Birth Control Weight Gain: Can It Be Avoided?

Supposedly, science has proven that birth control does not make women gain weight. As a woman who began taking the pill without any dietary and exercise changes and suddenly gained 15 pounds, and then just as suddenly lost that weight when I ceased taking the pill, I must disagree. However, that doesn’t change that I have four kids, one of which is a newborn, and I do not want a fifth pregnancy right now. While I realize getting pregnant makes you gain more weight than any birth control, I still would prefer not be 15 pounds heavier. This left me with a question many women have, “Can birth control weight gain be avoided?”birth control weight gain

First, what might cause birth control weight gain?

Studies aside, birth control options such as the pill and the depo-shot contain hormones. Those hormones are going to affect every woman differently. Some women may lose weight, others may gain, and some may have no change at all.

This goes for any possible effect of hormonal imbalance, because if your hormone balance was normal for you prior to taking birth control, you imbalanced it by opting for hormone-based options. To support this, women who had a severe hormonal imbalance prior to pregnancy, such as that caused by PCOS, are those that usually lose weight on hormonal birth control, as they are “balanced” by the pill.

So, how can you avoid birth control weight gain?

Your only safe bet is to choose options that don’t rely on hormones to prevent pregnancy. This would include male and female condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms and other cervical shields, spermicides, and contraceptive sponges. You can also opt for natural planning methods, where you avoid sex while ovulating. However, this method’s effectiveness hinges on your ability to pinpoint when you’re fertile. None of these options have any chance of birth control weight gain.

Some IUDs also don’t implement hormones. Though some women report weight gain even with the non-hormonal IUD, so this would fall into a try-it-and-see category. I’ll also note that hormone options, such as the pill, mini-pill, patch, and vaginal ring, have different hormone balances. You may find that some hormone-based options don’t alter your weight, while others do. For example, I used the regular birth control pill without birth control weight gain, while the mini-pill did cause weight gain for me. Keep in mind that not all options are safe while breast feeding, and, as a side note, breast feeding does not prevent pregnancy.

I’m not saying it’s a fact that any method of birth control will make you gain weight, as noted studies actually disagree on this point. The above is simply a logic-based look at sure-fire no weight gain methods of preventing pregnancy and some explanation as to why others may.

You may also find useful:

Becoming Pregnant While on the Birth Control Pill

Brown Discharge Before Period

Brown discharge before a period is entirely normal and almost never cause for concern. In fact, period blood color or texture changes rarely are. Brown discharge in particular is a just result of older blood mixing with cervical mucus, but to ease your mind, let’s look at the most common causes of brown discharge before a period.

Causes of brown discharge before a period:

Ovulation: Sometimes ovulation will cause slight spotting which takes time to reach the vaginal opening resulting in it appearing brown by time it exits. Ovulation is normal in those who have hit puberty and occurs on average mid-cycle. Not all women experience ovulation spotting.

Hormonal imbalance: Hormonal imbalance, such as low progesterone, can cause spotting periodically throughout your cycle. Any cause of spotting or very light bleeding can result in brown discharge before a period. Minor hormonal imbalance is fairly normal as even small lifestyle changes in diet, activity level, sleep, stress, and more, can cause fluctuations.

Teens and those over 35 are also more prone to hormonal flux. These minor imbalances tend to resolve on their own. A difference in hormone levels from cycle to cycle is also normal. Continued imbalance or signs of a more severe imbalance (multiple missed cycles, very heavy periods, etc.) may require a visit to your care provider. Birth control or herbal options such as vitex may help balance hormones.

Implantation bleeding: When a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall sometimes a small amount of bleeding occurs which can present as brown discharge before a period. If you’ve had unprotected sex and pregnancy is possible, you can read more about telling implantation bleeding from spotting here.

Cervical or vaginal damage: Damage to the cervix or vaginal wall may also cause light bleeding. The cervix is located at the end of the vaginal canal and serves as an opening to the uterus. Sex or PAP smears can cause this sort of damage.

Infection: Certain infections, including yeast infections, bacterial vaginsosis, and sexually transmitted diseases, can cause inflammation to the cervix, which also causes bleeding. In this case, it’s likely you would see other symptoms as well such as odor, itching, or rash. Continuous brown discharge should be mentioned to your care provider.

Beginning or end of your menstrual cycle: Finally, depending on your personal hormone balance, your cycle may start or end slow with a day or two of light spotting before what’s considered a true flow. This light bleeding may appear brown or bright red, but is still entirely normal.

Hopefully one of the causes above clicks for you, and you have the relieving ah-hah-moment where you finally know what’s going on with your cycle. If not, we always welcome comments and questions here at Life with Gremlins. We do our best to respond to questions within 24 to 48 hours.

Bleeding After Taking Plan B: Common Questions

Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill, is an emergency contraceptive that if taken within 72 hours of an unprotected sexual act can help dramatically reduce the chance of pregnancy. However, chances are if you’re looking to learn about bleeding after taking Plan B you already know what it is because you’ve taken it.

Is bleeding after taking Plan B or emergency contraceptives normal?

bleeding after plan BYes, a little over 26 percent of all women that use a form of emergency contraception experience irregular periods afterward being early, late, lighter, or heavier than their normal cycle. You may also experience spotting and menstrual-cycle-like symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, fatigue, and headache.

Nausea is the most common side effect of plan B after irregular bleeding occurring in approximately 25 to 50 percent of all women depending on the particular pill taken. If any of your side effects are ongoing (beyond your next period) or become severe such as bleeding that requires sanitary changes every hour, consult a health care professional.

What causes bleeding after taking Plan B?

Emergency contraceptives work similarly to regular birth control pills except that they contain significantly higher doses of hormones. It’s because the majority of morning-after pills, and the most commonly used pill, Plan B, contain progesterone or are only progesterone that bleeding after taking emergency contraception is so common.

Progesterone is a hormone the body produces naturally to maintain the uterine lining and prevent ovulation. Normally, after ovulation, the rise of progesterone is signaled. If you become pregnant, progesterone levels continue to rise. If you don’t become pregnant, they drop, and this causes your period to begin. In essence, birth control uses progesterone to fake the body into believing it’s already pregnant to prevent ovulation (you don’t ovulate during pregnancy). High levels like those in Plan B will also thicken the uterine lining significantly, which would make implantation difficult.

As it’s a sudden drop in progesterone that usually causes your period,  the sudden drop when the dose from an emergency pill dissipates can cause bleeding. The introduction of progesterone outside of the body’s natural cycle also often causes a bit of hormonal imbalance which may lead to irregular spotting. Progesterone, being responsible for many common pregnancy symptoms, can likewise cause pregnancy-like symptoms outside of pregnancy along with bleeding.

Long story short: Hormonal imbalance.

When will my menstrual cycle return to normal after irregular bleeding caused by the morning-after pill?

In most cases, menstruation returns to normal the following month. In fact, you may even still have your regularly scheduled period even if you already had bleeding shortly after taking the morning-after pill. If menstruation continues to be irregular, consult a health care professional.

Can I get pregnant after taking Plan B?

Yes. Not only are Plan B and other emergency contraceptive pills not 100-percent effective, but when ovulation will continue after taking the pill is uncertain. The effectiveness of Plan B may also hinge on when in your cycle it was taken. If you don’t wish to become pregnant, you should continue a regular birth control method immediately. Do not use the morning-after pill as a regular form of birth control. They aren’t designed for frequent use. If you do wish to become pregnant, the use of Plan B will not prevent or affect future pregnancies.