Coming Off Birth Control & Want to Get Pregnant?
First, I want to say this is such an exciting but nerve racking time, especially if this is your first! I remember how excited but nervous I was when we decided our health (mental and physical) was in a really great place for us to start trying!
So… you've been on birth control for awhile now but want to start trying to get pregnant!
This is such an exciting time for you and your partner but your body needs some time to recover and rebalance before you can get pregnant!
What’s the Deal with Birth Control?
Birth control does not balance your hormones. The same issues you had before coming on birth control, you will have once you come off and usually the symptoms will be worse!
The good news, your body will heal and your hormones will become balanced again! I work with my clients all the time to make this happen and even did this for myself!
I had the WORST hormone imbalances which resulted in the debilitating period pain, super heavy flow, vomiting, diarrhea, gas bloating, anemia, and so much more! I couldn't function so my doctor put me on the pill. It made things better but not in the way I thought it was.
Hormonal birth control shuts down communication between your ovaries and your brain on a brain level. This is really wild when you think about it! It is so common to think of birth control working on your ovaries to make you not ovulate. This is incorrect. Hormonal birth control actually works on your brain level and tells your pituitary gland not to talk to your ovaries. This is crazy! Your hormonal birth control is negatively impacting your brain.
Full disclosure, I have nothing against birth control (hormonal or non-hormonal). I do have an issue with not being fully informed by your doctor before they recommend you start something. I am a huge believer in informed consent. You cant actually consent to something if you don't understand how it works, its negative effects, its positive effects and its side effects. I fully support any women who wants to use any type of birth control when they made that decision with informed consent!
“I am so grateful for your online course! I have been feeling amazing during my pregnancy and my baby is growing as healthy as can be!”
I created an online, self paced course to help you learn everything you need to know on how to prepare you and your partner to have the best pregnancy and grow the healthiest baby! This course will help you get pregnant faster, reduce your risk of miscarriage, feel amazing during pregnancy, grow a super health baby and also speed your healing postpartum! Want to know more about it? Check it out here!
Okay, now that you have a brief understanding about how birth control works. I want to give you two super easy places to start!
My Top 2 Things to Start With!!
1. Replenish those Nutrient Deficiencies!!
Hormonal birth control causes major nutrient deficiencies and these need to be corrected before you get pregnant. You and your baby need all of your nutrients stories to be optimal before getting pregnant so they can grow health and so you can be healthy and vibrant during your pregnancy and help you recover quicker post partum!
The main nutrients that are depleted are:
B vitamins
B vitamins are essential for reducing the risk birth defects such as neural tube defect, spina bifida and are also essential for to produce red blood cells.
Foods that are highest in B vitamins are high quality, pasture raised meat, eggs and leafy green vegetables, like spinach!
Vitamin C
This is vital for mom and developing baby. Vitamin C is essential for the babies bones and teeth development, immune system, iron absorption by mom and baby and also helps with collagen formation and development. Vitamin C does much much more, read more about this amazing vitamins effect on pregnancy here.
Foods that are highest in vitamin C are citrus fruit like oranges, bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli!
Magnesium
Aids in reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women, a very serious complication of pregnancy. Mg also plays an important role in mom and babies brain and nervous system function and development.
Foods that are highest in magnesium are pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, and cashews!
Zinc
The main role of zinc is cell division, growth and protein synthesis. A zinc deficiency is common in pregnant women due to not meeting the needs as they increase when you are pregnant.
Foods that are highest in zinc are high quality pasture raised meats (poultry, eggs, wild seafood), beans, peas, lentils nuts and seeds!
What to do about it?
Ditch refined and processed foods and eat more whole, nutrient dense foods!
Ditch packaged foods with added sugar and a lack of nutrients and swap for whole foods! Great whole foods snacks are hard boiled eggs, apples, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables and hummus or even leftovers from a home cooked meal! (Shocking right, a Holistic Nutritionist recommends wholefoods haha)Start a prenatal vitamin!
You should start your prenatal vitamin at least 6 months before trying to conceive! Make sure your body has optimal nutrient levels will help you grow a healthy baby and also ensure you feel great during your pregnancy! It takes time for your body to replenish those depleted nutrients so giving yourself a minimum of 6 months is key! This is my favorite high quality prenatal vitamin! You can purchase it through My Online Dispensary for 10% off!
2. Track Your Cycle!!
Tracking your cycle! This is one of my favorite topics. It may sound boring or tedious but it's actually amazing and all women should be tracking their cycles. Our cycles are like our month report card. They tell us our health status and contain sooo much info on your physical and mental health!
I wrote another blog post all about how to track your cycle but how to make it easy, simple and effective! (A discount code is included!!)
This is important because you will start learning about your hormones and which ones are imbalanced and if you are able to get pregnant right now. You need to ovulate to get pregnant and many women aren't actually ovulating. I walk you through the simple steps on how to know if you are ovulating or not and what to do about it!
Not only is this great for ensuring you can get pregnant when you start trying but also to avoid pregnancy till the time is right for you!
Check out the blog post here!
My Personal Story…
“I grew up hating and resenting my body…”
I was on the birth control pill for over 10 years. My mom and my doctor put me on it when I was in grade 8 since my hormone imbalance was so so bad. It left me unable to function for about 10 days every month. This was really hard for me as a young teenager. I grew up hating and resenting my body for putting me through so much pain and i thought this was normal. I thought this was just what it meant to be a women. That’s what everyone told me, so I believed them.
BUT this is not true!! Its common but it is not normal!
You should not be suffering every month. Your period should not negatively impact your life by pain, heavy flow, anxiety, stress or even not getting your period. Our cycles are our super powers and should not be making you feel awful! I want to share this message because I was in your shoes and thought there was no way for me to actually enjoy my life when I was cycling but this is not true!! I am so so grateful and happy I found out how to naturally support my body and allow my hormones to heal and balance. I got pregnant so easily (after my husband and I prepared properly, mentally and physically), and had joyous cycles before I got pregnant! They no longer caused me severe pain and left me debilitated for 10 plus days a month.
That's my little rant for you.
I am here for you and know what you are going through.
No hormone imbalance is to big or fierce to be corrected!
