hi there, this might or might not be unrelated to nbe but i'm wondering if anyone has advice.

3 months ago i stopped the bcp.
1st period was normal 28 days
2nd was 24 days (too short a cycle) - i was taking eve's pm this month.
3 cycle i stopped pm to get my hormones back on track and see. i got my period at 18 days.

so, my cycles are getting shorter!

i'm 36, healthy, active,i'm hoping to get pregnant around 37.

1) could this be the beginning of perimenopause ???? (i have no other symptoms...hot flashes, weight etc)

2) could it take a few months to get normal after being on the pill for a year?

3) could taking the pill, ntureday for a few months and then 1 month of pm, have totally whacked my hormonal balance???

i'm thinking of taking vitex to see if that helps.

any insights would be appreciated. i'm kind of freaked out! i feel waaay to young to be getting menopausal!! :(


thank you!

Hi Emily,

It is very possible that stopping the BCP alone could cause you to have this kind of cycle issue. Using the PM probably did not help and might have precipitated the short cycle.

What your short cycles might indicate is that you are not ovulating. It is not unusual to have trouble coming back to a normal cycle after BCP.

Give yourself time. Do not use any phytoestrogens right now. What BCP does is mimic pregnancy and continuing anything that would cause your estrogen level to be elevated would likely make your body think it is still pregnant.

The vitex idea may be a good one. It will take about 3 months to have an effect and another 3 to do you any good.

Prior to trying to get pregnant you should be off all hormones, herbs, etc for 6 months ideally and have been taking a prenatal vitamin for several months. This will ensure you will have a normal healthy hormone cycle and plenty of nutrition crucial for normal fetal development.

Best wishes,
waxingmoon

thank you waxingmoon!! also, i meant to say that i was taking 'bella's pm" not eve's. sorry if that didn't make sense.

i'm going to see my naturopath and take vitex in the meantime. will stay off nbe herbs and pm.
too bad..... but healthy hormones are more important that boobs to me right now.

thanks again!