When I was 14 years old, I made a decision that would impact my health and fertility for the next 16 years of my life.
Like many teenage girls, I wanted the “perfect” body.
I cut down on food, started running every day, and within months, I had my dream physique.
I felt amazing on the surface, but there was one big problem. My period stopped completely.
The Quick Fix That Wasn’t a Fix
When I told my parents about my missing period, they took me to see an OBGYN.
Without any investigation into why a healthy 14-year-old would suddenly lose her period, the doctor handed me a birth control prescription.
“This will fix everything,” they said.
And just like that, I was put on birth control.
No questions about my diet.
No questions about my exercise habits.
No deeper investigation into what was actually wrong with my body.
I took those pills for 13 years, thinking I was getting my “period” every month.
What I didn’t know then was that the bleeding you get on birth control isn’t a real period at all — it’s just a withdrawal bleed your body experiences from the synthetic hormones.
This is tragically common in modern medicine.
Doctors prescribe birth control for everything — irregular periods, acne, PCOS, endometriosis — without investigating the root cause.
What’s Actually Happening in Your Body
The “period” you get on birth control isn’t actually a period at all.
For 13 years, I thought I was getting my period every month.
Not one doctor ever told me what was really happening in my body.
Let me break down what actually happens when you’re on birth control:
How Birth Control Works:
- It floods your body with synthetic hormones (estrogen and progestin)
- Your brain senses these elevated hormone levels
- It thinks ovulation has already happened
- So it stops sending signals to your ovaries
- Your natural hormone production shuts down completely
That monthly bleed is just your body’s reaction to the drop in synthetic hormones during your “sugar pill” week.
It’s called a withdrawal bleed — not a real period. A real period happens after you ovulate.
Why This Matters:
- Your natural hormone production is suppressed
- You’re not actually ovulating
- Any underlying hormonal issues are being masked, not fixed
- When you stop, your body has to relearn how to produce hormones
The Consequences I Never Expected
I never questioned this approach until I met my husband Alexander, who had been studying hormones and fertility.
What he told me about birth control’s effects on the body shocked me.
I decided to stop taking it.
And then…nothing. My period didn’t come back. For years.
When I went back to doctors, their only solution was to go back on birth control.
But I knew there had to be another way.
After seeing multiple doctors who gave me the same advice, I gave up on traditional medicine.
They were good at prescribing medication to suppress symptoms, but not so good at figuring out the root cause of a condition.
About two years after getting off birth control, I started experiencing weird symptoms:
- Skin issues
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and depression
- Extreme fatigue
These symptoms were a sign that my body was trying to reach homeostasis after years of being on birth control.
There’s a term for it called “post-birth control syndrome,” where the body is completely out of balance after going off birth control.
Finding the Truth
After searching for answers, I finally found a functional doctor who did something different.
Instead of just looking at basic hormone levels, they did a complete analysis of my body and lifestyle.
And she was finally able to diagnose me correctly. Hypothalamic amenorrhea.
In simple terms, my body was in survival mode.
Years of under-eating, over-exercising, not sleeping enough, and working too much had sent a clear signal to my brain: “We don’t have enough resources to reproduce.”
And birth control had masked this problem for 13 years, letting it get worse under the surface.
The Side Effects No One Tells You About
More than half of women are prescribed birth control for reasons other than contraception. PCOS? Birth Control.
No period? Birth control.
PMS? Birth Control.
Birth control doesn’t fix any of these issues. It just masks the symptoms while the root cause continues to get worse.
It’s shocking how little women know about the possible side effects of birth control:
- Anxiety and mood changes
- Depression
- Migraines
- Low libido
- Weight changes
- Blood clot risks
- Reduced fertility
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Gut issues
When I finally stopped taking birth control, all those masked problems surfaced. My body had forgotten how to produce hormones naturally.
My Healing Journey
It took me years to recover from the effects of birth control and heal my hypothalamic amenorrhea. Here’s what actually worked:
- Eating more (especially protein and healthy fats)
- Switching from intense cardio to gentle movement and strength training
- Prioritizing sleep
- Supporting my body with specific nutrients it was missing
- Reducing stress
It wasn’t easy.
Eating more when you’ve been restricting for years is scary.
Reducing exercise when it’s been your safety net is terrifying.
I had to dig deep to understand why I clung so tightly to over-exercising and obsessing over food.
Then one night, after months of following this protocol, I had a vivid dream about blood. The next morning, I got my period — five days before my birthday.
That was just the beginning. Once my body felt safe and nourished:
- My cycles became regular
- My energy improved dramatically
- I conceived naturally
- I now have two healthy children
I’m on Birth Control, What do I do?
Look, I’m not saying you need to throw out your birth control pills tomorrow. That’s totally your choice.
But I do think you deserve to know what’s actually happening in your body so you can decide what’s best for you.
Here’s the thing about contraception – you can only get pregnant about 5-7 days each month.
That’s it!
Sperm can hang around for up to 5 days waiting for an egg, but outside that window, pregnancy isn’t possible.
Learning to track your cycle basically gives you the same protection without messing with your hormones.
And if you’re taking birth control for irregular periods, acne, PMS, or PCOS – I’ve been there.
I know how frustrating these issues can be.
But popping a pill that masks these symptoms isn’t fixing what’s actually wrong.
These are just your body’s way of telling you something’s off balance.
When I finally stopped birth control, my body needed time to remember how to function on its own.
Don’t expect everything to bounce back immediately – it might take a few months for your natural cycles to return. Be patient with yourself.
What I learned through my journey is that our bodies are incredibly smart.
When you give your body what it actually needs – real food, enough rest, less stress – it usually figures out how to heal itself.
If you’re dealing with hormonal issues or trying to transition off birth control, I’d love to help.
At Ferta, we look at what’s actually causing your symptoms instead of just covering them up.
Book a consultation with us HERE, and let’s figure out a plan that works specifically for you.
Remember: When your body is healthy, your fertility follows naturally. It’s all connected!
