Let's Chat About Birth Control.
Yep, I went there. This post is totally out of the norm for me, and I'm feeling a little vulnerable and weird talking about something so private out here on the internet for everyone to read, but since I'm such a fan of authenticity AND ethical/healthy alternatives to mainstream lifestyle/products, this post isn't really too far out there for me. Read on with an open mind, folks.
But before I get to the exciting part, I'll share a little back story.
Until last year, I had never been on any hormonal birth control before. Shocked? So are most people (not that I talk about my history with birth control with most people. That would be weird). The thought of "controlling" my natural cycle and hormones — which are already out of whack enough as it is, but that's a story for a later day — kind of freaked me out, honestly. The fact that it's the culturally accepted norm for women to be placed on "the pill" to control anything from cramps to pregnancy to acne to hormone levels is a bit ridiculous to me. (*Disclaimer: I totally get that SO many women use the pill to control serious issues or pain and that's great, NO judgement from me. I just don't love the way doctors prescribe it to cover up issues instead of addressing and fixing the heart of them*).
And so, I never went on it. Until last year when, honestly, the freedom of the pill was enticing. My husband and I both knew we didn't want another baby anytime soon (I was still breastfeeding our second daughter who is only 17 months old now....we can wait). So I went on a progesterone only pill that wasn't supposed to mess with my milk supply or really have any other side effects.
Except moodiness and weird periods and sleeplessness and an overall feeling that I just wasn't myself. And for someone who hadn't had my (already weird) hormones messed with before, both my husband and I knew that it had to be the birth control making these sudden changes in my mood, cycle and thought processes.
Taking that pill every morning felt wrong but I didn't really see any other way around it, if we didn't want to get pregnant.
Until I heard about Daysy.
I first heard about the brand from a fellow blogger (Savanna, you're awesome) and knew I needed to reach out to see what the hype was. It seemed too good to be true that I could go off the pill, know exactly where I'm at in my cycle AND be told whether or not I could get pregnant on any given day.
But that's exactly what Daysy does. It's simply a little thermometer (or "fertility tracker") that takes your basal temperature (or lowest body temperature) every morning before you get out of bed, tells you where you're at in your cycle, and lets you get on with your day.
It's hormone free, side effect free, and let's you have complete control over your body. I didn't necessarily have a horror story with birth control like some women do, but that thought alone was enough for me to make the switch. I reached out to Daysy thinking that I probably wouldn't hear back, but sure enough, they were willing to collaborate if I was willing to share my story (which I always am ;).
It's been about a month since making the switch, and though not having the "security" of birth control was a little bit scary, it's actually so empowering and freeing to know that my body is doing it's thing on it's own, and that I can work with it to prevent (or plan, if that's where I'm at one day) pregnancy.
Stay tuned, because in a few months, I'll be sharing a follow up story once my little thermometer (which has it's own app packed with features that helps you get to know your own cycle even better) knows my cycle to a tee.
Is birth control-related drama something you can relate to? I'd love to hear where you're all at as well. I can't be the only one getting vulnerable here ;)
