I totally get that. I was on oral contraceptives for 10 years and also used to feel like the Pill made my skin clearer and my breasts larger and that therefore, this made me “better-looking." Going off of birth control gave me the opportunity to listen to my body and observe symptoms like my acne in order to treat the root cause. This turned out to be compromised digestion and a diet that wasn’t ideal for my body. I learned to reduce processed foods, and oils in particular, and limit my dairy consumption. Further, research has shown1 that the Pill can deplete the body of essential nutrients. By going off of it, feeding my body the nutrients it needs and supporting my digestion, I’ve helped improve the actual quality of my skin. Today, my complexion is not only clear, but brighter. I feel like I look healthier overall. Today, after giving my body time to reestablish a healthy cycle, I wear the same cup size that I did while I was on the birth control pill. In fact, during the second half of my natural cycle, when progesterone is the dominant hormone, my breasts actually feel fuller than they ever did on the birth control pill. Without a natural cycle, I find that women don’t experience the confidence and flirtatious energy of ovulation or the more reflective, internal nature of the luteal phase (the phase between ovulation and your period). Now that I’m off the hormones, I feel so much more clear, which is something that I’ve also heard from other women when they went off of their birth control. I’m also far more emotionally stable. Yes, my moods shift throughout the month, but I now know my cycle and what to expect as my hormones fluctuate. I’m happier — and what’s sexier than a happy woman? Another study found that the labia decrease in thickness and the clitoris can shrink after just three months on certain types of birth control pills. (Yikes!) Personally, sex is better off of the Pill. End of story. It takes some time for hormone levels and sexual response to fully rebound after the birth control pill, but once they do, let me tell you, you really have no idea what you’re missing. My body does crazy, sexy things that it simply was not capable of while I was on birth control. Plus, getting in tune with my cycle has helped me learn that I enjoy different things at different points in my cycle. A little bit of variety certainly never hurt anybody. Furthermore, I’ve found that the surge of hormones boost confidence and sociability (as well as sex drive). At ovulation, I am, dare I say, coquettish — which is something I never feel at other points of my cycle, nor did I ever experience anything like it on the Pill.
