Quickie guide to birth control and hormones

If you’ve ever wondered how hormones and birth control could affect your body, this quickie guide should clear things up. After all, it’s good for you to know which birth control methods have hormones and it’s also important to know that not all hormonal methods are the same.

• Hormones 101. Start here if you want an easy-to-understand Bedsider primer all about hormones. You have options when it comes to hormonal birth control—we’ll explain what the differences are between them. You’ll also learn about normal hormone levels and how hormones affect mood.

• How natural are hormones in birth control? Hormones in birth control are similar to a woman’s natural hormones, so they’re not exactly unnatural in the way that many people think. If you’re curious about which methods are hormonal, here’s a list of every single method and whether it’s hormone-free or not.

• Don’t give up. It can take 3 to 6 months for the body to adjust to a new method, so give it time. And if you know for sure that one kind of hormonal birth control isn’t for you, others might work better with your body, so talk to a health care professional or visit a health center to discuss your options.

• After you have a baby. Your body goes through a lot of changes when you give birth. There are some hormonal methods you shouldn’t use at that time and some that are great to use right after the baby’s arrival. Here’s a guide to the best postpartum methods.

• Medical conditions. Migraines, high blood pressure, and blood clots are just a few medical conditions that don’t mix well with certain types of birth control. Here’s a guide to the best methods for various health concerns.

• Ovarian cysts. Here’s a list of hormonal birth control methods that may actually help prevent ovarian cysts.

• Period pain. Here’s a list of hormonal birth control that can help you manage painful periods.

• Weight gain. Here’s what you need to know about hormonal birth control and whether or not it causes weight gain.

• Hormone imbalance. Don’t ignore it. There are many things that can throw your hormones out of balance as you age. If you think this might be happening to you, here are 9 signs that may indicate a hormone imbalance.

• Protecting the environment. If you’re concerned about how hormonal birth control might impact the environment, here’s a guide to green birth control.

The most important thing to remember is this: Hormones probably aren’t as bad as you think, but if they don’t work for you, you’ve got other options. And we’ll be here to help you navigate them.

XOXO,
Bedsider

P.S. Got more questions about birth control? We’ve got easy-to-look up answers for every method and a variety of topics, like benefits and effectiveness.