Ever since my first period at 12 years old, the idea of a “monthly period” was a foreign concept. By the time I was 16, all my friends used their mental calendars to predict exactly when to pack tampons in their backpacks. I, however, was surprised by my period every time. My mom suggested I see my doctor to make sure this wasn’t anything more than just the adolescent phase of growing into my fertility. But what happens when a 16-year-old goes to the doctor and presents “irregular periods”? She gets put on the Pill.
I was on the Pill no more than two months due to terrible mood swings—a lot more than the typical 16-year-old girl experiences. I was over it, my mom was over it, and since I was not using the Pill as a contraceptive, I decided I could live with the unpredictable calendar.
Two years later, I was a senior in high school and involved in my church youth group. A woman came to give a talk about this thing called “Natural Family Planning.” What she said in her talk changed the whole trajectory of my life. She mentioned that charting your cycle not only helps a couple plan their family size but can also be used in medicine to help properly diagnose and treat reproductive issues. A million lightbulbs flashed in my brain, and I realized I had another option to regulate my cycle.
Finding Answers
At this point, I knew I didn’t want the Pill (mood swings are just one of many potential side effects). And thanks to the talk I heard at youth group, I knew my main issue was that I wasn’t ovulating regularly–hence the irregular periods. I went back to my primary care doctor with this newfound knowledge, ready to ask for a different option. To my surprise, she didn’t have one. She respectfully asked me why I didn’t want the Pill. When I told her it was because I wanted to ovulate regularly (as a normal woman’s body is supposed to do), she asked a question I will never forget: “Why do you want to ovulate?” It was at this moment that I discovered the huge gap in women’s healthcare–the only option for a regular period is the Pill. However, if you’ve read any other articles from Natural Womanhood, you’ll know the Pill doesn’t actually heal anything, but instead, masks a deeper issue.
When I told her it was because I wanted to ovulate regularly (as a normal woman’s body is supposed to do), she asked a question I will never forget: “Why do you want to ovulate?” It was at this moment that I discovered the huge gap in women’s healthcare–the only option for a regular period is the Pill. However, if you’ve read any other articles from Natural Womanhood, you’ll know the Pill doesn’t actually heal anything, but instead, masks a deeper issue.
I decided to visit a different OBGYN clinic–one that practices Restorative Reproductive Medicine. This practice does not prescribe the Pill, but works to get to the root cause of unwanted menstrual cycle symptoms and heal it from the ground up. Mind you, by this time, I was just an 18-year-old girl, not married, not sexually active, but just wanting to know why my cycles were irregular. My first appointment was night and day compared to my other doctor. She ordered blood work, did an ultrasound, and taught me how to chart my cycle. With the results of these three things, I was officially diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Healing the Root Cause of Cycle Dysfunction
For the next two years, I went on a journey to heal my reproductive system. I tried different medications and vitamins, but what ultimately moved the needle was saying no to the sugar and carbs that were a staple in my “college student” diet. When I cleaned up my diet–reduced the bad stuff, added in the good (and green) stuff–I finally began ovulating. Changing my diet was not easy, and it was something I put off for quite a while. However, when I realized that I was nearing the maximum dose of Metformin I could take and still not seeing progress, I decided it was probably time to get serious about the lifestyle changes my RRM doctor had been relentlessly suggesting.
With the diet change, my cycle never became the beautiful 28-day example of regularity, but I did begin to ovulate. And thanks to charting, I knew when it happened. It was the first time that my fertility chart became discernable rather than a confusing blob of white and red stickers. I could see the silver lining and the fruit of my hard work to heal my body.
With the diet change, my cycle never became the beautiful 28-day example of regularity, but I did begin to ovulate. And thanks to charting, I knew when it happened.
A Gift to My Future Family
Toward the end of my college years, I met the man who became my husband. In the early days of marriage, we wanted children. Thanks to my healing journey as a single woman, we were able to conceive right away. Then two years later, we conceived again. And then again another two years after that! Because of that talk I experienced at 18 years old, I now have three beautiful children.
Looking back now, I see my journey not only as a gift to myself to heal my body, but a gift to my husband and to my family. Had I not done the hard work as a single woman, the specific eggs and sperm that made my first born, second born, and third born would never have met. This bone-shaking reality fuels my gratitude for doctors who do the hard work to properly diagnose and treat women, researchers who develop solid methods of fertility charting, and women and couples who advocate for restoring women’s health.
I am now a fertility charting instructor in the Creighton and Sympto-Thermal methods of Natural Family Planning, educating women and couples about their fertility and referring them to the right doctors when needed. I also host the Truth & Fertility Podcast to teach the truth about women’s fertility. Most importantly, I am able to pass on this information to my son and two daughters who (I hope) will teach their future spouses and children about Natural Family Planning. This isn’t just a new wave of healthcare, but it’s a culture shift that I believe will transform families and future generations.
