening within the body during these prime adolescent years. Women go on birth control in the early years of pubescent development before understanding how their bodies work, what a normal cycle feels like, or letting the hormones do their things naturally.**

**Many women don’t understand that they may feel completely different off the pill. Berry pointed out that “the ACOG, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologist has deemed the menstrual cycle the fifth vital sign, and any disruption of a vital sign’s function for an extended amount of time can have negative implications.”**

**If you are experiencing health issues, changes in your bodily processes, or struggling with your mental health and moods, assessing your birth control use may be a good place to start. If you are planning to stop birth control and are not trying to get pregnant, it’s a good idea to look into other forms of birth control that aren’t hormonally based, like a copper IUD or condoms.**

**According to Berry, “Some women can expect falling right back into balance and aligned with their natural rhythm.” In contrast, others “can expect to experience post-birth control syndrome, which is essentially a slew of symptoms such as acne, weight gain, headaches, heavy periods, a lack of periods, low libido, and mood swings, the list goes on and on.”**

**When deciding to go off the pill or other hormonal birth control, it’s helpful to understand what that may entail for you. And if you’re trying to have a baby, you may want to know how to track your fertility cycle. Luckily, you can take steps to ease yourself into your body’s natural cycle. Here’s how:**

### Transition Slowly

Berry recommends not going cold turkey. If you have decided to quit taking the pill, try to transition slowly in a way that works for you. For example, you could start by skipping two pills a week, then skipping three, then skipping every other, and so on.

Taking it slowly will help your body compensate for the synthetic hormone it has gotten used to. Be mindful that if you are not using your oral contraceptives as recommended, they will no longer be effective against pregnancy. It’s also good to know that you don’t want to try and conceive until you have been completely off birth control for 1-3 months.

### Try Natural Remedies

Going the natural route is ideal when you stop birth control and work towards hormonal balance. You have spent time putting synthetic hormones into your body, which are technically considered toxins. It is time to let your body rest.

Berry recommends doing a reset, cleanse, or detox to help remove the heavy metals and toxins accumulated in your body that make balancing your hormones difficult. After removing the bad stuff, Berry mentions it is imperative to “Remineralize the body through consuming micronutrients and minerals. This is one of the most underrated things, but it’s so crucial. Hormones need things like vitamin D, zinc, iron, calcium, manganese, and other nutrients and minerals in order to be created, stored, or released.”

### Use Food to Help

Staying hydrated and well-nourished with foods that support your body during recovery is important. This means avoiding processed foods and reaching for fresh foods whenever possible. Put a focus on fresh fruits and dark leafy greens. Berry recommends supporting the liver by drinking beet, carrot, orange, and blueberry juice. Her favorite supportive food is berries due to their antioxidant properties.

Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha, help support gut health which has taken a toll from years of birth control use. According to Berry, “fermented foods not only have tons of nutrients, but they contain beneficial bacteria that can help improve gut, vaginal, & metabolic health and function.”

Herbs are an easy way to integrate healing foods that help flush and heal the body. SomeA list of beneficial herbs to keep on hand include cilantro, mint, basil, sage, oregano, and parsley. These herbs are valued for their properties to assist with hormone balance.

Research has shown that mushrooms have adaptogenic effects, helping our bodies restore balance after stressful events. Cordyceps, maitake, and reishi are some of the recommended mushrooms for restoring hormones.

In addition to herbs and mushrooms, it may be difficult to obtain all the necessary vitamins and minerals from food alone. Therefore, incorporating supportive supplements can be beneficial. It is recommended to take a pre/probiotic for at least 3 to 6 months and consider a good multivitamin for replenishing the body.

Rebalancing hormones may take time, ranging from 3 to 6 months. It is important to listen to your body and support it with rest, detoxing, remineralizing, supportive supplements, and healthy foods to stay nourished and hydrated.