high school health class failed us
What if, instead of teaching about the [super corrupt] US Dietary Guidelines, BMI as an indicator of health, and the “Obesity Crisis,” our schools actually teach useful information about health. Like teaching young women about their bodies and how to track their menstrual cycle through natural bodily indicators. If only we taught women that “period problems” are really manifestations of underlying hormonal imbalances. If only we educated and empowered women to make informed decisions related to their period problems. To investigate the symptoms further, digging deeper to uncover and address the root cause, rather than plastering a birth control pill over it like a Band-Aid and calling it good.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but for a long time I thought that the term “menstrual cycle” referred only to the week of a woman’s period. Little did I know, it’s what happens between periods that is of utmost importance and the keenest indicator of a woman’s health and hormonal balance. Thank God (literally) that the Catholic Church mandates an introductory course in Natural Family Planning (NFP) as part of the pre cana process. This one-hour course opened my eyes to see that the menstrual cycle is SO much more than PMS, cramps, acne, and a few days of bleeding. No. It’s the cornerstone of women’s health. And how the hell did it take me 25 years to begin to understand the body’s way of communicating hormonal imbalance through the menstrual cycle?!
Instead of teaching things like the MyPlate and warning teens of the climbing obesity rates in our country (which, in my experience, is one of the number one triggers for eating disorders in teenage girls as these teachings are misconstrued in their young minds triggering diet restrictions and an unhealthy relationship with the scale); what if we taught stuff that actually MATTERS?!
So many young women are prescribed birth control pills for irregular or painful periods or cystic acne. Exhibit A: 18-year-old preparing to head off to college. Throws up every month due to unbearable cramps. Terrified to live away from home in a dorm with the thought of the monthly torture. Hi, that was me. Little did I know, that horrendous pain I experienced every month was my body’s way of communicating that something was not right. Trying to shed light on an underlying hormonal imbalance. But, per the conventional medicine “standard of care” of the 21st century, my doctor wrote a prescription for hormonal birth control and sent me on my way. No questions asked.
Fast-forward 8 years later, I stopped taking my hormonal birth control. And I wish I were mentally and physically prepared for what was about to come. Weight gain. Cystic acne. Lots of crying. Moments of uncontrollable rage… Followed by more crying. I cried more tears in 2018 than I’ve cried in my entire life. I felt like I was spiraling out of control. Working with a fertility coach, she suspected low progesterone (a common side effect of coming off the pill) and advised me to allow 3 months for my hormones to stabilize.
After 7 months of complete hormone havoc without any signs of improvement, I asked my OB if she could test my progesterone. Her response? “We only test progesterone levels if you’re trying to get pregnant; otherwise there’s no reason to test because we wouldn’t treat it anyway.” Her advice was to keep riding it out, “eventually your hormones will stabilize.” I refused to accept this as my new normal and began to demand answers. I made an appointment with a specialist to rule out PCOS. They identified low progesterone… just as we suspected! But instead of writing it off, he prescribed a bioidentical progesterone hormone replacement. Now knowing what I was dealing with, I began doing my research. And so began my quest to balancing hormones through diet, lifestyle, and supplementation.
When our hormones are in disarray, we are so quick to simply label it as PMS. Hear me out… PMS IS NOT NORMAL! If you’re like me, you’ve spent 7 days each month (84 days or 23% of each year) living with symptoms you can control?!? It’s a problem that PMS and painful periods are so oversimplified and normalized. When in reality, it’s your body crying out, telling you that something is not operating correctly! It’s like a check engine light on a car… you wouldn’t just clear the code and keep driving your car without looking into the deeper issues, would you? No, you’d [hopefully] have it looked at. And sometimes get a second opinion! So tell me why we’re so quick to pop a few prescription pills on the daily and go on our merry way without taking the time to actually identify the root cause?
The year I spent struggling with these symptoms was enlightening journey. A journey of connecting to my health on a deeper level. Learning how to listen to my body, learning the signs and symptoms that alert me that something isn’t right. And gaining so many tools to pop into action when my body gives me these signs.
As much as Post Birth Control Syndrome feels like going through hell, I’m so incredibly grateful for the push I needed to learn more and get connected with my body on a deeper level. It is through my own experiences and immersing myself in this field of integrative and functional medicine that I found my niche – women’s health and hormones. I am so incredibly passionate about empowering women to take charge of their health in ways we’ve never been taught. Together, we can move mountains.
To all my sisters who have experienced or are experiencing Post Birth Control Syndrome, I’d love to hear your story. And to all of my sisters who are on the pill, and those preparing to transition off, I encourage you to reach out. You don’t have to go through it alone. I wish I had a support system through it all, and I’d love to be that for you!
XO, Jenny