Berkeley Parents Network: The Pill

Berkeley Parents Network

The Pill

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Parenting, Families, & the Community > The Pill

Birth Control Pill- Yasmin

March 2006

Does anyone have experience with the ''new'' birth control pill, Yasmin? I've had hormonal imbalance issues (PCOS) since puberty, and BC pills in the past(13+ yrs ago) made the depression and weight gain worse. My gynecologist insists that Yasmin is much better than the older pills, but I'd like to know more. I've worked hard to balance my hormones naturally, but it's been a challenge since my daughter was born 3 years ago, so I'm actually considering Yasmin. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, especially the effects on weight gain, depression, acne, and PMS. dawn

I have been using Yasmin for a year or so, and I am happy with it. My OB GYN doctor prescribed me for hormon inbalance treatment.

First week was a bit difficult. I had stomach upset and nausea. It was not very serious, so I was able to live with it.

In terms of weight gain, I gained 2 lb since I started, but I am not sure if it comes from my age ( I am 36 years old) or from Yasmin. Acne was my big issue before I started but not any more. My skin looks very good now and one of my friends even asked me why my skin looks so good!

I also feel less tired and more energy. I had have very hard time to get up in the morning. So depression is not the problem for me.

If you want to know more, I will be happy to respond. rie

since you last used birth control pills 13+ yrs ago, they have gone way down on the dosages for the estrogens from 100mcg to 35 mcg (3fold down) and there are even 20 mcg estrogen birth control pills though you have to be more ''religious'' about taking those on time. A lot of women like Yasmin b/c it has a diuretic effect and helps with bloating. though most low-dose birth control pills (35mcg or less) should work to treat PMS and acne. depression - not sure of the effects, each person is different and it depends on the progesterone component.

for weight gain, studies have shown that women on the pill lose on average 1 pound not 1pound/day a week, etc. but just 1 pound total, b/c on the pill they don't bloat up.

give the pills a try again, it might make your world a better place. Sophia, pediatrician specializing in teens and prescribing lots of birth control

Going Off The Pill to get pregnant

Dec 2002

After months and months of thinking about having a second child, I'm rather suddenly ready to take the plunge. The only problem is that at my regular check-up earlier this year, my OB said to wait until I had got my period twice on my own after stopping the pill. Since I just started a new cycle of pills a few days ago, this means waiting (at best) three months to start trying. But about four years ago, when we were first starting to talk about having kids, I asked my doc (a GP) if I needed to wait a while after stopping the pill and he said no. What's the truth? Is it just a matter of each doctor's personal opinion with no conclusive evidence either way? For those who advocate waiting a few months, what are the reasons ? Is it simply easier to get pregnant if you wait (in which case I'll take my chances), or is it a matter of possibly harming the baby? A friend said she thought that you produce more eggs when you go off the pill, so not waiting would increase the chances of twins. (Eeek!) Can anyone debunk some of these myths for me? Finally ready for #2

You do NOT need to wait before trying to conceive. Many doctors recommend a wait of two or three months, but the only real reason for this is to determine the length of your cycle, so that once you become pregnant it is easy to figure out the conception date (how far along you are). Whereas, if you haven't had a period between going off the pill and getting pregnant, and you weren't charting ovulation signs, you'll need an early ultrasound to date the pregnancy -- which is not that big a deal.

One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that it is absolutely crucial to take folic acid. The pill tends to deplete this vitamin and your chances of a baby with brain/spine deformities is high if you aren't getting enough of it at the time you conceive. By the time you figure out that you're pregnant it could be too late, so start taking a supplement (either a separate one or as part of a prenatal multivitamin) pronto. It's often recommended to take that supplement for a couple of months before you begin trying to conceive, and that *is* a good reason to wait. Holly

I'm not an MD, but what I understood from my OB-gyn when I was in your position is that the only reason to wait 'until you have a ''natural'' period is so that the pregnancy can be dated easily .Also, it is easier to figure out when you are ovulating. However, it seems that is is very easy these days to date the pregnancy by early ultrasound and the OBgyn will probably do this anyways to confirm that you have your dates correct. And ovulation can easily be figured out by ovulation kits.

Also, from what I understand, it isn't necessary to finish a cycle of pills just because you have already taken a few--you can stop anytime. -been there

My husband and I are trying to have a baby for the 1st time and my husband asked his Dr. (male) about going off the pill and he told us that we didn't need to wait at all. I discusses this with my OBGYN and she told me to wait 3 months as many tests/research etc, has shown that there are more miscarriages from not waiting, and some Dr.'s have their own opinions. She said to go through 3 periods before we started. (I believe there is something with the lining of the uterus not being able to accommodate the egg once it is fertilized, which can cause a miscarriage. I would contact your OBGYN and ask them about it.) Also wouldn't you want to be in the best possible shape 1st before getting pregnant so that no harm would come to your baby? And when you think about it, is waiting 3 months too much when you consider your child's whole future? Hope this info helps and good luck.... Suzanna

Here's what I was told by my doctor's office when I went off the pill to get pregnant: while you were on the pill, the synthetic hormones it contained regulated your menstrual cycle by causing your lining to build and then shed each month. Once you go off the pill, your own body has to reassume this responsibility. In order to maintain a pregnancy, the lining in your uterus has to be sufficiently robust to hold and nurture the egg. If your body has just resumed this responsibility, it's possible that for the first few months, the lining may be too thin, which can raise the risk of miscarriage. Thus, while it's possible to get pregnant right away, by waiting three months you give your uterine lining time to practice building up again to an optimal level. anon.

Just to throw my own experience into the ring. I got pregnant one day off the pill. I had a trouble-free pregnancy (at 36) and have a beautiful healthy 3 yr old. So you never know about Mother Nature. Anon.

I went off the pill the second my husband said he was ready. I didn't wait to start trying and literally got pregnant within 3 weeks. My pregnancy was healthy and so was my baby. Luckily, I didn't wait, because the reason my husband said he was ready was because we were making a lot of money during the dotcom craze. 2 weeks after he said let's do it, we lost our biggest client, yahoo, and he said, maybe we should wait, I said it might be too late, and it was, I was already pregnant! We haven't had money since, but have a beautiful baby boy who fills our life with meaning! good luck. under the gun mama

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