Comments on: Claire Baker : The Contraceptive Pill – Why I Took It For 10 Years & Why I Never Will Again

By: Melanie Howella

Melanie Howella — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 16:03:57 +0000

I need help coming off the pill. I’m only on it for adult acne but I’m so messed up hormonally. Doe she have a book I can order?

By: Joy

Joy — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:00:13 +0000

ah man I don’t even want to read this stuff. I was on the pill for a long time and had a hell of a time coming off it. Swore I’d never do it again. Here I am 8 years later (I’m 34)….just diagnosed with endometriosis, a fibroid, painful periods, had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst, HPV, a serious boyfriend and of course my doctor recommends I go on the pill. I just found this site. I need to do more research and decide what I want to do but this is very eye opening. Thanks for sharing your stories.

By: Maritsa Santana-Ruiz

Maritsa Santana-Ruiz — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 02:18:39 +0000

Your post sounds too familiar, I having been struggling with the notion of quitting the pill! I am just hesitant because of the same symptoms (I.e. Acne, weight, mood swings) but I have made every effort to clean up my diet and starting my goal of becoming a certified Yoga Instructor. I also have two children and have no plans for more ;-). Thanks for sharing your story! ~Maritsa

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:04:59 +0000

I am thinking about stopping the birth control pill. I feel like it isn’t good for me anymore. DO you have any suggestions for avoiding weight gain and hair loss when stopping the pill? Or any suggestions to make the weight go away if I gain any? Or to stop hair loss if it happens?

By: Jess

Jess — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 11:13:34 +0000

Thank you so much Claire. After being on the pill for 12 years, I went off it in December last year after my husband and I decided we wanted to try for a baby sometime down the track. WOW, how did I not know what the effects of the pill were doing to my body?!?

After coming off I the pill I became so lethargic, I started to get acne on my face and back which I hadn’t had in years, and spent the next few months trying to figure out why I hadn’t got my period yet. I started to do some research on Nats site and found that this is actually quite a normal side effect of coming off the pill, but I also found out that I had not actually had a true period in the last 12 years, my hormones were a mess and that my body was now totally depleted in nutrients and just flat lying. I never knew the pill was doing this! It opened up a whole new world and I started to dig deeper. Why aren’t we taught about what the pill is doing to our bodies as teenage girls! I became angry with myself and started to get scared that I may have done some irreversible damage to my body and may not be able to conceive. I had read that Vitex agnus-castus helps to regulate hormones so decided to start taking that along with upping my dose of good fats, continued eating organic, fresh food and started having Maca in my morning smooties.

After 5 months since going off the pill I finally got my period, however it was very light and only last 2 days. I was over the moon and decided I know longer needed to take the Vitex as my body was back on track and had regulated itself again. How wrong I was. It has now been 3 months since I last got my period with no signs of it returning. We started to try for a few months ago, without success. I am starting to get concerned and not really sure how to nourish my body better. Nat or Claire, could you give me some advice please?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:57:09 +0000

So incredibly true! I was on the pill for a decade from 15 years due to having acne. Yes, my skin was awesome. Yes, I could skip my periods which was ever so convenient. BUT – the IBS-type symptoms kicked in, slowly at first, until after about 4-5 years they were unbearable and oh-so-unpredictable. My libidio was shot to pieces.
I decided (for the sake of my relationship at the time) to come off the pill. My IBS symptoms went away instantly. Seriously awesome! .. but my skin went to shit. My weight ballooned. I felt and looked like crap. 6 months later, I still had no period. My doctor diagnosed PCOS after bloodwork, and prescribed metformin to try and get on top of the PCOS symptoms. Another three months later, and I finally had a period. My skin was slowly improving. Eventually, after about 18mths, I was able to wean myself off the metformin too. I don’t currently take any medication.
Like you Claire, I have really appreciated getting to know my body in its natural state. I know all it’s little signs and cues that things are happening: even the occasional hormonal zit on the left side of my chin that indicates that things are working as they should!
I’ve treated my body much better in the years since; eating well. Exercising. It’s made all the difference.
Many of my friends deal with the same IBS-type symptoms I dealt with all those years. I try to tell them to get off the pill to see if it sorts itself out, but they are very reluctant to do that – it seems to me that it is so ingrained in us that the pill is the answer to our problems, rather then the cause of a whole set of other issues.
I personally would’ve take any hormonal contraceptive ever again; no pill, no IUD, no implants in my arm, no injections. The way it made me feel and the impact it had on my life simply wasn’t worth it.

By: cd

cd — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 12:51:50 +0000

The same. I still don’t have a clue of what I should do… The first time I was so scared that I have to return to the pill. 5 months without the pill and no period. then 2 months with the pill and great periods. Now 3 months without the pill and no period.
This is a crazy restart!!! (deep breath)

By: Nat Kringoudis

Nat Kringoudis — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 03:12:18 +0000

In reply to Adriana.

Beautiful Adriana – you will like this. http://www.natkringoudis.com/natural-contraceptive-options/

By: Jodie

Jodie — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 00:18:21 +0000

Oh this is the best Claire, since coming off the pill i have been annoyed at myself for being blind to it for all of those years, this is just the perspective change i needed. Thanks lovely!

By: Jonesy

Jonesy — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 22:35:46 +0000

Thanks for sharing Claire! I have also had a very similar situation, I WAS honestly a little annoyed at myself for going on the Pill, because from memory there was really no need (maybe cause EVERYONE was doing it). Luckily I have finally got my period back thanks to one of the practitioners at The Pagoda Tree who I will continue to work with and have already purchased Nat’s Fertilise Yourself…it all just makes sense. Thanks x