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Last Updated:
Sep 10th, 2007 - 18:59:21
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Question
I was put on Ortho Tri Cyclen about 7 years ago (when I was 19) because my period had stopped due to too much exercising and weight loss. Now, seven years later I am at a healthy weight (5'8 and 137) and married. I stopped taking my pills so that I can spend some time regulating my cycle before we begin a family. What can I expect? My doctor (although she knows my history is not the same doc I went to at 19 years of age) says I should resume a fairly normal cycle since I am at a healthy weight. I guess I am just worried because the pill is what made my period come back 7 years ago...how do I know my body will do it without the pill?
Thanks,
Sharon
Answer
First off, the pill did not make your period come back. The pill gave you a sense of normalcy because you had bleeding on a regular, cyclical basis, but this bleeding was not a period (a characteristic bleeding episode which follows ovulation), but a withdrawal bleed responding to the monthly discontinuation of the hormones in the pill. This may seem like semantics, but I think it is important to understand the pill did not address or cure the problem (or "make your periods come back"), it simply created an artificial monthly bleed.
In effect, you are now going to remove this manipulation of the hormonal state of your body, and give it the opportunity to function normally on its own. If the cause of the anovulatory state you experienced as a teen is gone, then in all likelihood your body will gradually "step up to the plate" and establish a normal hormonal cycle, complete with ovulation and menstruation. If it does not, resuming the pill is not the answer since, as I explained, it will not make your body resume normal function, but suppress normal function.
You can observe your body return to normal, by learning to recognize and chart the signs produced by your body. In addition to menstruation, your body produces signs that tell you what is going on hormonally throughout the cycle. This can be used quite effectively to plan your family, avoiding a pregnancy or achieving pregnancy. If your body does not resume normal cycles, the information you gather will be invaluable in assisting a physician who is an expert in women's health to evaluate and treat you in a way which is cooperative, not suppressive, supporting your body's normal hormonal function. Experts to help you learn to chart your cycles in such a way, and physicians who can utilize this information should you need medical help establishing a normal hormonal state, can be found on our website.
Congratulations on establishing a healthy weight, on your marriage, and now on this step to establish hormonal health as well!
Sheila St. John
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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