Periods - it’s time to talk about them!
Thinking about periods just brings me back to those junior high days, sneaking tampons or pads into your pocket or waistband being as sneaky as you possibly can be. And the funny thing is, as I analyze adulthood not much has changed. I still feel a sense of embarrassment buying tampons at the grocery store. Why is women’s health so embarrassing? Your period is a cardinal sign of health. Something all women should get. Yet, as a society we hide it. We medicate it. And we do everything we can to get rid of it.
For a couple years of my life, I stopped getting my period. Becoming a bit concerned, I talked to my OBGYN and she brushed it off. Her reasoning being that I was on a hormonal birth control pill, and even though I went from getting my period to not…she blamed me getting older. “You’re not the same age as you where when you started taking it, so things aren’t supposed to be the same.” That didn’t feel right. So, I took my health into my own hands and started reading.
The first book I read was “Beyond the Pill” by Dr. Jolene Brighten. Now this book really got me thinking. Dr. Brighten educates on the negative side of birth control. What it’s really doing and what we can do to negate the negative sides of it. I read this book with a light heart, as I was not in a phase trying to scare myself with all the negative side effects. I used this information to assist me as I entered this phase of life as an educational journey.
The second book I read, and that I am absolutely obsessed with, is “Period Repair Manual” by Laura Briden, ND. I’ve read this book cover to cover and now use it frequently, checking the index to direct my attention. Laura Briden goes over it all. The main message I got from her book is that a period is a monthly report card. It should come monthly without symptoms. Severe cramps that have become normalized in the media, are a sign something is imbalanced and should be addressed. She covers it all.
After doing my research, I felt confident to stop taking hormonal birth control. I used Dr. Brightens information on what supplements and nutritional support I needed and Lara Briden’s information to diagnose my symptoms. I did go back to my OBGYN, who when I said I stopped birth control and didn’t get my cycle (within 6 weeks) she immediately looked concerned. I was sent for multiple blood tests. This concern was so frustrating! Why didn’t she listen to me before? But that would get my on a full other healthcare tangent, so moving on I will share by week 7 I got it. Phew! What a relief. Now I’m in a phase where I want to be proud to have my period and use it to help me check my health.
Does anyone else have a similar story? Where are you in terms of your period and can you feel comfortable talking about it?
