Back in my day we only had the 28 day pop-a-pill packet. Every know side effect came my way. Heart palpatations, infections, cramps I never had before, rashes that looked like prickly heat running down my legs, maddening itch. My doctor said she would give me the lowest does possible. Was that even an option or was she lying to mr? I stopped taking them.
I went to the library to research. Funny, but not funny, my neighbor told me to use Nodick, said it works every time. I came to find out how Rhythm works, and it did. There's only a small window of opportunity in reality. Found that 2-3 day window and never went back to birth control pills. I did have to take my neighbor's advice though, for those couple days.
Agree - I didn't know about the rhythm method but it wasn't rocket science. Was only on the Pill for a couple of years (it made me overly emotional and it was hard on my marriage) and I knew pretty much the very day each of my kids was conceived. Trying to convince my 24 yr old daughter to get off of them. When she was struggling with horrible acne in her teens, I had natural strategies to help but asked the derm for one scrip of Bactrim just in case her skin "purged", to save her from scarring (as had happened to me). She looked at me with disgust and said "I would never give you an antibiotic 'just in case', you should just get her on birth control right away". I've had some of my worst medical experiences with dermatologists.
We have had countless OTC medications that would have put dermatologists, and many other specialists, out of business. Clearasil was one. Lay it heavy on a blemish before bed, and inflammation gone in the morning. Then spread like makeup as a coverup during the day. Repeat. I remember so many kids in high school with ravaged faces, mostly boys, that I guess, never knew about Clearasil. The minute you opened the tube and smelled it you knew it was medicine. They later changed the recipe, took out the healing ingredient, and it became worthless.
No evidence to support this theory but I believe the window is the same length of ones menstruation. I was 3 days and done. Most other women were 5-7 days. I think you proved my theory.
The gap between what's acknowledged in prescribing documents and what's actualy discussed in doctors' offices is staggering - I had no idea those Danish studies existed until years after discontinuing. The MHC research on mate selection particularly resonated since my own attraction patterns shifted noticeably post-pill in ways I couldn't explain at the time. This comprehensive breakdown of what manufacturers admit versus what remains unstudied should be required reading before any prescription.
One of my daughter's friends had a brain haemorrhage and died a few days later. She was 25. I suspect she was on the pill but cannot prove it. Thank you for a very interesting article. My daughters use rhythm methods I believe but one did have a coil for a while. Another dodgy option I think. I used a diaphragm successfully as did my mother.
You mention the woman's selection of partner because of effects of the pill on her sense of smell. But what about the other way around?
I've heard a lot of women complain that their husband lost interest in them after marriage, and this is often attributed to losing the "thrill of the chase".
But I wonder whether there is something more primal going on. For women who committed to their partner before they went on the pill, did they find that the partner (now husband) lost interest in them after they went on the pill? And if so, I wonder whether that was biochemical, or was it subconsciously because the husband knew she was avoiding conceiving his child, or even just knew that no pregnancy would result.
Back in my day we only had the 28 day pop-a-pill packet. Every know side effect came my way. Heart palpatations, infections, cramps I never had before, rashes that looked like prickly heat running down my legs, maddening itch. My doctor said she would give me the lowest does possible. Was that even an option or was she lying to mr? I stopped taking them.
I went to the library to research. Funny, but not funny, my neighbor told me to use Nodick, said it works every time. I came to find out how Rhythm works, and it did. There's only a small window of opportunity in reality. Found that 2-3 day window and never went back to birth control pills. I did have to take my neighbor's advice though, for those couple days.
Agree - I didn't know about the rhythm method but it wasn't rocket science. Was only on the Pill for a couple of years (it made me overly emotional and it was hard on my marriage) and I knew pretty much the very day each of my kids was conceived. Trying to convince my 24 yr old daughter to get off of them. When she was struggling with horrible acne in her teens, I had natural strategies to help but asked the derm for one scrip of Bactrim just in case her skin "purged", to save her from scarring (as had happened to me). She looked at me with disgust and said "I would never give you an antibiotic 'just in case', you should just get her on birth control right away". I've had some of my worst medical experiences with dermatologists.
We have had countless OTC medications that would have put dermatologists, and many other specialists, out of business. Clearasil was one. Lay it heavy on a blemish before bed, and inflammation gone in the morning. Then spread like makeup as a coverup during the day. Repeat. I remember so many kids in high school with ravaged faces, mostly boys, that I guess, never knew about Clearasil. The minute you opened the tube and smelled it you knew it was medicine. They later changed the recipe, took out the healing ingredient, and it became worthless.
My window of opportunity was at least 6 days but the Rhythm method worked beautifully during my fertile years.
No evidence to support this theory but I believe the window is the same length of ones menstruation. I was 3 days and done. Most other women were 5-7 days. I think you proved my theory.
Good theory.
For someone with cycles as irregular as mine were, rhythm method = celibacy or pregnancy. It really doesn't work for all of us.
Anything interfering with nature is unsustainable.
The gap between what's acknowledged in prescribing documents and what's actualy discussed in doctors' offices is staggering - I had no idea those Danish studies existed until years after discontinuing. The MHC research on mate selection particularly resonated since my own attraction patterns shifted noticeably post-pill in ways I couldn't explain at the time. This comprehensive breakdown of what manufacturers admit versus what remains unstudied should be required reading before any prescription.
One of my daughter's friends had a brain haemorrhage and died a few days later. She was 25. I suspect she was on the pill but cannot prove it. Thank you for a very interesting article. My daughters use rhythm methods I believe but one did have a coil for a while. Another dodgy option I think. I used a diaphragm successfully as did my mother.
Thank you!
You mention the woman's selection of partner because of effects of the pill on her sense of smell. But what about the other way around?
I've heard a lot of women complain that their husband lost interest in them after marriage, and this is often attributed to losing the "thrill of the chase".
But I wonder whether there is something more primal going on. For women who committed to their partner before they went on the pill, did they find that the partner (now husband) lost interest in them after they went on the pill? And if so, I wonder whether that was biochemical, or was it subconsciously because the husband knew she was avoiding conceiving his child, or even just knew that no pregnancy would result.
Blessings and appreciation from Sydney Australia.