Coming Off the Pill: Eden’s Story is another installment of our series profiling real-life Natural Womanhood readers who left hormonal birth control behind in favor of fertility awareness and (in some cases) utilization of restorative reproductive medicine (RRM). These women learned that hormonal birth control (HBC) wasn’t their only or best means for preventing pregnancy. And those who were taking HBC for cycle issues found that RRM offered them far more solutions than the Pill’s Band-Aid approach.
Eden E got on the Pill shortly before getting married in 2010. She was prescribed it for pregnancy prevention and, as her doctor put it, to “regulate” her cycles. During the 3 years she spent on hormonal contraception, Eden tried 3 different types of pills to find the right fit. Ultimately, none of them came without unbearable side effects.
Eden explained, “The first two failed to control the heaviness of flow or regularity of my cycle. I went through month after month of inconsistent cycling and ‘false positive’ pregnancy tests. And the response of my doctor was to put me on Yaz. I took Yaz for about 2 years. I was having consistent migraines, and started losing weight. By late 2012, I weighed 110 lbs, and was experiencing signs of malnutrition.”
She suffered through multiple versions of the Pill–including the dangerous Yaz–but no one seemed to care
Eden saw one conventional doctor after another in her attempts to get to the bottom of these serious health issues. She endured tests and trauma while her doctors ignored the elephant in the room. The hormonal contraceptives she took every day had harmed her body.
Unfortunately, she’s not alone. Yaz and Yasmin have been associated with higher risks to women. They have been the subject of multiple class-action lawsuits, to the tune of over $2 billion. According to this article by the National Center for Health Research, “in 2012, the FDA announced its conclusion that women taking Yaz and other drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives may be at an increased risk for developing blood clots compared to women taking pills containing other forms of progestin.” Anecdotally, Yaz has been associated with many other life-altering side effects. These include mood changes, panic attacks, and anxiety strong enough to threaten quality of life.
Starting to find answers
Finally, Eden found a practitioner who was willing to look at her holistically. “Blood work revealed my estrogen levels were at post-menopausal levels, and I had high levels of testosterone, as well as being deficient in B-complex and vitamin D. The malnutrition was due to leaky gut. The pills had wreaked havoc on my immune system, and left me with several overlapping autoimmune disorders and adult-onset food allergies. The likelihood of me ever being able to conceive was very low because, at age 23, my body had stopped producing estrogen on its own, and I had chronic inflammation,” Eden said.
Eden comes off the Pill
It was at this point that Eden finally got off of the Pill. She began working with–rather than against–her body through diet, supplements, and exercise. At the time, she was trying to grow her family by achieving pregnancy and, hopefully, a healthy baby. After a miscarriage in 2014 she recalled, “I grieved and accepted that I may never be able to bear children due to chronically low progesterone and estrogen.” Much to her delight and gratitude, she conceived later that year. In April of 2015, her first child was born.
After the birth, Eden began to look for more natural ways to plan her family. “Most of my information on natural family planning (NFP) came from my doctors. [They] were not supportive, and insisted it did not work. All the information I got was on the ‘rhythm method’, using cycle beads and cervical position monitoring…and [they said] it didn’t work.”
Embracing fertility awareness methods
Thankfully, Eden heard a popular Natural Womanhood talk given by Abby Johnson on FAMs and birth control. She began to look at NFP and Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) differently. As she put it: “I eventually bought the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Suddenly everything about my body began to make sense. I was able to chart [my] cycles, note fertile signs, temperatures, and track ovulation and menstruation.”
Like many women who discover the truth about FAMs, Eden felt that she had unlocked the basic formula to tracking and understanding her hormones. “I was able to accurately chart my cycles. I became aware of hormonal fluctuation patterns. Instead of suffering through migraines when my estrogen plummeted, I knew when to supplement with herbs and essential oils, and find hormone balance.” She added, “My husband and I are able to experience intimacy without fear of an unplanned pregnancy, and space pregnancies to allow my body the time it needs to heal postpartum.”
Coming off the Pill didn’t make all the side effects go away
Eden admits that some side effects from the Pill will likely never go away. She shared, “I still struggle with hormone imbalances and food allergies and some autoimmune issues.” But she added, “The fact that I’ve been able to not only conceive at all, but bear 5 healthy babies is nothing short of miraculous. The healing I’ve experienced since using fertility awareness methods has been dramatic.”
What Eden wishes others knew about FAMs
When asked what she wanted others to know about Fertility Awareness Methods, Eden answered, “I wish women knew that they do not have to accept a doctor’s opinion as an indisputable fact. I wish they had the support to advocate for themselves and the knowledge and empowerment to take control of their fertility and reverse infertility through natural means and FAM.”
Eden hopes for women’s healthcare that prioritizes education, not pushing prescription pills or medical sterilization. Her experiences have “forever broken” that her trust in OB/GYNs and women’s health providers. But by using Fertility Awareness Methods, she learned a valuable truth: she has agency over her body and health decisions.
She concluded, “I can choose natural, non-invasive means to monitor my fertility, and to maintain a holistic view of my health, including my reproductive and hormonal health.”
Stories like Eden’s fuel our mission every day. At Natural Womanhood, we too believe that women should have agency over their bodies and informed consent about their chosen family planning methods. We believe women shouldn’t have to suffer through side effects from hormonal contraception in the name of pregnancy prevention. If you have a story of your own, please send it in! We love to hear from our readers and give a voice to their experiences. You never know how your story will resonate with another woman struggling with birth control and searching for something better.
Additional Reading:
Coming Off the Pill: Taryn’s Story
Coming Off the Pill: Hanna’s Story
Coming Off the Pill: Cassie’s Story
Coming Off the Pill with Good Nutrition
What every woman getting off the Pill needs to know before trying to have a baby
Getting Off the Pill and into fertility awareness: Prepare for these 4 symptoms
