Coming off the Pill - My Journey - 02 Six Months On

It has been around six months now since I stopped taking Microgynon, the oral contraceptive & started tracking my cycle with the Natural Cycles app. Some things have changed, others haven't & I have the feeling I still have a long way to go but here is an update half a year on. If you haven't read my first post on coming off the pill I suggest giving that a read first then popping back over to this one. We're about to get real personal!

1. My periods are super irregular still (to be expected) lasting around three days only (which I must say I am rather grateful for) & they seem to be quite light at the moment too (also something I'm very grateful for). My cycle length is currently averaging around 50-55 days which is WAY above the average of 28 days. I am hoping this evens out over the next six months.

2. Condoms - are annoying & unreliable - They break, kill the mood a fair bit, are expensive & stop my partner from having as much sensation during sex. I also don't like the waste they create from an environmental point of view. However I am very grateful that they exist as it means we can still have sex as safely as possible on green days (when the natural cycles app indicates I won't be able to get pregnant).

3. My libido has increased slightly. This is something that has been an issue for me for some time now. For some having low/ no libido might not be a problem but for me it has been. Emotionally it is difficult, feeling like there is something wrong with me as a woman & not feeling like the best partner I can be. I want to feel more sensual & sexual & I believe in part my hormones have a part to play in that (there is also some deep inner work that I am currently going through which I believe also plays a very important role in re-activating this part of myself). The improvements I have seen in this area are not huge but they are there. In my Spring/ Summer seasons of my cycle (after menstruation & during ovulation) I have felt a slight rise in my sex drive. I would love for this to grow greater still but I believe that this will come with time & feel hopeful due to the small but positive changes I've sensed so far. I am also aware that this feeling of low libido may not all be hormone related & so I am doing a lot of inner work too, to re-awaken that part of myself.

4. My chronic constipation has improved a vast amount. By far the best & most unexpected improvement so far. I have had chronic constipation for around five years now which has lead me to suffer from other health conditions such as Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) & SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Although the constipation has not been totally eradicated & because of the SIBO I still suffer with gut inflammation & severe bloating (amongst other symptoms), however the bloating, discomfort & feeling of sickness & lethargy has decreased substantially. I cannot explain how happy this makes me as those that know me or have followed along on my gut health journey so far will know how negatively this has been impacting my entire life for far too long now.

It is slightly frustrating that no healthcare professional thought to mention this to me as a viable option to try to help improve my gut health (apart from my nutritionist whom did mention it might help but we never actioned this as part of my plan) but I am grateful I have finally taken action myself, finally moving in the right direction, seeing improvements & hopefully now being in a much better position to try treating my SIBO again, this time successfully.

Thoughts six months in - So far I'm enjoying the Natural Cycles app for the most part although with my cycle/ hormones still being so irregular I don't feel I'm getting the full benefits of app yet. I'm having around 70% red days (days where I may be able to get pregnant according to the data) & it is also saying my temperature is all over the place which I am finding frustrating as I am following all the instructions to the best of my ability. I'm really not sure why my temperature is fluctuating so much unless this has something to do with my hormones/ cycle being so irregular? I'm just hoping that over time everything will even itself out.

I'm trying to be patient with the process, my body & hormones are definitely still sorting themselves out after so many years on hormonal birth control. Patience isn't my strongest trait so this is a good lesson to learn, I do already feel a little more in tune with my body & the small feelings/ changes that occur within it day to day, week to week. I believe this will only deepen as my cycle regulates itself more in the coming months.

Overall, so far so good. It's slow going but I believe the best is yet to come & I'm enjoying getting to know myself, my body & my cycle more in the process. The Natural Cycles app is full of useful information & I'm finding tracking my cycle quite empowering, a feeling that I believe will only grow stronger as time goes by & I become even more in tune with my body as it regulates itself.