Discontinued Pill, now have Spotting and Heavy Bleeding
Question
I stopped the pill after being on it for ten years. The first month, I had a 28 day cycle and a period. The second month, I had a 31 day cycle and a period. Here it is the third month and when my period was due, I started spotting which continued for seven days. Then I started having cramping and heavier bleeding just like a normal period (which has been going for four days now). Could I expect to continue every cycle like this for a while? And why so many days of spotting before the heavy bleeding?
Answer
Last Updated: June 17, 2013
You are not the same person you were ten years ago when you began the birth control pill: 1) you are ten years older, and 2) your normal cycle has been suppressed for the past ten years. It may take some time to return to normal, and for the two reasons I stated, it may not be the normal you are accustomed to. The bleeding the women becomes accustomed to on oral contraceptives is not a normal menstruation following ovulation, but a withdrawal bleed, usually lighter in intensity and shorter in duration than a normal menses. You do not describe the first couple “periods” coming off the pill, but if they too were light and brief, you may not have actually ovulated in the first couple cycles coming off the pill. And now you are experiencing an unusual bleeding pattern of spotting for a week prior to beginning the more characteristic flow of menses. This unusual bleeding pattern may be reflecting abnormal hormonal patterns while your body is adjusting to the discontinuation of hormones. These patterns will usually settle into normal over the first three-six months coming off of the pill. You can learn to chart your cycle, if you are not already, to negotiate this period of adjustment. If it does not stabilize, you will want to consult a physician. The temptation might be to suppress the cycle once again, with oral contraceptives, but this neither diagnoses nor treats the cause of the unusual bleeding pattern. A doctor trained in NaProTechnology would have the skills and knowledge to assist you in identifying the cause of the abnormal bleeding pattern, if it does not normalize on its own soon.
Answered By:
Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning, coordinating the non-profit’s education and advocacy efforts throughout the state. Initially attracted to NFP as a healthy, effective method for planning families, drug, device and surgery free, her passion for NFP has grown over the last 42 years as she has journeyed with the over 900 couples she has personally instructed in its use, and been privileged to witness its role in overcoming infertility, women’s health, and the transformation that occurs in lives of men, women, and families, when we embrace God’s design for love and life.
