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Last Updated:
Jan 3rd, 2010 - 00:09:53
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Question
I stopped the pill after being on it for 10 years. The first month, I had a 28 day cycle and a period. The second month, I had a 31 day cycle and a period. Here it is the third month and when my period was due, I started spotting which continued for 7 days. Then I started having cramping and heavier bleeding just like a normal period (which has been going for 4 days now). Could I expect to continue every cycle like this for a while? And why so many days of spotting before the heavy bleeding?
Answer
You are not the same person you were 10 years ago when you began the birth control pill: 1) you are 10 years older, and 2) your normal cycle has been suppressed for the past 10 years. It may take some time to return to normal, and for the two reasons I stated, it may not be the normal you are accustomed to. The bleeding the women becomes accustomed to on oral contraceptives is not a normal menstruation following ovulation, but a withdrawal bleed, usually lighter in intensity and shorter in duration than a normal menses. You do not describe the first couple "periods" coming off the pill, but if they too were light and brief, you may not have actually ovulated in the first couple cylces coming off the pill. And now you are experiencing an unusual bleeding pattern of spotting for a week prior to begining the more characteristic flow of menses. This unusual bleeding pattern may be reflecting abnormal hormonal patterns while your body is adjusting to the discontinuation of hormones. These patterns will usually settle into normal over the first 3-6 months coming off of the pill. You can learn to chart your cylce, if you are not already, to negotiate this period of adjustment. If it does not stabilize, you will want to consult a physician. The temptation might be to suppress the cycle once again, with oral contraceptives, but this neither diagnoses nor treats the cause of the unusual bleeding pattern. A doctor trained in NaProTechnology would have the skills and knowledge to assist you in identifying the cause of the abnormal bleeding pattern, if it does not normalize on its own soon.
Sheila St. John, CFCP, is a Certified Fertility Care Practitioner, actively teaching in hospital, parish, and private settings in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties since the early 1980’s.
She is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning.
© Copyright 2005 by CANFP
The information on this page and web site is for informational purposes only,
and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment by a physician.
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