This is the first post in a series of Client Stories. For some time I’ve had a strong desire to let my clients share their stories in their own words and it’s all really beautiful! This story is by Laura M. Enjoy!!
It was in January that I decided to get off the pill. I somehow started getting messages from my Body to ditch the pill and after a few months of thinking and doubting I decided to “go natural”. By then I had been on the pill twice, and this time for 2 years.
My pill story is probably similar to that of many others – I was put on it to “regulate my hormones” and to get my acne under control in my early twenties. We got the acne part under control, but at the same time we over-regulated my hormones so that my Body temporarily forgot what to do and took a break from getting a period. The past 9 months have been a period-limbo, but at the same time it has taught me a few valuable life lessons, has brought many amazing women into my life and has transformed the relationship with myself and my Body.
As my first time getting off the pill was easy and painless, I assumed the second time would be as well. I didn’t, of course, consider the fact that this time I am in my early thirties and it changes the game quite a bit. I freaked out big time when I didn’t get my period around day 28. I freaked out even more when the second month passed by and there was still no sign of a period. I started losing hair, developed digestive issues and nasty bloating, and I didn’t realize it was all pill-related. I made radical changes in my diet, though I was already healthy. I was off gluten, dairy and coffee, low on sugar, made my own food from scratch and was really careful about what I put into my Body.
When the third month passed by, I started cursing doctors, pharmaceuticals and myself. I felt like a lower-class woman for not getting my period and I was literally jealous when my friends complained about PMS. It’s amazing how easy it is to lose your identity because of a missing period (then again, I am a bit of a drama queen and tend to overanalyze). Then I made peace with my reality, had a conversation with my ovaries, made a pact with the Universe and decided to trust my Body and give her the time she needed to adjust. She needed 3.5 months the first time, a little bit less than 3 months the second time (progress!!) and we are now on day 30 and waiting again. I have actually learned to cope with the waiting, so I decided to take it as a lesson of patience. Getting my first post-pill period was a celebration, celebration of Life and Womanhood (and I was one of those girls who used to think of a period as a curse that we have to deal with every month. Today my period mantra is: flow is the new glow!).
In between I found Nicole through an online summit, sent her an email, fell for her energy and started her Fix Your Period program. I saw light at the end of the tunnel and I felt the support that I so desperately needed. Nicole for sure touches lives and reminds you to celebrate yourself and your Body, something that I think we have forgotten.
I have learned so much about myself and my Body ever since I started the program. I have radically redefined health and nutrition for myself, and I now see a clear connection between food and fertility. I found an amazing community of incredible women that are on the same path. It still amazes me how much support and wisdom you can find in a virtual community and how easily you can connect with women from the other side of the world (I used to be a huge skeptic of those support groups by the way).
The best part is that I have developed a dialogue with my Body and I have learned to pay attention to her messages. I now know how she reacts to food and why she sometimes craves crap and junk. I also see the connection between the food I eat and my emotions, and I can clearly feel how sugar messes up my brain chemistry. Those have been my major a-ha moments.
I have radically cleaned up not only my diet, but my life in general. I’ve got rid of toxic cosmetics and I took it a step further and got rid of some toxic people as well. I have always struggled with putting myself first, but I feel there has been a huge shift. I now take play-time for myself, I spend more time on doing things that make me happy and alive, and I am finally following the passion in life. I started taking a course in design, something I’ve been wanting to do for the last few years but never got myself to it.
I also realized what an important role I’ve given to stress in my life. I got honest with myself and finally admitted that most of the stress came from a soul-sucking job I had. Yes, I did take a leap of faith and quit, and a week later got my second post-pill period. Hallelujah! And no, I don’t think it was a coincidence. I am convinced there is a mind-body connection, and if you are stuck in a dark place (whether it is a soul-sucking job, a crappy relationship or you are just off course), your Body will eventually shut herself down to get your attention.
So, all in all I am grateful to those limbo-months and to the lesson that is behind it all. It’s been a stressful 9 months of constant waiting, but at the same time it has been an opportunity to get in touch with myself and the woman inside.
Would you like to share your period story? If so, get in touch:
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0 thoughts on “Client Stories – Redefining life and womanhood”
I have a lot of luck using a herb called vitex chasteberry (agnus castus). I take it in tablet form and it’s completely natural and helps to regulate your hormones coming off the pill. The first time I went off the pill it took 6 months to get my first period and my skin broke out so badly I went straight back on the pill for a few more years. This time I started taking vitex the day I went off the pill and I am 9 months in and have had 7 periods and no breakouts.
Lauren, thank you for sharing what has worked for you. Vitex/Chaste Berry can indeed be very effective for women who have come off the pill and are trying to balance their hormones and bring on their periods. 🙂