Hello, Emotionally hot topic alert…. Birth Control.
No matter what your beliefs on this topic are, I did want to share some updates, choices, and solutions that are somewhat out of the medical norms.
First, off teens, many have cramps and acne. This can be extremely painful and also affect mood and self-confidence. Medically they are placed on birth control to provide solutions for both and then also of course cover any teenage pregnancy concerns. However, there are two large issues that often are not discussed before the prescription is written. Some women have the genetic markers that ANY synthetic estrogen will turn on cancer genes, and now it is just a time bomb waiting to go off. This is testable, but many docs either don’t know about it or turn a blind eye and then say we don’t know why BC leads to female cancers, because they perceive that they don’t have any other viable solutions for you as a patient. The second main issue is what it actually does to the brain, Sarah E Hill, a professor of social psychology wrote a book called How the Pill Changes Everything: Your Brain on Birth Control , in this, she states how oral contraceptives are affecting women’s thinking, emotions, and behavior. Not only are the incidences of depression higher, but now there is evidence that BC alters a women’s attraction to their potential partners, but since they don’t come off the pill until they are ready to have children, when their brain returns to their pre-pill normal they find they are no longer attracted in any way to their spouse, leading to divorce. EEP. This really isn’t good, we all know the devastation that can occur to families, children, and loves ones through a divorce.
So what to do? Well, for cramps the first step is to stop commercial tampons, these are loaded with bleach and roundup (yep, the weedkiller) and your body in its wisdom wants it OUT- hence the cramps. Look at organic tampons, menstrual cups, period panties, and organic pads as an alternative. Secondly, look at using Endoflex on the abdomen daily, this lovely combination is absolutely a jewel in helping restore balance to our endocrine system. Also, our CBD Muscle Rub for emergencies is another fantastic tool, Just a LITTLE dab works, which means this jar can last MONTHS! The next trick to eliminating cramps also includes acne!
Acne – GET RID OF ALL WHEAT PRODUCTS! Need to more about this and why? Check out my blog HERE for more info! This is absolute for anyone looking to restore their health! Clean the gut, clean the skin, also we must look at environmental toxins as a potential issue with our health! Looking at the products we are using, not only for cleansing but also for moisturizer and makeup. Another HUGE reason I chose Young Living, their Art Skin Care system is perfect for skin types, and their makeup is on point! I have also heard of great testimonies of putting the Endoflex on blemishes and seeing a clearer complexion – love a two for one product!
Now on to those who are in relationships and absolutely agree that now is not the right time for children, what are your options?
I am going to offer three alternatives that through research and knowledge have a very limited or no effect on a woman’s overall health (mental, physiological, you know all the things).
Rythem Method
Rhythm method or “counting your days.” There are two things that I would highly recommend you do if you’re going to choose this method. Number one, have an app that you can track both your days and your sexual activity on. There are some great ones free to download to your phone that alert you to potential ovulation days and when to avoid unprotected sex! I would also do at least two to four months of ovulation sticks. You literally pee on a stick, which tells you if you’re ovulating. By confirming ovulation is on the 14thish day of your cycle, it also ensures the app and your body are syncing. This also teaches you to know what ovulation feels like so that you know you. Then you take a week – three days before ovulation, one day of ovulation, three days after ovulation – you take those seven days off and use some other form of protection like a condom, diaphragm, or what I call the goop (more on these two in a min) There are also some necklaces you can hang on your bed if you are looking to get away from your phone but the big takeaway here is to have an outside physical source to track, so you’re not relying on your brain and memory that get super foggy when the hormones kick in and passion is high!
Copper IUD
Then the second choice is a copper IUD. This one is great because it is one and done for 11 years. Nothing to track, remember and it’s ready to go whenever you are. There are two options when we talk about IUD – Paraguard, and Mirena.
The Mirena has hormones and will give you many if not all the same issues that the pill will. The other is the copper IUD that contains no hormones and works by repelling the sperm so that no fertilization takes place. Now, the MD will bring up lots of problems when you ask for the copper IUD or Paraguard, let’s address them now!
This will make your cramps worse…..Some women are sensitive to copper which can make cramps heavier. I have found there are two products that limit those reactions greatly, and you must stay on one of them if you choose to do the copper IUD. Those are Standard Processes Spanish Black Radish and/or Young Living Sulfurzyme. Both help negate the copper and keeps you healthy. The last option if you are having issues after having the copper IUD, is to take a blood test that measures the amount of copper in your body, and then you’ll immediately know if those symptomology is occurring because of that IUD. You simply get it removed. It’s no problem. The other beautiful thing about the IUD is there’s no effect on your fertility. So, the moment you pull it out, you can get pregnant immediately. And that’s super important for those of you that do want to have a baby, but you just don’t want to have the baby right now.
The second reason the Drs love the Mirena is that one has to be re-inserted every 3-5 years as opposed to every 7-11 (copper IUD), so there are fewer doctor visits and insertion reimbursements. Also the Mirena comes with an insertion tube so it is super easy to point, click, insert. The Paraguard takes training in insertion, so you actually have to find an OB that knows what they’re doing. Many OB are simply not trained in this and therefore degrade its effectiveness.
The Goop
The last option is the GOOP, not the real name, but it is a fun name and you can find more about it HERE. The research behind this is amazing. I personally would look to use this with a Diaphragm, but it is not required. This can also be used with your ovulation trackers for better accuracy!
As always what you choose to use for your protection is so highly personal to each of us! I am simply here to offer solutions that are rarely talked about so that you can be safe and take an active role when it is the right time to bring in a perfect soul earthside!