Bye Bye Birth Control, Hello Complications!

My husband and I finally made the decision to start planning for a family, so naturally I kicked my birth control to the curb. I’d been on it since I was 18, and I was 33 when I went off of it, so I figured it would take a little time to get myself regulated.

Oh the ride I was in for — I had no idea what to expect!

Bye Bye Birth Control, Hello Complications!

My doctor told me as soon as I was off the pill I could get pregnant, so I needed to make sure we were, in fact, ready. She neglected to tell me about all the possible side effects of going off the pill.

About a month into my new pill-free life I thought I had appendicitis. An emergency room visit, scans, and many tests later, I was sent home for bad gas. Yeah, it was really fun explaining that story….however, the pain didn’t fully subside. The ultrasounds they performed were inconclusive due to the amount of gas in my abdomen and them not being able to see my ovaries.

I went to see an OBGYN (my old doc was back in Nebraska). There, I found out I “most likely” had an ovarian cyst that “most likely” ruptured, hence the intense pain. And guess what? This was all likely symptoms of going off the pill! I had no clue.

At about the 4-month mark I was looking to get my thyroid checked, because I couldn’t deal with how different I felt. My abdomen was distended, I’d gained weight, and I’d definitely lost my drive, energy, and overall felt rather depressed.

Once I started sharing my story, I had all of these friends tell me about their complications, as well. The majority of side effects they experienced were cysts, ruptures, pain, insane bloating, and overall not feeling like themselves for months. Thankfully, I started to feel better and back to myself. But seriously, share those stories gals, because even though we always hope our doctors tell us all of the information we need, a bunch can slip through the cracks!

Caitlin — Mother To Be