(poss TMI) Ovulation Bothering me and possible solutions.

[Toothlesss]

Ok- so as I wrote in the "What is it like to be agender/trans/..etc" thread- The only thing that actually annoys me about being AFAB is my period.

My options so far that I've researched-

1. Go to a good OBYN, get some form of birth control, but I'm wary about IUDs and what birth control can do to the human body. I don't want anything that will make my small breasts suddenly turn into D-cups (aka- how to actually give me dysphoria)

2.Let my period come once a month, when I'm never going to have sex or anything remotely close to wanting children.

3. Testosterone..but it's my least favorite option, because I don't mind my current AFAB body. (Would also involve gender therapy, and that's not something I'm up for at this time.)

[Finn.]

- Possibly TMI, I mean, it's menstruation talk -

Aren't there pills that you take everyday without a week break so you end up not having your period?

You could also try to take the normal pill without the week break, but I wouldn't recommend doing it for too long time spans. My sister used to do it because she had a heavy flow, and several of my friends did it once or twice when their menstruation would've come at a really bad time for them, i.e. summer vacation. Though I tried it once and got mid-cycle bleedings so I went back to the week breaks as usual. But it's something you can try out.

The pill has different side effects for everybody. I didn't notice any changes (I got bigger boobs and gained a bit of weight, but that could've also just been puberty), I only noticed it when I went off the pill 4 years ago. I developed acne, and found out my libido isn't dead after all. I feel more comfortable in my body in general now. It also depends on which kind/brand of pill you're taking. But as it turns out, the long-term side effects (I was on the pill for 8 years) I experienced aren't unusual at all.

Oh, one good thing about the pill is that I bled way less than I do now (which, lucky me, still isn't as much as for other people), so the menstruation could cause you less dysphoria then maybe?

Anyways, you can totally talk to a gynecologist about this, even though I can imagine it to be quite uncomfortable for you when the whole menstruation thing is causing you dysphoria.

[kaysir]

- Possibly TMI, I mean, it's menstruation talk -

Aren't there pills that you take everyday without a week break so you end up not having your period?

You could also try to take the normal pill without the week break, but I wouldn't recommend doing it for too long time spans. My sister used to do it because she had a heavy flow, and several of my friends did it once or twice when their menstruation would've come at a really bad time for them, i.e. summer vacation. Though I tried it once and got mid-cycle bleedings so I went back to the week breaks as usual. But it's something you can try out.

The pill has different side effects for everybody. I didn't notice any changes (I got bigger boobs and gained a bit of weight, but that could've also just been puberty), I only noticed it when I went off the pill 4 years ago. I developed acne, and found out my libido isn't dead after all. I feel more comfortable in my body in general now. It also depends on which kind/brand of pill you're taking. But as it turns out, the long-term side effects (I was on the pill for 8 years) I experienced aren't unusual at all.

Oh, one good thing about the pill is that I bled way less than I do now (which, lucky me, still isn't as much as for other people), so the menstruation could cause you less dysphoria then maybe?

Anyways, you can totally talk to a gynecologist about this, even though I can imagine it to be quite uncomfortable for you when the whole menstruation thing is causing you dysphoria.

I think that's what OP meant by birth control in option 1. Birth control for menstrual reasons and not sexual reasons.

[RoseGoesToYale]

There are lots of different birth control methods to lessen menstruation, but unfortunately there's no way to know 100% how they'll affect you. Some people (like my aunt) had bad side effects from hormonal birth control, but I also have good friends on the pill that love it and haven't had any bad side effects. If you decide to go this route, don't be afraid to ask your doctor lots of (specific) questions about what options you have. Make sure they elaborate well on possible side effects.

No matter what you decide, if you ever feel like whatever method you use is negatively impacting your body, you can absolutely stop using it.

[Emery.]

Not to bother you guys but I used to have pretty awful periods, but I got the right painkillers (allowed 18+), better attitude and the periods became shorter by 2 days on average and much less bloody :P

[Chardog]

I was on BC for almost a decade and a half with a two year break in the middle. The only way my boobs got bigger was weight gain (not associated with being on the pill). It made my periods shorter and lighter (they were HELL as a teenager).

[ChillaKilla]

I have an IUD. Although, I can't say for sure if it's working to stop bleeding since it's only been a few months and it can take 6mo- a year to see results. But on average, 60% of people report periods stopping within 2 years of insertion, and they last from 5-7 years.

[Luftschlosseule]

I take meds because I have migraine and if my hormone levels are not even they make me lie in a dark room for days on end. In the last years there also appeared the problem of mood swings when I have my period, so I have a kind of pills with which I menstruate only twice a year, which is a great relief.

A month ago I got a new pill, because... uff, I don't know if there's a word for it in Englisch. In Germany, Health Insurance Companies get discount from pharmacy companies, and those contract change every few months. So I got a new pill with the same basic ingredients by another company, but I reacted with heavy dizziness, which wasn't funny. Now that I am on the old stuff everything is fine again.

So, what I am saying is, that if you experience unwelcome side effects there is the possibility that you simply have to change the pills. I didn't gain weight, the only side effect were a few spots in my face as a first reaction in the first few weeks.

The only other option I can think of would be removing your uterus or ovaries, or a sterilisation, which would definitely stop you bleeding once a month.

I agree that you should talk with a gyn about this, simply to inform yourself. You don't have to decide immediately if you want to do take medicine.

[Toothlesss]

I take meds because I have migraine and if my hormone levels are not even they make me lie in a dark room for days on end. In the last years there also appeared the problem of mood swings when I have my period, so I have a kind of pills with which I menstruate only twice a year, which is a great relief.

A month ago I got a new pill, because... uff, I don't know if there's a word for it in Englisch. In Germany, Health Insurance Companies get discount from pharmacy companies, and those contract change every few months. So I got a new pill with the same basic ingredients by another company, but I reacted with heavy dizziness, which wasn't funny. Now that I am on the old stuff everything is fine again.

So, what I am saying is, that if you experience unwelcome side effects there is the possibility that you simply have to change the pills. I didn't gain weight, the only side effect were a few spots in my face as a first reaction in the first few weeks.

The only other option I can think of would be removing your uterus or ovaries, or a sterilisation, which would definitely stop you bleeding once a month.

I agree that you should talk with a gyn about this, simply to inform yourself. You don't have to decide immediately if you want to do take medicine.

I had a great OBGYN back in New Jersey- here, for the moment, I have other priorities before this. Right now, it's manageably light, and I'm using a menstrual cup so I don't have to feel uncomfortable wet down there. On light days it doesn't bother me. I don't like that I feel my ovaries though (aka- very light cramps).

The other options require having to jump through the sexist mindset that reigns in the medical community- and I Really don't want to have to deal with that anyway.

Edit- I hate that the info sites are geared toward "women only, busy moms! This can be taken out whenever so you can have kids!" like..some of us don't want kids.

[Luftschlosseule]

There is a special tea for these cramps made of herbs. If you happen to like herbal tea, maybe that could help. It's made of a plant called Frauenmantel, lady's mantle. It didn't find side effect, you chose your own dosage and don't have to drink it regularly. Maybe you could try that?

Edit- I hate that the info sites are geared toward "women only, busy moms! This can be taken out whenever so you can have kids!" like..some of us don't want kids.

Urgs, yes. That sucks.

[Toothlesss]

There is a special tea for these cramps made of herbs. If you happen to like herbal tea, maybe that could help. It's made of a plant called Frauenmantel, lady's mantle. It didn't find side effect, you chose your own dosage and don't have to drink it regularly. Maybe you could try that?

Yeah. At least for the days when the cramps are the most bothersome. I used to get the cramps a lot worse when I was a teenager.

I'll check into that though- I'm considering, if I ever have an IUD put in, that I'd want to have it put in during the winter.

[ChillaKilla]

Raspberry leaf tea is good for that too

[borkfork]

The break for "periods" is a holdover from the 1959s-60s that's not really necessary. It's not actually shedding of uterine lining because there is no egg being released.

http://womhealth.org.au/conditions-and-treatments/the-pill-myths-and-misconceptions

https://bedsider.org/features/290-a-quick-guide-to-skipping-periods-with-birth-control

Do your research, talk to an OBGYN.

[Heart]

For what it's worth, your small breasts won't suddenly become D cups. My personal story: I was a C cup before trying any form of hormonal birth control. I tried a pill form, and went up two cup sizes to a DD, but when I went off it I went back down to a D. I tried two different birth controls, with breaks in between, and each time I went up one cup size to DD, then back down to D. I tried the IUD last, and my breast size did not noticeably change.

I don't know if the overall C -> D cup size change was the hormones or whether my body just hadn't stopped growing yet; I was 20 when I first started birth control. I've gained about 20 pounds overall since starting birth control 5 years ago, so it's also possible the overall C -> D change was weight related. But the majority of the breast size change seems reversible, at least for me. It's something to check with the doctor.

Oh, and even when I'm not on any form of birth control, my breasts tend to get bigger at that time of the month anyways. So maybe that's an indicator of whether it would happen to you or not, if it happens just before or during your period?

As for just asking for sterilisation, be careful to mention that it's specifically stopping your periods that you want! Not all sterilisation methods will actually stop your periods, though they will still sterilise you.