Fertility awareness methods (FAM) vs Combined pill

I had been on PoP contraceptive pill for nearly 10yrs, I have also tried CoC's and injection prior. I wanted to learn more about my body and be natural. This method takes a lot of research and understanding in order for it to work and be effective. I read books and watched YouTube videos to educate myself and joined FB/Reddit group. I use an app called read your body to input my temperature and other symptoms to track where I am in my cycle. It is all done manually by me and not relying on a system like natural cycles to do it for me as this is less reliable....Since stopping the pill my libido came back which is great and I feel emotions depending on where I am in my cycle. My Cycle regulated within 2 months after stopping the pill and for the past 3 years I have learned what is normal for me. My cycle is very text book 28 days long on the dot every month, I ovulate on day 15. This method works for me, I haven't gotten pregnant but on the days during my cycle I could get pregnant, we use condoms rather than abstaining. I would say it took me about 6 months to learn and feel confident in this approach.

I’ve been using NC since 2021, I use to love this app and tell everybody about it until I had sex on a green day and got pregnant. I used to think it would never happen to me as I’ll use the app right. Measured every day and was very religious with the app. However, I ovulated earlier and fell pregnant! The app only goes off previous ovulation compared to current meaning it doesn’t prevent pregnancy as yes you have red days but it’s just a prediction! For example green day on day 6 (had sex) and ovulated on day 10 (red days) and fell pregnant. Ovulated 5 days early! Sperm can live inside you for 5 days hence why I’m pregnant and will be getting an abortion.

I've had an entirely positive experience using Natural Cycles. While using the impant I was struggling with acne, mood swings, irregular periods. And since swapping to use Natural Cycles I've felt much better in myself, my periods are very regular, I feel I understand my body and cycle so much more, and my skin has cleared up. In 5 years of using it it's been 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, I'm very careful to measure consistently, and I use the Oura Ring to help get accurate readings. But this small effort seems like a small price to pay in exchange for getting rid of all the nasty side effects of my previous contraception

my pharmacy moved me to this pill when my previous one was not available. I was hesitent at first but found it lightened my discharge which was always so heavy on my previous pill. I was forced to stop this pill due to unavailbilty but i am currently trying to get it back because after a month back on my old pill i am now seeing how much better this one was for me. I didnt notice the positive changes until i had to go back onto my old one. But if anything that is a good thing to me because it felt natural.

It was good in the sense that my “cycle” felt really regular and I had very consistent moods which felt good as it avoided the PMS I used to get. The peace of mind as a contraceptive method was also good. Whilst I was on it I didnt realise anything significantly different about myself. However, when I came off it i didnt realise how much of my self it had suppressed - in terms of feeling alive to the word and sexually charged. I now use condoms/ may consider the localised hormonal coil as I am no longer interested in experiencing such significant changes in myself for contraception.

Within 48 hours of swallowing the first tablet I started to have Brown discharge which has grown into what would be described as a full on period with horrendous stomach ache, it will be 2 weeks on Sunday since I swallowed the first tablet. I'm assuming this is the breakthrough bleeding and my body needs to adjust but anyone else experienced this?

It was working perfectly fine at first, was helping me with unbearable cramps and nausea, but after about four months of use, I wasn't feeling like myself at all. It made my anxiety so much worse that is was making me nauseous and kept giving me heart palpitations and trembling limbs. I've had a major loss of appetite which is really bad for someone who is already considered underweight for her age. I couldn't tell the difference between feeling hungry or feeling sick, but whenever I did eat, I continued to feel this way. I became so emotionally unstable that I was in a near constant state of dread for no apparent reason and would be crying without even being upset, every day. I struggled to sleep with the increased negative mood, the only think to help me sleep was to listen to educational videos in the background to distract me from the anxiety and nausea. I took travel pills to alleviate both of these which is working well and helping me sleep, and two days after stopping with the pill, my mood has been gradually improving. I'm still getting heart palpitations and tearing up a little at times, butI'm starting to feel like myself again. I wouldn't recommend rigevidon if you have a history with anxiety or depression. Made my hormones go haywire, lost my already small appetite, and messed around a whole lot with my sleep schedule.

Really helpful for my moods, only 10 months in did i randomly experience breast secretion and so swapped to the sister pill eloine with less oestrogen

I've been on it for a year and a half, it made me gain 10 kgs (even though I work out more than usual and eat a healthy diet), especially weight in my lower stomach, I have a pooch now and am always bloated, which is very uncomfortable. It also made me go up two cup sizes, I was a B cup before starting this contraception and now am a D cup. I also lost all my sex drive and it makes me really moody. I was hoping to be a fan since it's supposed to be less hormones than other pills but unfortunately my body did not react well to it.

Experiences severe pms before taking this pill, first tried deso 30 again as I used it in the past, but I definitely gained weight with that one and still experienced feelings of depression every now and then. With this pill, I still have my normal weight and I feel like any dark feelings are almost gone, sometimes I still have an off day ofcourse. Overall I am very happy; clear skin, I am feeling great, and my weight is normal.

So I might just be allergic to the pill. I was given this as it's low dose and I've had strong reactions to everything else. I had an anxiety attack on the first day, then couldn't stop crying on the second so I stopped it quickly. I had started it because I was feeling really good so thought I could cope with the mood changes but they were so severe it scared me. I've then had a horrible period in the month after and back at square 1.

Ive been on 3 different pills and Levest was my long term. My skin got clearer and my periods have been much more managable (I used to be prescribed meds for pain control). However the main effect is decreased sex drive dramatically and just feeling 'meh' all the time very dampened emotions over everything. Not many highs not many lows just an overall feeling of meh.

My psychiatrist put me on Zoely in August of 2024, I had recently been diagnosed with PMDD (pre menstrual dysphoric disorder) and was at a point in my life where if I didn’t find a way to manage the symptoms I was at breaking point. I’d been misdiagnosed with bipolar, major depression, borderline personality disorder and had been on a rollercoaster of treatments from ages 13-30. So I was hesitant to trust this psychiatrist and go on another potentially damaging rollercoaster of meds. Alas, after 3 weeks I noticed dramatic changes to my moods, I was balanced! I felt in control, grounded and sane! Obviously my period stopped and my cycle was no longer existent but this medication saved my life, my relationship, my mental health and gave me back my life! The only negative side is my low to zero sex drive, that’s been tough but I’m navigating it now, my partner doesn’t feel desirable because I don’t want sex.. like ever but we are both just happy to have a peaceful life without the ups and down. It seems like a fair trade to me. So very grateful for this medication.