Since the introduction of oral contraceptives in the early 1960′s, use of The Pill, as it is generally known, has soared to approximately 7 in 10 women of childbearing age. Among young women ages 18-24, use of oral contraceptives is especially high, reaching two-thirds in 2008.
The widespread use of oral contraceptives is a troubling issue because these types of drugs devastate beneficial bacterial flora in the gut leaving it vulnerable to colonization and dominance from pathogenic strains such as Candida Albicans, Streptococci and Staphylococci among others. By the time a woman who has used oral contraceptives is ready to have children, a severe case of gut dysbiosis has more than likely taken hold.
Most people think that only use of drugs such as antibiotics cause gut imbalances, but this is simply not true.
According, to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, use of other drugs such as the Pill also cause severe gut dybiosis. What’s worse, drug induced gut imbalance is especially intractable and resistant to treatment either with probiotics or diet change.
What does this mean for your future child’s health? A lot, as it turns out!
Gut Imbalance Reduces Absorption of Nutrients
First of all, gut imbalance brought on through use of The Pill negatively impacts the ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. As a result, even if a women eats spectacularly well during pregnancy, if she has been taking oral contraceptives for a period of time beforehand, it is highly likely that she and her baby are not reaping the full benefits of all this healthy food as the lack of beneficial flora in her gut preclude this from occurring.
In addition, beneficial flora actively synthesize nutrients including vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamin (B1), cyanocobalamin (B12), amino acids and others. In an imbalanced gut, a woman is missing out on the “natural supplementation” that these good flora provide to her and her growing baby.
Not well known is the fact that use of The Pill depletes zinc in the body. Zinc is called “the intelligence mineral” as it is intimately involved in mental development. As a result, it is very important for women who have been using oral contraceptives to wait at least 6 months before becoming pregnant to ensure that zinc levels return to normal as low zinc is associated with lowered IQ and birth defects.
It really is quite disturbing to fully realize the very real potential that use of oral contraceptives have to result in nutritional deficiencies!
Pathogenic Gut Flora Produce a Myriad of Toxins
Pathogenic, opportunistic flora that take hold in the gut when The Pill is used constantly produce toxic substances which are the by-products of their metabolism. These toxins leak into the woman’s bloodstream and guess what, they have the potential to cross the placenta! Therefore, gut dysbiosis exposes the fetus to toxins even if the woman never eats anything but organic foods and lives in an environment with no pollutants whatsoever.
Indeed, an imbalanced gut has the potential to expose a woman and her baby to just as many or even more toxins than her environment through self poisoning!
Gut Dysbiosis and Anemia Go Hand in Hand
Most people with abnormal gut flora also suffer from various stages of anemia. This is because some of the most common pathogenic strains of bacteria that take hold in an imbalanced gut are those that consume iron: Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.Coli, Corynebacterium spp. and others.
Anemia during pregnancy is especially dangerous. Not only can it deprive the fetus of oxygen (iron helps build red blood cells and red blood cells carry oxygen), but it is linked to low birth weight and pre-term birth and the many long term health and associated developmental problems.
Can taking iron supplements during pregnancy combat this problem?
In a word, no! How many women do you know who consistently battle low iron levels during pregnancy despite consuming iron supplements and eating iron rich foods? I personally know many such cases.
The reason is that the more iron a patient with gut dysbiosis consumes in either food or supplement form, the stronger these pathogenic, iron loving strains become! The extra iron “feeds” them, so to speak, much the same as sugar feeds Candida Albicans. The cure for gut dysbiotic anemia is to heal and seal the gut, not take iron supplements!
A Baby “Inherits” Gut Dysbiosis from Mom
A human baby is born with a sterile gut. This means that there is no bacterial activity in a fetus’ digestive system prior to birth. The vast majority of gut flora that a child eventually develops is inherited from Mom, so if Mom has gut imbalance, so will her children and probably more severely so.
Children with imbalanced gut flora are particularly predisposed to autoimmune disorders in the form of allergies, asthma, and eczema. In more severe cases of gut dysbiosis, learning disabilities manifest such as ADHD, ADD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and others. Of course, there is sometimes an environmental “trigger” which instigates these disorders, but it is crucial to keep in mind that gut dysbiosis is the primary underlying cause.
Think Twice Before Taking Oral Contraceptives
When considering whether or not to take oral contraceptives, women rarely if ever consider the long term implications to themselves let alone their children. This is no surprise given that doctors rarely if ever mention this sort of thing when prescribing antibiotics let alone oral contraceptives to their patients!
Therefore, it is vital that women take responsibility for their bodies and fully inform themselves of the potentially devastating consequences to their health and that of their children – and likely even their grandchildren – before blindly submitting themselves to the gut damaging effects of oral contraceptives.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Sources:
March of Dimes, pregnancy complications
Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD
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{ 140 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish I’d known about the dangers of birth control pills in my twenties when I was taking them. At the time I was constantly being told by my doctor that I was anemic even though I ate tons of iron rich foods. Since going off of the pill I’ve had to battle Candida.
Lovelyn\’s last post: I Love Cheese
Lovelyn, it is absolutely infuriating to me that these pills are doled out like candy with no discussion in doctors’ offices about the long term implications of taking them.
Don’t even get me started. I too am aenemic and all they kept on doing was give me iron tablets… thankfuly I have found the paleo diet and am busy rebuilding my gut.
I had the same problem especially right before and during periods. I read that Acidoplilus would help and it did. At first I took one capsule a day for a month and whenever I felt like I was going to have my period the first year. now I only take a capsule whenever I start to fill itchy for a couple of days. It works I havent had any yeast infections since. Oh and I eat yogurt that Contains Active Yogurt Cultures Including L. Acidophilus. What I take is Spring Valley Acidophilus 3 billion CFU’s http://www.walmart.com/ip/SV-ACIDOPHILUS-3B/10316849
Hi Sarah,
What is the best way to heal your hut from this after taking them? Is it too far gone for the GAPS diet, or are there other ways to combat the effects of three years of being on the pill?
Hi Diana, the GAPS protocol is the best I have come across. There may be others that work just as well such as SCD diet, but I personally have witnessed absolute miracles in gut healing from folks going on GAPS for a period of time. Not forever, just until the gut heals which is on average 6 months to 3 years.
Sarah,
Thank you for yet another informative post. My husband and I practice natural family planning (NFP) but I did take ‘the Pill’ for about one-two years as a teenager for my acne. I am currently pregnant and have low iron levels despite forcing myself to eat liver 1-2x/week as the WAPF suggests. How scary to think that I likely damaged my gut 10 years ago, and now my precious baby has to pay for it. What to do now…? How does one heal gut dysbiosis? If you could just direct me some place where I could do further reading, that would be great. Thanks!
Charlene, if I were in your situation, I would consider eating probiotic rich foods with every meal or at least 2X per day (there are 20 free videos on this blog about how to make them at home .. it is hard to find them at the store) and taking a probiotic to make sure your gut is constantly bathed in good flora to battle back those pathogenic strains that have taken over the roost in there. Then, the iron rich foods you are eating should be absorbed better once the invaders in your gut have weakened somewhat. Once you have the baby, it would be good to consider the GAPS diet to complete the healing process, but I would not start it while you are pregnant.
Sarah, thanks for such a great post! This is a topic that is on my mind frequently as I took the Pill for over ten years (apparently in my “Kool-Aid” drinking days of assuming the doctor knew best). I wish I had known of the potential damage I was doing, and I wish I had known to take specific steps to cure the gut dysbiosis and ensure good bacteria in the birth canal. (I’ve actually been planning a post on that topic as well as one about babies being born with a sterile gut, so apparently you and I were on the same wavelength.) I was disgusted when I finally learned about the Pill (not about flora problems, but about other long term health consequences) and the doctors basically waved their hands and said I shouldn’t worry about it. Now we’re trying to solve the immune problems my daughter inherited because of me taking the Pill (she doesn’t have any learning problems, but her immune system is poor and she is VERY petite for her age). I hope more women learn about the down sides of the Pill.
Sarah Smith\’s last post: Feeding Infants a Grain-Free and Nut-Free Diet
When we are young, we make decisions without considering the long term implications. We all do this it seems. This is why we have to get this type of info out to young women before they are ready to have children as it’s not going to get out any other way but grassroots. The cool thing these days for young women is to be vegan and be on The Pill. Being vegan threatens future fertility and being on the Pill threatens the health of the baby (and Mom!) if a pregnancy manages to occur. The devastating long term impact of these modern lifestyle trends for young women must be halted.
Being vegan threatens future fertility? I’m pretty sure eating fatty fast food all of the time does as well. I’ve never heard that being vegan makes you less likely to have healthy, smart, well balanced children.
If you have an article on this claim I’d love to read it. Now, I’m not vegan but any of the vegans or vegetarians I know are incredibly healthy and happy (as are their children). This is crazy talk! I know a lot of processed soy produces false estrogen’s but I’d be more concerned about vegans getting breast cancer than I would be having fertility issues.
Leah\’s last post: Living in the Moment
Hi Leah,
Dr. Weston A. Price DDS and his Foundation were and are very anti-vegetarian and anti-vegan. Google him and you’ll see.
Actually, Dr. Price recommended a lacto-vegetarian style of eating to his family members, saying it was the best for long-term health. You can see this in the letters he wrote to them. And the Weston A. Price Foundation is not “his”: he had nothing to do with it, at all. It wa founded and is run by people wishing to capitalize on his name.
I do not have links, I have read statistics that did show lower fertility and a higher frequency of fertility treatments, but am unfortunately unable to reproduce it today as this has been years ago, when I was actually a vegan myself. It was actually one of the reasons I went to being an omnivore again.
I still have a great number of friends who are either vegetarian, or vegan. From what I see none of their kids are really healthy. They are healthy by what is the norm in our society, but that does not mean they are really healthy. Their bone structure is not up to par. One of my friends nephews nearly died as a toddler because of his parents vegan life-style, he had a total lack of Vit. B6. He survived, but he will have to have care for the rest of his life. My friend changed her life-style in the meantime, and her son has lost his behaviour problems. Anyway, the minor implications are that the kids need braces, have caries all the time. They have X or O legs. Lots of them are overweight and have behaviour problems. Most of them have anemia all the time, but then…. all of that is normal, lots of children have that, sure they do, on the standard diet you do not get enough vitamins and minerals either, so no problem being a vegetarian or vegan nobody notices the difference anyway. After having been a vegetarian – then vegan – and back to vegetarian and with that having totally ruined my health (luckily not all of it permanently) I really do not want to know the massive impact that these diets (including the standard one) have on our global health care systems. The amounts I pay for health care are totally ridiculous and that just because people deliberately choose to eat a diet which is not right for the human species. Its pretty clear that our bodies are that of omnivores, this does not mean one cannot survive on a diet that is consisting of plant foods only, but it will not make you healthy, nor will it make your babies healthy. A good book on the impacts of diet is the one of the Cat study done by Francis Pottenger. Its called Pottengers Cats. But, do not believe me on this, do your own research, go read and read and read, but do not go for the stuff that people just blabber, like I just did, go for the studies and take the independent studies, make sure you check out who funded them. Then you will find out more about the implications of an incomplete diet. Have a wonderful sunday.
I can definitely attest to the pill/anemia link. After being on the pill for 10 years, battling 3 miscarriages before finally becoming and staying pregnant with my son. Throughout my pregnancy I battled anemia. The more iron supplements I was taking, the worse my anemia got. When my son was born it was so bad that my doctor (no not the one who ever put me on the pill) *begged* me to get a blood transfusion because he honestly couldn’t see how I could walk, let alone take care of a newborn. My son has been battling anemia since birth.
For the two of us doing GAPS has helped. . . even though the in-laws and husband don’t follow it when feeding my son. However, being pregnant again I am slightly anemic again. Rather than increase my iron intake, I increased my BioKult intake and made sure I stuck faithfully to GAPS. After my daughter is born I will tell my doctor how I did it. For now he thinks I’m following the low-fat, high carb diet he prescribed but that’s another issue for another post. The less he knows before the birth the safer my daughter’s VBAC is.
Thank you for this! I have been explainiing this for years, no one believed me even the Dr’s. They told me I was crazy….I had the Mirena placed after my 3rd child, they told me it was hormone free (this was when it was new and before google, webmd, etc…) They lied to me. I am still recovering. After 8 years I found a homeopathic Dr who believed me and helped me get back to me “normal” self. I am now back and feeling great. Still, no one believed me and it was so frusterating knowing something was majorly wrong. Thank God for Dr Gary who helped me back to true health! It’s a much longer story but now happy, healthy, energized and 81 pounds lighter I can look back at that nightmare and warn every woman I know!
I just re read this slower…..Also wanted to comment that the daughter I was nursing and specifically asked if it was hormone free…got eczema at 10 months old because of it and had health problem up until last year when we both started seeing the homeopathic Dr. I took the steps to ask and they gave me uninformed or false answers. All that pain she weant through and sickness just because a Dr did not answer the simple question correctly. I already knew the dangers of birth control and specifiocally wanted hormone free. But it just proves and backs up this post even more. I knew there was a link, it was obvious but the pediatricians all laughed and ignored me. Just glad it is over and we both are healthy now. Thanks again for the confirmation of how dangerous this medicine is to our bodies and our childrens.
Natasha, even now the doctors say the hormones from Mirena do not get absorbed by the body. Recently a gynocologist recommended I use Mirena and told me it is a lot better then the copper one and the hormones are not absorbed so I will not have any side effects. However I googled and found stories and stories of women gaining weight, having mood swings and acne while being on Mirena iud.
very frusturating – the mirena is expensive and i think the doctor just wanted to sell it to me. no thanks, I have had problems with weight and severe acne in my teens, I do not want to go through that again – I am in very good health now, better than when I was 17!
I took the pill for 5 years but was able to get pregnant within 3 months of going off it. Still, the pill definitely ruined my gut flora as I later found out. My older son seems okay, but my younger had terrible eczema (it seems under control now). The pill also ruined my hair – I used to have beautiful, thick hair. Now it’s thin, brittle, no shine – in some areas it seems like I’m almost bald!! And I’m only 34!! I wish I’d known… I’ve been moving to full GAPS for almost a month and taking my younger son with me, for the most part. I hope to heal my adrenals – I’m suspecing hypothyroid as well. Who knows what the pill was responsible for in total…
Does anyone have thoughts or opinions on using Cycle Beads? I’ve been on the pill since my teenage years and although I’d very much like to go off of it, I recently returned to school to get my degree and absolutely *cannot* get pregnant until I graduate. If used correctly, how confident could I be that natural planning would prevent it?
Elena, I was in a very similar situation. I took the pill for a year when I first got married, but got off of it because I was a crazy person. I know several families who have used natural family planning very successfully, they were able to choose when they would get pregnant. My husband and I used NFP very successfully for 2 more years, then we had our little surprise. I’m still in school and am now taking a little time off to be with our son, but even though we weren’t planning on having a son at this time I’m so thankful to be off the pill. I was unaware of the health problems, but knew that the hormones were wreaking havoc on my emotions and therefore my poor husband. I would DEFINITELY suggest reading more about it, we used a book published by the Catholic Church that was very helpful even though we’re not Catholic. It takes dedication, but very worth the time.
Elena,
I strongly suggest that you look into one of the following highly effective natural methods:
Symptothermal Method-uses basal body temperature and cervical mucous.
http://www.ccli.org/
Creighton Model Fertility Care system.-uses observations of cervical mucous
http://www.fertilitycare.org/
Unlike cycle beads, these do not require that the woman using them have regular cycles, and they work for anybody. When used carefully, they are very effective. I have tried both. If you have reproductive health problems, I think the Creighton Model offers better support for diagnosis and healing, as there are specially trained medical consultants familiar with this method.
please see my reply below. I didn’t know I could reply directly below someone’s post.
Elena, I used the cycle beads for less than a year. They worked well, until I forgot to bring them wih me on an overseas family trip – and then I got a surprise. Moral of the story: be diligent in moving the little black ring!!! A great book is called “Take Charge of Your Fertility” by an author whose name I forget. It tells you the different methods of natural family planning, including observing your body for signs of ovulation.
Elena I just got done reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility and this is the model I will be following. Not only has it shown me how to naturally follow my fertility signs and avoid (or eventually obtain) pregnancy, I’ve learned so much about my body that I never knew before from reading that book and I highly recommend it. I am just going off the pill after 12 years on it. 12 years. Somebody pray for me.
Joanna\’s last post: Pilaf on a Tangent
Joanna – I’ll be praying for you. I know what a hard road it is to get back from being on the pill. I, too, went the TCOYF route, and it only took me about 6 months to get a handle on my cycle. Both our girls were conceived using that model, and right now I’m having some health problems and using it to avoid a pregnancy. Even after losing an ovary, I’m still able to track my (now very irregular) fertility signs. Good luck, and I will keep you in my prayers!
Thank you all for the info! I ordered Taking Charge of Your Fertility and should receive it tomorrow. I’m embarrassed to say that apart from a few brief periods, I’ve been on the pill for 16 years of my life and I’m really looking forward to stopping!
I am just reading and learning about this today. I am just sickened. I have been on the pill for 17 years. What other options are out there besides tubal litigation? I am afraid if I stop using the pill that I will get pregnant quickly. With both of my children, I was pregnant within a month of stopping the pill. I have noticed my daughter has dry spots on her cheeks (eczema possibly)?
Sara, Get the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It is completely natural and is rated “just as to more effective” than any HBC. There is a special section in there on how to begin if you are currently on the pill. Regardless of whether or not you do follow it… it will fire you up as a woman that you have lived this long and NOT KNOWN some of the most basic information about our bodies that we should. I seriously cannot give this book enough of a recommendation. Also note that it has absolutely nothing to do with any “faith” or “religion” and is purely about science and our physiology.
Elena, I replied to your first post as well, but I do want to encourage you. If you are needing confidence and absolute understanding, I would recommend finding a certified Billings Ovulation Method instructor to help you out. Especially after being on the Pill for so long, you may have some special circumstances that don’t fall within the book’s information on coming off of the pill. It is a great book to get you started, but if you want absolute confidence, Billings is the way to go. It is more simple and straight-forward, and I have known many women who have read “Taking Charge” and been surprised by a pregnancy
The Billings Ovulation Method is 99.5% effective in postponing pregnancy (that is a USE number based on a study conducted in China in 1997. If the method had been used perfectly effectiveness would have been 100% in this study), and is easy to use. It only has 4 rules, and does not involve taking your temperature or doing internal cervical exams. It is also the most scientifically researched method of natural fertility management. All other methods have relied on and broken off of our research. Also, Billings is based on day to day observations, we do not rely on regular cycles, averages or calendars in any way. It has been tested in women in all stages of reproductive life, including those dealing with PCOS, endometriosis, irregular cycles, stress, PMS, breastfeeding, etc. Because of the extensive research, your Billings chart becomes a biological window into your body- we can see vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalance and early detection of potentially serious problems. Visit http://www.nfpaware.com for more details and give us a call if you want to learn. We do web conferences all the time with long-distance clients. (918) 4010-NFP (401-0637).
Kristin Putnam\’s last post: Contraceptives Does Not Equal Women’s Health
I can’t even read it all. My daughter was seriously low in zinc (I took the Pill from when I was 19 until 3 months before conceiving her, about 3 years), STILL has problems with her gut flora (we’ve done/are doing GAPS) and allergies. I took a lot of other OTC drugs when I was pregnant with her too. I was lucky that I was only anemic at the end and then only slightly. We’ve really struggled with her health. Although she is SO much better off now since we did discover NT and then GAPS.
My son…is so much better in general! He does catch colds but has no allergies, never gets stomach viruses or other illnesses, etc. I did not take the Pill at all after I stopped before my daughter. I stopped taking all OTC drugs. I found WAP midway through my pregnancy with him. He was born at home with no drugs and exclusively breastfed for 8 months. He’s literally NEVER been exposed to drugs since I didn’t take any for months before his conception nor since, nor have I ever given him any.
I’m expecting again and I just can’t wait…I’ve been fully on WAP/GAPS for a couple years now, always take my FCLO and eat tons of raw egg yolks, raw milk, lots of things I didn’t even know to do last time! I also haven’t taken ANY drugs of any type in about three years, and eat tons of probiotics. I bet this baby is the healthiest yet!
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama\’s last post: Healthy Pregnancy Series- Bed Rest
We just switched our household to raw milk and after this post I am considering going on GAPS. I am confused though… Kate, I am reading that you’ve been fully on GAPS and have also been enjoying lots of raw milk. I thought I understood that milk products are not allowed on GAPS? Or is raw dairy an exception?
Thanks so much!
Raw dairy is allowed on full GAPS, but not intro. You can read more on gapsdiet.com.
In my version of the GAPS book (there is a newer version out recently) raw milk and raw cream are not permitted due to the lactose which is a disaccharide. Kefir, yogurt, butter and ghee are ok except in the most severe cases.
Another concern with hormonal birth control methods is the dramatic increase of DVTs or deep vein thrombosis. These blood clots in the calves can find their way into your lungs and are potentially fatal. I had DVTs and pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lungs) following surgery and the treatment is blood thinners. The effectiveness off blood thinners depends on reducing gut bacteria, the primary source of vitamin K. I have been off Coumadin now for 8 weeks and am struggling to get my gut bacteria in normal balance and using prebiotic and probiotic foods like it’s my job! It is far better not to mess around with these things.
But to delay pregnancy, I use the Clear Blue Easy fertility monitor with the Marquette University method of NFP (natural family planning). It works, is non-invasive and natural and has no possible negative side effects. If I don’t buy hormone laced meat and milk, why would. I put them in MY body or MY breastmilk?
Wow, this is a great post with lots of new information. I wish the young women were more informed about how to stay healthy before conceiving, during pregnancy, and after delivery. It is a shame that doctors don’t explain all the dangers. (synthetic hormones, vaccines, deficiencies, heavy metals, flouride, MSG and so on)
My son was born with a tumor causing a facial malformation 17 years ago. Who knows what caused it, the point is, I was never told things about health and nutrition in the same way I tell my clients today. Perhaps it could have been prevented with better knowledge.
Jo at Jo’s Health Corner\’s last post: Adrenal Health and Essential Oils
I wish I had known this before I spent 2 awful years on the pill. I got married in college, and I didn’t know of any other form of birth control women my age used. I was determined not to get pregnant during that time, as I desperately wanted to graduate on time. Unlike my sisters (who have been on the pill since they were 14!), I knew what it was like not to be on sythetic hormones. Going on the pill was agonizing – I had contraction like cramps during my period that had my practically immobile. I gained weight and had terrible mood swings. I just wasn’t the same. I went against a lot of my inner convictions to get off it, but finally, after 2 years on the pill, I stopped taking it after I still got pregnant on it and it caused an early miscarriage. That was it for me, and I stopped taking them. Off the pill, my old self came back, and I mourned the loss of 2 yrs of it, mad that I had continued to take something that made me feel so terrible. My daughter was conceived 2 months later. She has struggled with weight gain, and I have struggled with keeping up an adequate milk supply for her. She also had severe baby acne for about 2 months. She has bad acid reflux and has been on prescriptions for it since she was only 3 weeks old. I desperately want to get her off them, but I’m not sure how yet. I have been reading a lot about the GASP diet, and I think it might be necessary for me to start it, expecially before the next baby comes along.
Rachel\’s last post: 2010 Dietary Guidelines – Are they even safe
I wish I had known about WAPF when I got married. After only three months on the pill I was a mess-eczema outbreaks worse than I had seen in years (I’ve struggled with it most of my life, but it was manageable), a bacterial infection in my skin, and the flu. I ended up on prednisone and antibiotics, and my system was completely destroyed. A year later I am still struggling with severe eczema, to the point that I ended up in the hospital over the holidays with an infection. Hindsight is 20/20, but at least I know now how to combat the effects and work to rebuild my system before I start having kids.
Rebecca\’s last post: Just Beet It
Rebecca, I am so glad that you are now armed with the info you need to rebuild your gut and immune system before you get pregnant with your children!!! We simply have to get the word out to young women to not go on these terrible pills.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: The Life of the Lowly Dry Cleaning Hanger
Sarah, thanks again for this very timely post. I responded to another post on here but I am just now coming off the pill after 12 years. It is actually a bit frightening as I can hardly remember what “normal” is for me. And no one ever told me about risks with the pill. I was actually told how the pill could help prevent cervical cancer. Imagine – I thought I was doing something good for me. But over the last two years as I’ve “gotten religion” about food and health, I finally decided that it needed to go. Your post is very helpful to me right now and I will investigate further the GAPS diet.
Joanna\’s last post: Pilaf on a Tangent
Maybe this is a topic for another thread but how (and is it even advisable) to heal the gut during pregnancy?
I did not take the pill but I am sometimes anemic. Now I’m wondering if I’m just feeding all the bad flora with my nutritious iron rich foods…
Sofia, I am not at all sure that healing the gut during pregnancy is a wise idea as some detoxification is involved in this process as the bad pathogenic strains die off and must be excreted and handled by the body. Best I think to eat fermented foods on a regular basis (daily) and take a probiotic to keep the pathogens in check by bathing the gut in the good guys so they don’t dominate at least. Healing the gut requires elimination of all starches, grains, sugars, and dairy (except butter) for a time and this really can cause die-off symptoms for folks which would not be safe during pregnancy.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: The Life of the Lowly Dry Cleaning Hanger
I don’t remember if I read it on Dr. Campbell-McBride’s website or in the new edition of the book (which is currently lent to a friend) but I remember reading that you can start the FULL (not the intro) GAPS diet during pregnancy. I did and my doc says I’m his healthiest patient ever, except the slight anemia. That said, I personally wouldn’t continue if I felt a die off effect. I am doing it to stop the damage until I am no longer nursing. If some small amount of healing occurs in the mean time I’ll take it.
Hi Heather —
What does your full GAPS diet look like while nursing? When you stop nursing, do you plan to make changes to your diet (i.e., revert back to Intro)? I’m not pregnant and no longer nursing but have done a detox diet and am considering doing full gaps for the meantime even if I were to get pregnant. Just wondering if that means no dairy (except for butter, yogurt, ghee, etc.) for you?
The full GAPS diet involves all the foods on the allowed list rather than starting in the intro phase. In the book Dr. Campbell-McBride tells you how to introduce dairy (start with ghee, etc) if you start with the full diet instead of doing the intro. I was nursing my son when I started and had already incorporated some dairy when I became pregnant. If my children or I are showing any signs of gut dysbiosis when my daughter weans we may start the intro but if we aren’t we will likely stick to the full diet and stay on it longer. Honestly we’ve become so accustomed to cooking/eating this way we may stick with it (with some allowances) just because we enjoy it.
Sarah,
I never took the pill, but I can say that in our family’s path towards health we have dealt with so many issues that you touched on today. Thanks for all of this information in one place! We have dealt with copper and zinc imbalances, gut dysbiosis, seeing the children inheriting the mother’s gut issues, and anemia issues resulting from all of this. I would also say that your post on adrenal fatigue (and mine
http://wholenewmom.com/health/adrenal-fatigue-the-new-epidemic/ are must reads for everyone. What a web has been woven in our modern day society, eh?
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom.com\’s last post: That We May Bear More Fruit
For those looking for some wonderful reading on tracking your cycle for pregnancy avoidance (or achievement!) or just for health, please look at “Taking Charge of your Fertility” by Toni Weschler. Once you know how your cycle works for *you*, it is very easy to avoid pregnancy, if so desired. I was on the Pill for nearly 8 years prior to conceiving by daughter and will never go back! My gut is healing now, and I’m just grateful that I have this information to pass onto my daughter. Thank you for your wonderful blog, Sarah!
Is there any actual scientific evidence supporting the connection between birth control and intestinal flora composition?
My scientific sources are cited in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MDs book – Gut and Psychology Syndrome which I cited for this article. It is a great read. I highly recommend it.
I have used the Creighton Model of NFP for 16 yrs. it works solely with your cycle and when it’s used correctly is more effective than the pill at postponning pregnancy and achieving pregnancy because it pin points the days you are fertile. http://www.naprotechnology.com/ this is one website that will help you in your research about NFP.
The Pope Paul VI institute for reproductive technology is also another place. Dr. Hilgers, who is the Head of the college has published many books and papers on the subject. You can also lookk up NFP practitioners for your area as welll as NFP only Doctors on the site.
NFP is best taught by a practitioner so that you learn the little nuances about the program that best fit your cycle. There is some text book learning that is done but the rest is completly dependant on your own personal cycle.
I have looked into fertility beads having heard about them after I started NFP and found that there is no realy scientifc basis for your fertitly while using them and that you would have a longer period of abstanance if you use them. NFP is scientifically and soundly based on each woman’s personal cycle and each month that can change due to many factors including stress and just taking medication sometimes. NFP allows you to chart that change and know when you would be most likely to concieve. If used correctly it’s 99% effective–there are studies on the websites that will give more information.
Yikes. I’ve never had The Pill before, but I definitely keep this is mind. It really doesn’t seem like a good idea healthwise to screw around with your natural hormones by taking a synthetic drug everyday.
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This is great. I finally convinced my husband to let me go off of the Pill. I’ve never been comfortable with it. I never wanted to be on it again after I had my daughter, but about a year and a half ago when I stopped nursing my daughter, I went back on it to regulate my horrendous periods, which they did. However, both times I started the Pill, I had terrible weight gain. Every doctor I’ve talked to and any literature about the Pill says that it doesn’t cause weight gain. Yet every person I’ve talked to that has been on the Pill says they experienced that…hmm…I can hear the drug companies now, “Since American women are so conscientious about their weight, we need to tell them that it won’t cause weight gain, even though it really does. Otherwise no one would buy our product!!”
YES it definately causes weight gain! Lord, they are such liars how do they live with themselves?? And hair loss too. Ugh!!
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I had my first weight gain that stuck around when I was on the Pill. I also got weight gain that didn’t go away with each of my two pregnancies. They can only argue hormonal changes don’t cause weight gain and set-point change because they refuse to acknowledge that fat gain is a hormonal issue, not an issue of caloric consumption. But the science does not agree with them.
I am considering the GAPS diet for myself and will buy this book this weekend. I am wondering if you GAPS-educated folks can tell me what the therapeutic dose will be? I am wondering how much BioKult I can buy in bulk, but don’t have an awful lot to spend at one time. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, you have to work up to the top dose very slowly. BioKult is very strong and will really knock out those pathogens in your gut in a hurry so you have to be slow about it else you will make yourself sick with all the toxins from the pathogen die off. Follow the directions in the book or on the gapsdiet.com website for guidance on how to slowly increase over time.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: The Life of the Lowly Dry Cleaning Hanger
Thanks Sarah…. but I’m wondering if I should begin with an order of one bottle at a time? I know ordering bulk will be cheaper, but can’t order as many as ten as I have seen.
I was on OC’s and then the Patch before coming off of them to get pregnant with my first child. I was soooo sick those 4 years I was on BC! I was always tired, my muscles ached, I gained weight, I couldn’t concentrate. It wasn’t until after my son was born and I really started researching healthier living thanks to being introduced to Nourishing Traditions that I realized that my body was so depleted of vital nutrients from being on BC! It didn’t help that I was also on the popular “low fat” diet that included skim milk and low fat/fat free processed foods and then while pregnant, I ate whatever I wanted to. I am now hypoglycemic and suffer from Meniere’s Disease that causes vertigo. ALL of my children were born early. Half of my pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Connected? I don’t know. I can’t prove it one way or the other, but it does make you think!
“Taking Charge of Your Fertility, The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health” by Toni Weschler, MPH is THE BEST BOOK I have found on this topic. It was recommended by Dr. Kathleen Alan a super naturopathic doctor, midwife and lecturer. This book is non religious, and very practical application. It has been my handbook for learning about my body through marriage and our first two children.
(my personal belief is that when it comes to God’s gift of life, is is not ours to “control”)
Here here! TCOYF is the BEST!!!
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A lot of people have commented on Natural Family Planning and “Taking Charge of Your Fertility.” I have always been interested but was overwhelmed by charting because I have three small children. A year ago I bought the LADY COMP. I love it. I can’t say enough good things about it. It takes your temperature for you and saves all the information, then it gives you green and red days. It is a little pricey (just under $500), but for around $30/month for the pill I figured I only had to use it for 16 months before I broke even. Best money ever spent!
Charting is easy-peasy. It takes me about 3-4 min. to chart all signs. 1 min to take temp every morning, 1 min to check cervix, and maybe 1-2 min to check cervical fluid a few times a day when i go to toilet. It sound overwhelming when you read about it but is really really easy and quick. And gives you so much info about your reproductive health. For me it is really empowering.
Great post! I was on the pill for two years myself when I just got married and had no clue what it was doing to me. It really wreaked havoc with my health, I would never take one again! I am anemic and do have digestion problems… I always lacked energy, I was a bit depressed for no good reason, I had sharp chest pains. When I quit taking it, it took a little while to sort of be back to normal.
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Hi Sarah,
How do I know if my gut is healthy or not?
Thanks,
Erica
The easiest way to tell is to observe your bathroom habits. If you are neither constipated nor loose and you go to the bathroom every day 1-2X with no strain or effort, the stool is light brown (walnut colored) with no pieces of undigested food in it and there is quite a lot of it (6 inch long stool empties the rectum for example and is a normal sized stool – most people go way too little). You have no reflux, bloating, heartburn, flatulence is a good sign as well.
Thank you for this reply. I was wondering this as well.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for a great post. I have only just had my Mirena removed hoping it would help me on the path to healing. I have been battling full body excema, terrible allergies, constant flatulence and bloating, constipation and irregular bowel movements and brain fog and mood swings. Unfortunately I was on the pill for year prior to conceiving my first child and still taking it before i knew I was pregnant with her. My second child I had been off it for about a year before conception, but by then I already had terrible allergies and excema and when he was born I had so little breastmilk I could not breastfeed him long. Unfortunately I used formula, although luckily not soy based.
My children both get sore bloated tummies and have a lot of wind. My daughter had a post nasal drip and symptoms of allergies starting to appear. Both are allergic to penicillin – something my naturopath informs me is a sign of gut dysbiosis. Luckily she directed us to SCD which we had been on for the past couple of months. In that time the only excema I have remaining is on my hands, I have no allergies, the kids haven’t passed wind once and they have no sore tummies or post nasal drip. Lately we have been struggling and getting pressure from the in laws so I introduced one bowl of soaked oats and one slice of sourdough for them per day, and we went out for dinner once and ate wedges. Since then They have passed wind non stop and my daughter has had a debilitating sore tummy. I got really bloated after having a small amount of porridge. My gut instincts say to persevere with a little porridge every second day or so though. We are also not fermenting our yoghurt for 24 hours anymore and added kefir. We’re going to keep going like this as their tummies see to be settling down now even with a little porridge. I’ll monitor it though, but I can’t force this on my family and my husband is not completely convinced about it all. My in-laws are no longer talking to us and the pressure was getting a little too much.
Hey Mel,
Stay strong, you are on the right path. You are doing the right thing for your family and you have support coming to you from across the web. I know it’s hard when you don’t have support, but you are doing the right thing. If you would have come to see me, I would have probably gone right to GAPS/SCD as well, so hang in there!
Amy Love @ Real Food Whole Health\’s last post: Breakfast Tacos- Mexican style gluten-free
This is eye-opening. I’ve had constant candida problems for quite some time now. Recently I’ve been suffering from chronic sinus infections and wonder if this could be contributing to the problem. I was also diagnosed with painful bladder syndrome however the symptoms of that cleared up when I started eating better and doing nutritional cellular cleanses. The candida is still hanging around the the sinus infections are no longer responding to antibiotics. I wonder if I should talk to my gyn about this… or would she even know?
Hi Kale, for the most part, doctors have no idea how imbalanced gut flora can contribute to chronic conditions such as what you describe. The only tools in the toolbelt for the typical doc are drugs and surgery. You have to find a holistic DO or ND to get some out of the conventional box solutions. There are some holistic MDs, but they are few and far between.
Do you have mercury fillings? The candida LOVES to hang out in the jaw/sinuses when you have mercury fillings- and it may actually be helping you to do so…
Amy Love @ Real Food Whole Health\’s last post: Breakfast Tacos- Mexican style gluten-free
Good post, Sarah.
It is amazing how easily gut health can be compromised and how important a healthy gut is.
Thanks for sharing this wisdom.
Ciao,
Pavil
Sarah,
I know this is off subject, but I am in need of some advice. Where I live I have no access to raw milk. I’m in WV, and we can’t even legally buy it for pets. I have asked around and there is only one farm that raises pastured cows, and they will not sell raw milk illegally. I have a friend who drinks raw milk from cows that are fed soy. Also, no grocery stores carry organic milk that is not UHT. So, my question is this, should I drink ultra-pasteurized whole organic milk… regular pasteurized whole milk….or avoid dairy all together? (Although, my husband refuses to go without milk). I’m very frustrated, as I can’t even find half and half or cream that isn’t UHT. I’m trying (not very successfully) to follow the WAPF guidelines for pre-conception. Please help!!
Hi Erin, I know this would be expensive but you can ship it in. Years ago before there were any local raw dairy in my area, I shipped in frozen raw dairy from PA about every 2-3 months. You can find sources for farms that mail order in the WAPF shopping guide ($1 plus shipping) westonaprice.org
Hi Sarah,
Were you able to mail order raw milk and cream or butter?
Oh, and DON”T drink the ultrapasteurized organic milk. It is BETTER to go without in that case.
Excellent article!!
The epidemic of chronic illness in children (autism, ADHD, allergies, etc.) IS caused by this exact problem–thank you for raising awareness to it, Sarah! I expand on this topic (gut dysbiosis) (and look at other factors contributing to this epidemic such as vaccines, toxin exposure, poor nutrition, EMFs, etc.) in my book A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America’s Children (Sentient, 2010). Please see my website for more information: http://www.acompromisedgeneration.com. I also run a 501c3 non-profit org called Epidemic Answers where we help parents find healing solutions for affected children. If your child has chronic symptoms, we can help you! Please see our website at http://www.epidemicanswers.org. We are always looking for parent volunteers to help put a stop to this epidemic. We need your help!! Join us today!
Thanks!!
Beth
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for this article which I have forwarded to my daughter and grandaughter. How doctors can repeatedly prescribe the pill like they do I have no idea. My personal “two weeks” were something from a bad novel. I had all the side effects including my hearing. Try working in an office with no noise! My daughter got prenant with her first child while on the pill and he was born prematurely. The second child has all types of allergies and stomach problems. The third child seems to be following suit. My daughter literally is living on iron pills. The baby lives on Prevacid three times a day for over a year. (I complain about this one too, as I’m sure it’s not healthy.) Again, thank you for the article and all the information you have included.
The iron feeds the bad guys, as does B vitamins. I was taking B vitamins like crazy and didn’t realize I was just feeding them and making them stronger. Also, the body will “hide” iron because it’s trying not to feed the infection/pathogen. I was anemic despite ALL efforts to the contrary for over 10 years. Now I know that my poor body was just trying to help me! (And all the while I was downing more and more iron!) When I have clients with anemia, especially chronic, I look right to gut dysbiosis or underlying systemic infection- always!
Amy Love @ Real Food Whole Health\’s last post: Breakfast Tacos- Mexican style gluten-free
Oh, and you are right on about the Pill causing low zinc levels. When I work with my natural fertility clients, I will have them on zinc for at least 6 months before levels return to normal in some cases. Some of this is due to the pill, some is due to ingesting grains and nuts that haven’t been soaked and some is due to poor digestion- HCl needs zinc and zinc needs HCl- but either way, zinc deficiency is a huge issue in fertility.
Amy Love @ Real Food Whole Health\’s last post: Breakfast Tacos- Mexican style gluten-free
I’m so lost on why people don’t just use condoms. Seriously, I think in this entire board I’m the only one who mentioned them. I’ve never used the pill, and I didn’t feel that my cycle was regular enough to use cycle beads, and I’m not confident enough with it. I’m not down with an “oops, now I’m pregnant”. My husband and I have used a condom every single time, 5 years, no babies. I’ve heard concerns that this will ruin the moment, but it is just not that big of a deal. If it ruins the moment for you, you’ve got bigger problems.
I think condoms should be part of the baby-prevention dialogue.
Condoms have health issues of their own including the chemicals in the lubricant and the spermicides which are very inflammatory for many women. If you get the non lubricated condoms, they have some sort of nano particle on them to keep the latex from sticking or something and these particles many women don’t feel comfortable having inside of their bodies.
I was conceived with condom use. They should be part of the dialogue, but like other methods it’s not a perfect solution for everyone.
Can someone tell me briefly what signs of gut dysbiosis would be? I was on the patch for 6 years, went off of it because I hated the side effects, and got pregnant 5 months later. However, I had an extremely uneventful, healthy pregnancy. I did not ever get sick and I exercised the entire time. My daughter is very healthy at 13 months and is still breastfeeding. It’s only been the last few months that I’ve been eating less grains- before that I lived on cereal, fruit, veggies, pastuerized milk, and not much meat. (although I always hated processed food). I have no allergies or any health issues. Should I be concerned, or just happy that I escaped unscathed from my previous eating habits?
Hi Sara, a comment above answers this question as someone asked the same thing earlier.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: How “The Pill” Can Harm Your Future Child’s Health
Oh I see, thanks! I think I’m good, then!
What an informative and much-needed post for women! Like the majority of your readers, I had no idea how the pill could impact the health of children who’s mothers take it. I just posted on your FB page a great resource for natural birth control that I have used for more than 20 years – it’s the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I received this book from a friend after going off the pill after being on it for less than a year. This book is so empowering and I have shared it with many friends through the years, the majority of whom were having fertility issues. Thank you so much for the time and research you put into your blog. It is truly one of the most educational blogs out there and I enjoy your insight, wisdom and concern for helping us improve our nutrition and wellness. Blessings, Kelly from The Nourishing Home
Wow, Kelly. Thank you for such kind words!
I really hope this info helps at least a few ladies to avoid the health crisis for themselves and their children that can be brought on by use of The Pill. It is so very important for dialogue on this topic.
The Pill was only tried on 132 women in the early 1960′s and 3 of them died. The Pill was released anyway. As per John Robbins book, “Reclaiming Your Health,” the decision was made for Doctors not to explain the complications associated with taking the Pill to women as it would potentially just “confuse” the Doctor Patient relationship. As a Physician of Natural Medicine, I end up clearing the effects of the pill by applying homeopathic principles for detoxification of the hormones that falsely mimick pregancy to witness infertility issues resolve, emotions normalize and candida eradicated.
Did you know that the Pill also increases your risk of breast cancer — especially when taken before having your first child? No wonder breast cancer is at epidemic levels now.
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right-wing propaganda at its finest.
My spidey-senses are telling me the same thing Rob! Mostly for the fact that no information is given about alternative forms of contraception, or the differences between types of oral contraceptives (the myriad of options available today and how drastically oral contraception has changed in over 40 years!) and there are no studies cited …. However this could be the case of the author reading actual research showing a correlation between young women developing digestion problems around the same time they start taking birth control– BUT (and this is a big but) Correlation does NOT mean Causation. Yeah.. I just want to mention that again: Correlation does NOT mean Causation!!!
Hi Rob and ARP,
As someone who worked for Planned Parenthood and other women’s clinics for many years and got an MPH in reproductive health (so you gotta know that I’m nowhere NEAR right wing
, I do hear you as far as the lack of studies cited on this – HOWEVER – speaking from personal and clinical experience with countless numbers of women as well as lots of healthcare providers who have all seen the same, I gotta say that oral contraceptives and hormonal methods – every last one of them, even the newer ones – SERIOUSLY mess with all sorts of things. The nutritional depletions they cause are very real (lots of studies out there DO back this up). As are the affects on everything from liver function (all pharma meds have to clear through the liver and therefore stress it out) to adrenals to – again, because of the nutritional depletion factor – you name it. Changing up your hormones does change how your body processes carbs. Nutritional depletions can also definitely contribute to gut dysbiosis. On a personal note, I never had a yeast infection in my LIFE until a week after starting OCP’s when I got a rip roaring one. And you can’t blame having no-latex sex either, because I was on them for a full month (ie three weeks after the first yeast explosion) before we ditched the latex. Continued to have problems with the major yeasties on and off until I finally stopped them – and then did YEARS of gut healing work. Haven’t gone back to hormonal methods since because I value my gut health too much.
So, while *I* didn’t want to admit that OCP’s and other hormonal methods were pretty much all bad news on a health front – either personally or professionally – the evidence just became too overwhelming. The bottom line – the health risks of the pill/hormonal methods depend on what the tradeoff is for the woman between not getting preggo v. the toll on her health and potentially that of her future baby. For many of us, we’ve just discovered the tradeoffs weren’t worth it. That’s all. In fact, many of the FIERCEST proponents I know of using only NFP/non hormonal methods etc. are just as fiercely LEFT wing-y as anyone you’d want to meet. That’s the funny thing – it’s actually one place where I’ve seen the extremes of left and right find common ground.
Peace (and good gut health to ya!
- P
I was wondering if anyone has experience with the pill casing IBS? (Irritable Bowl Syndrome) My sister-in-law recently found out she has IBS and has been on the pill for at least 3 years due to really painful periods. It seems like the two could be related… I would love some information if anyone knows of any before I send her a link to this post.
Oops, I meant “causing”
Hi Katie, there is absolutely a link. IBS is autoimmune in nature and ALL autoimmune conditions have their root in imbalanced gut flora.
I was wondering the same thing. I had my son 7 years ago but before had been on the pill for 15 years for irregular and painful periods. I have IBS and indigestion all the time.seeming like it started right around that time. I have tried three or four different drugs prescribed by a gastro dr but none have worked. My sister has Celiac but got tested for that and they say I don’t carry the genes for it. Was ready to go to another gastro dr. Sarah does it ever go away on it’s own or do you have to do one of the treatments. Just want to make sure that’s what it is.
This is very interesting. I was on the pill (and vegetarian) when I became pregnant with my oldest son who has had gut issues since day one. Keeping him on a diet focused on veggies, meats, broths, and eggs seems to work best with him. The difficult part is that he craves carbs to an insane degree, which I’m sure is due to his imbalanced gut flora. The longer he stays away from grains, the less he craves them.
Very happy to see this post! Women have a right to know about the many ways hormonal replacement therapies interfere with their bodies, not just their reproductive organs. Oral contraceptives especially wreak havoc on the uptake of Vitamin B9, commonly called folate or as we see it in synthetic form, Folic Acid. I write about it here:
http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-folic-acid-only-and-best-choice.html
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I’ve never taken the pill for a variety of reasons, and I truly believe that the pill is one of the worst toxins on the planet, for health, environmental, and psychological reasons.
Do you have, however, any reference to actual studies that demonstrate that the pill disturbs gut flora, or even info on how it actually imbalances it? Thanks!
Great article. So many don’t realize the side effect of these pills. I also bring up the question with women taking these pills for so long for contraception, wonder how much messing up the normal balance of hormones of the female body might affect pregnancy, fertility, and possible birth defects when they finally decide they want to have children.
I enjoy in reading here. Keep updating us. I will be here in a short while, Thanks a lot!
This is a very interesting article and I will be doing more research on this, as I had to take oral contraceptives from age twelve (due to serious endometriosis, which was preventing me from attending school), and during my teen years I developed serious allergies, including lactose and egg intolerance.
I have since stopped using hormonal contraceptives (using barrier methods instead). However, I still have many digestion problems and issues with allergies. As for endo I found that using primrose oil supplements, organic cloth pads and the ‘moon-cup’ alleviated many of the problems I had.
The only thing missing from this article seems to be alternatives to oral contraceptives, you tell us what the dangers are without offering safe alternatives. For example, do IUD’s (including non-hormonal IUD), the patch, implants, or deprovera (the shot) cause ‘gut imbalances’ —or it is limited to the oral ingestion of the contraceptives?
Unfortunately, not a lot of great options ARP. There is a comment above that lists some sort of device (pricey though) that takes and stores your temperature and gives a “green” or a “red” light to each day. That is the best thing I’ve heard of so far. I myself have never used the pill (I didn’t need a study to tell me it was dangerous, though now it’s nice the data is coming in now to support my common sense hunch) but still managed to wait 8 years before we started our family, space my children as we wanted (3 years apart) and have no surprises, so it can be done.
Oh, and with regard to the patch and injected contraceptives etc , I have not seen any data that these methods cause gut imbalance. They very well may, as IV antibiotics for a woman in labor (for Strep B) causes her baby to typically be born with gut bacteria issues. However, I personally would never use them as I have no doubt they cause other serious problems. I am not one to be a guinea pig and hope for the best until the data to the contrary becomes available.
My mother along with one of her sisters are allergic to the pill. I have tried to take many different types but I always end up with nasty debilitating migraines within the first 3 months of taking them so it turns out that I am also allergic to them. I have always been jealous of the women that have been able to take the pill because my period is so heavy and it goes from about 5-10 days depending on the month. Now, after reading this article, I believe that I am lucky that my body tells me not to take them! I feel safer about having children knowing what the pill could possibly do to them even after I would have stopped taking it. Condoms have always worked for my long term boyfriend and I, so now I know to just stick with that and not to try anymore BC pills!
This is a pretty interesting article, and I myself have discovered that I can no longer take any kind of oral contraceptive without horrible side effects, however I really wish you all wouldn’t demonize ‘the pill’ and make it seem as if everyone in the world is as knowledgeable and educated as your readers may be. Oral contraceptives have helped women become autonomous in the last 40+ years; we no longer HAVE to make a choice between enjoying our sexuality and becoming burdened with an unintended pregnancy. The pill also made it possible for women to make great strides in education and the work place. Nothing is without side effects of course, but I still (even though I no longer take it) think ‘the pill’ has done more good than harm.
Hi Lisa,
While I hear your point about the pill and it’s relationship to women’s empowerment (and I preface this by saying I have worked for and still support the mission of Planned Parenthood and other women’s clinics etc), I also found the work of the late Jeannine Parvati Baker in her book “Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey through the Labyrinth of Sexuality” EXTREMELY fascinating in arguing that the pill may not have actually been as liberating in some ways as people may have thought. I don’t agree with ALL of her arguments/POV, but it was very definitely an eye opener on a perspective that I hadn’t considered.
And yes, though I too have not been able to take hormonal birth control due to health reasons, I still support a woman’s right to obtain them if pregnancy is the larger concern, and still bless the years I didn’t get preggo because I was on it. That being said, I do think Western medicine is VERY lacking in telling people in general about the nutritional hits that a LOT of meds cause and not educating them on how even if they can’t mitigate these effects entirely, how they can at least minimize them with appropriate diet/supplementation etc etc
I recently stopped taking birth control because hubby and I are TTC, and don’t really want to go back on it. Once I got off the pill, I realized that it really affected my libido. Let’s just say my husband had no idea what hit him, but he hasn’t complained
. I think it will be NFP from now on.
However, I do not like seeing the pill being demonized so much. It probably saved my mother’s fertility. She had severe endometriosis that required surgery to treat. After that surgery, she was able to get pregnant with my brother and she took BCP between pregnancies to keep the endometriosis from coming back. I probably wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t taken it. And I haven’t seen any possible side effects from her taking birth control that wouldn’t be because of genetics.
But I do not deny that there is a link. I just believe that like everything else, you should educate yourself and weigh the risks and benefits.
Thank you for getting this information out there! I was on the pill for 5 years and never knew how wonderful I could feel without it. I am SO glad I switched to fertility awareness for a natural contraceptive.
Thank you for writing about this very important topic. I am so excited to see how far and wide it’s been spread online. I’m really passionate about preconception health because there is SO much that we can do to optimize our future child’s health before we even become pregnant. I’ve gone through this journey myself and after years of dedication to my health I’m now ready to become a mom and feel that my body will support a healthy pregnancy and baby. I’m really excited!
Crystal – Prenatal Coach\’s last post: Preconception Health & Fertility- What Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You
Oopps forgot to mention that I’ve been using the “Lady Comp” for the past 5 years and I LOVE it. A little bit of an investment but a very simple and effective way to practice natural birth control.
Crystal – Prenatal Coach\’s last post: How I Healed My Gluten Intolerance – Part 1
P, I will definitely check that out. I think we may be on the same page and I’m always open to learning:)
I was repeatedly put on antibiotics from infancy and took birth control pills for 10 years, starting from the age of 12 because of severe cramping. In college, I became very ill and was diagnosed with IBS, chronic fatigue, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia. I was told to drop out of school and get on disability. There was nothing the doctors could do. I started looking into nutrition and alternative medicine. Eventually, I was led to raw milk, grass fed beef, and basically a grain free Weston A Price diet. It has helped a lot, but I still struggle with thyroid, auto-immune issues, and hormone issues. I also have 3 children who all have asthma and allergies and low immunity, along with various other health issues. My son is dyslexic and my daughter has emotional problems. They have always been fed a very healthy diet and were all breastfed until they were almost 3.
For years I have been searching for answers and trying to piece things together about why my children struggle so much. I am often accused of causing my children’s illness because I don’t feed them “normal” food. Anyway, it is hard enough to realize that doctors and pharmaceuticals ruined my health, but watching my children suffer and knowing they might deal with health issues most of their life… It is just heartbreaking. How I just wish I knew more back then.
The WAPF has an article about subclinical B6 deficiency. Birth control pills are strongly linked to this deficiency. Keep in mind, there is almost never just one B vitamin deficiency. Yikes. What if a host of our health problems started because we started popping pills like candy in high school? Drug companies feel the push and send out the quack patrol to quiet anything standing in the way of big money. Don’t think for a second that anything chemical or synthetic has “helped” anyone when all things chemical and synthetic helped that person down a road to bad health in the first place.
I’m sorry, but this post is completely one-sided. Oral contraceptives have been around since 1960. Study after study has continuously shown the long term use of the pills is not harmful and they provide therapeutic effects. It’s organic food eating, anti-pharmaceuticals, pro-vegan, pro-raw, pro-life, stay-at-home-throw-away-your-college-education-moms who come up with this propaganda all to reinforce your non-substantiated post.
Hi Christy, I happen to have a Master’s Degree from an Ivy League college. It seems the only studies you are reading and the only information you are letting into your little box of ideas are the skewed, fudged, pharmaceutical company paid for propaganda masquerading as legitimate studies. Get out of your box girl! You’re going to suffocate in there!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Mother Gets 8-10 Years for Withholding Chemo Meds
Oh, and I eat meat too. Don’t you just love folks who live in a world of generalities?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Mother Gets 8-10 Years for Withholding Chemo Meds
Christy ~ I’m a humanist, pro-choice, meat eating domestic engineer and I think the pill is the worst thing women can do to their bodies. I was on the pill in my early twenties and it caused all kinds of issues.
Wow, this is frightening, but good to know!
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Do have recommendations to naturally heal ovarian cysts? My daughter has been on the pill or a patch due to cysts, pain and abnormal monthly cycles. I am new to all of this and want to be able to give her an informed and educated naturally healthy answer.
Sarah, I was not on birth control pills but my question is related to my gut imbalance – If it is passed on to my children should they be taking probiotics? I plan to do the GAPS diet soon to heal my gut but now that they are already born what can I do for them? I can’t put a 7 month old and a 4 year old on the GAPS diet, right? That sounds weird to me! I can do the GAPS diet for myself but what can I do for them so they won’t have problems when they grow up?????
They will have the same predispositions that you have typically. Teaching them to eat right and to include raw and lactofermented foods in their diet on a regular basis will keep them from suffering from similar problems later. Gut balance is something that requires daily work… it’s not something you achieve with a probiotic for a few weeks and then forget about it. It can’t be “fixed” permanently. the gut is balanced and then maintained through healthy diet and lifestyle.
Hi! I took the pill for several years and stopped as soon as I noticed my digestion changing… and I went to a naturopath and an acupuncturist to recover from it before having children. That was a great help and I could carry my twins with no problems.
And I think that the pill can be a solution for some years in a woman’s life, all depending on how catastrophic a pregnancy would be in her life… Yes, they are some dangers related to it’s use and they are not well know and communicated by doctors, but once a woman is informed, she can make an informed choice, and, if she choses the pill, get off it early before having children, learn her cycles and refill her body with all nutriments before being pregnant.
I used to take the pill. That was what everyone did. My periods were very frequent which annoyed me a great deal – I was bleeding for 7 days, then 7 days off, then another 7 days of bleeding – and so on. I went to different doctors for advice about alternative methods of contraception, but the only thing they suggested was implant or intrauterine device (which consists of the same hormones anyway). When I asked about a ‘natural’ method, they only knew of one – the Rhythm method which I knew didn’t work. I was also worried about the relation between the Pill and cancer. When I asked about it, doctors usually took out their big book of drug side effects and read from it that there was nothing to prove that Pill may contribute to cancer (!)
So I did my research and discovered Fertility Awareness Method (there is a book about it by Toni Weschler). That was a revelation to me. I felt so happy to be able to stop the Pill.
But for a few months after stopping the Pill I had periods with very short luteal phase which is not normal and especially problematic if you are trying for a baby. Luckily, I found a remedy for it – agnus castus (chaste tree) capsules – they worked miracles in rebalancing my hormones. I recommend them for any woman going off the pill. Nettle and dandelion tea is also useful because it helps the detoxification so your liver can get rid of the excessive hormones brought into your body by the Pill (taking the Pill strains your liver because it has to deal with the extra toxins coming from the Pill).
I recognize there side effects woman can experience while on the pill, but the post’s conspicuous lack of suggestions of other birth control options is a bit of a concern and makes me wonder if there is another agenda here–especially considering the author’s attack on condoms, too. There is also a lot of talk in the comments about using natural family planning which assumes the only reason women take oral contraceptives is to avoid pregnancy. There is no discussion at all about the options for woman whose menstrual problems are so severe they are actually physically debilitating and/or socially or economically limiting. Nor has there been much discussion about woman who face serious health risks from pregnancy.
I agree that the traditional medical community does not always give patients all the facts they need to make an informed decision, and I do think it would be best for women to be well-informed about all their contraceptive options including all the risks and benefits. However, I think there is a lot of painting with a very broad brush. I’m not a big fan of oral contraceptives, but I do think there are some circumstances where the therapeutic benefits outweigh the risks.
This is overwhelming and makes me feel guilty and awful, because I, like most other women my age, spend years on the pill. But…information is power, and I am glad I have this information now.
My first daughter is surprisingly healthy considering everything I did “wrong” before she was conceived, during pregnancy, and during breastfeeding. I guess I lucked out and I am grateful, or maybe she will have problems of some sort later in her life.
My second child, born over 5 years after the first, was conceived in a “clean” and healed body, given WAPF foods in utero and via breastmilk and as first foods. She has actually been sick more often than my older daughter and has a less robust immune system, although she has been more physically robust (bigger, stronger) and has wonderful spacing in her teeth and excellent facial structure.
I think the reason my youngest has been more susceptible to illness is that I had postpartum depression and this caused a lot of stress and negative energy in our lives. With my first child, I was happy and relaxed postpartum.
So I’ve learned that I can’t control everything and that some things are left up to chance, and that with the rest, I can do my best and forgive myself for what I didn’t or couldn’t do.
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Please don’t feel guilty. We have all been duped by the conventional medical paradigm at one time or another. All we can do is learn and grow as time goes on and do the best we can with what we know to be true at the moment.
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I am 31, and I went off the pill about 6 years ago, after being on I from age 16. We have been trying to get pregnant since I went off the pill, and have been unsuccessful. I have done charting, ovulation tests, diet & exercise and have finally turned to IVF. I was not 100% comfortable with hormone injections and pumping my body full of chemicals, but we were told that because the issue is my husband’s and not mine, that the IVF was our best choice. However, on top of all the injections and other drugs, they put me on the pill for a full cycle before the IVF cycle. I am listless, fatigued, grouchy and have zero sex drive. When I complained they told me that it is necessary to “reset” my cycle in preparation for the IVF cycle. I am very frustrated and now I’m more worried about having to be on and off the pill. Is there any way to counteract the negative effects of the pill, while on the pill? I don’t want us to go through all of this, to produce a child who is unhealthy and unhappy because of my choices.
Jamie, I am so sorry for all of the trouble you have been through. You and your husband do need to make the decision that is best for you. You said that you tried charting- which method did you use? The Billings Ovulation Method shows you much more than just ovulation time, it shows hormone levels and if healthy eggs have been released, etc. Other methods are fine for basic fertility management, but when it comes to really getting an idea of what is going on in your system, Billings outshines them all.
I am a certified Billings teacher, and have done extensive research on the effect of the Pill on future fertility. Giving the Pill to “reset the system,” really doesn’t change what your body is doing. The artificial hormones give the appearance of a “reset,” but if there is an underlying problem, it remains and can be an issue when trying to achieve pregnancy- even using IVF. There are so many variables, and I don’t know all the details of your situation, but I would love to dialogue with you and help if I can. Please feel free to email me at kputnam@nfptulsa.com or visit our website http://www.nfpaware.com. We do web conferences all the time.
I will leave you with this: In a 5 year study, concluded in 2003, 207 “subfertile” couples (had been trying for 15 months without success) used the Billings Method to try and achieve pregnancy. 65% of them achieved pregnancy within an average of 4 months. 17 couples had tried IVF and it had failed. 7 of these achieved naturally with Billings.
Like I said, you need to make the decision that is best for you. But I would love to talk about your options using Billings. You may be able to avoid much of this craziness and create a more healthy you in the process!
Kristin Putnam\’s last post: Contraceptives Does Not Equal Women’s Health
Found this very interesting: http://t.co/LgUBvZo2 http://t.co/cSqitPtn
How “The Pill” Can Harm Your Future Child’s Health — The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/K9D5anEj
I have recently found your blog, and I am VERY thankful that there is someone out there dedicated to finding the truth. I took birth control during my late teens and very early twenties, and eventually gave it up because it just didn’t feel right.I eventually developed PCOS, and I am not entirely sure that it wasn’t the birth control triggered this, in addition to a VERY poor diet. After reading this blog, I am even more convinced that my body was telling me the right thing to stay away from the pill. My brother is allergic to milk (like, deathly allergic) and I now believe that I am intolerant of almost all grains (except for rice, in small amounts). My family thinks I am a zealot about healthy eating and staying away from commercially produced food and conventional medicine. I actually got into an argument with my father over a flu shot. I told him that I am healthy enough now that it would be hard for me to get the flu. He himself has type 2 diabetes… go figure. But anyway, thank you for your honest blog and commitment to true health.
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Sarah,
Do you know if the same holds true for other methods of hormonal birth control? I currently use the Mirena IUD, and am planning on making the switch to the Paragard in a year and a half.
Thank you.
Hi Sarah,
I wanted to let you know some of your links are broken: Gut and Psychology Syndrome leads to the Amazon page of the wrong book, and the Mineral Primer link goes to a blank page for me. Also, I can’t seem to find the correct page on the March of Dimes website where they talk about this (I’m looking under pregnancy complications, but don’t see anything about this post’s topic).
Thanks for updating the links when you get a chance!
Hi – just wanting to ask a question. I take the pill, because for me it is the best option. I appreciate knowing everything that’s been said, but as a doctoral student my life is stressful enough without charting or pregnancy! I simply don’t have the energy, the commitment or want the responsibility. Anyway, so a few of my friends at uni have had the arm implant recently: the one that releases hormones into your bloodstream that way. I was wondering: would this be better for your gut than oral contraception? I have IBS, triggered by a stomach bug that I never properly healed (I was 21.. I was doing everything badly!) which I’m healing with low grains, high good fats etc. I just thought that if it’s not directly in your gut it might be less negative, and I think I heard the levels of hormone in your body are lower since it doesn’t have to compensate for irregular digestion since it’s already in your bloodstream.
Anyone know anything? Thanks lots
I have some questions and hope someone can help me out! I just found out about the GAPS diet and it sounds a lot like mine and DH’s family. We have a history of depression, anemina, schizophrenia, allergies, asthma, eczema, ADHD, learning disabilities, IBS, eating disorders etc. etc. I made the mistake of taking the pill for 2 years, and our DD was conceived 4 months after I stopped.
I feel a lot healthier now than I used to (we are changing over to a Nourishing Traditions diet). DD is 5 months old and healthy (no vaccinations) although she does have mild colic/reflux/gas. My stools, as you described in an earlier comment, are normal. Would the GAPS diet still be beneficial? I’d really like to try it but DD is exclusively BF and we are also TTC #2 as we’d really like our first two children to be close in age. So when should I start the GAPS diet??? I’d really like our children to have a healthy start but also want our first two children about 1.5 years apart. Maybe I’d have to wait until #2 is older, and then wait to TTC #3? If you have any info or suggestions regarding GAPS while BF or PG that would be great (I also had Hypermesis during pg #1 so don’t know if going on a special diet while pg would be a good idea?)
Hi Sarah
I’m VERY thankful for info. I found your blog is very useful since tt is difficult to obtain much information about side effects and I wish I’d known about the dangers of pills earlier when i was taking it… Because there is no way of knowing if any particular problem is actually a side effect of that, only vague information is available about side effects of birth control pills. The prescribing information for all birth control pills simply lists side effects seen with birth control pills in general, instead of side effects for a specific product. Specific side effect information, such as how frequently they occur or the effect in a long run, is not provided…thanks again!
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Thank you for the information! I have done extensive research into the Pill’s effects on the reproductive system, but this is the first I have heard of this issue. If your readers are still wanting to plan their family size but want to stay away from the Pill, tell them to check out the Billings Ovulation Method. It has been researched for over 50 years, published in medical journals, and is supported by data from nearly 1 million biological tests. It is 99.5% effective in postponing pregnancy, and highly effective at helping couples achieve pregnancy even if they have been labeled “sub-fertile.” Unlike “Taking charge of Your Fertility” (which is informative), the personal instruction associated with Billings gives users optimum chance for success. Every woman is so different that having a certified teacher can help them interpret charts correctly until they are fully confident and competent using the method. Billings is much more than knowing if you would achieve pregnancy on any given day, but it can also be used to track a woman’s reproductive health. Because of the extensive research, a woman’s chart becomes a biological test of it’s own. We can track hormone levels, vitamin deficiencies, and early detection of potentially serious problems. Please visit http://www.nfpaware.com for more info!
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