The Pill Almost Ruined My Marriage—Here's What I Wish More Women Knew About Hormonal Birth Control

Getting off of birth control is a decision many people make after getting married, usually with the hopes of starting a family. For me, though, it was necessary to save my marriage.

Since meeting my husband, I had tried three different types of oral contraceptives. Each one had side effects that put a tremendous strain on our relationship.The first pill made me bleed profusely every time we had sex. The second caused me to become jealous and paranoid. We argued loudly, intensely, emotionally, and often in public. My self-esteem was rock bottom, and I lashed out at any perceived offense. The third option was just the final shovel of dirt on my already well-buried libido.

The hormonal birth control pill had driven a wedge between us. I found it was hard to discern my true feelings from those driven by its impact. We were both exhausted by the cycle of melodrama, and I knew this relationship would end if things didn't change.

The psychological side effects of the pill made me feel detached from my husband, and instead attached to my seemingly insurmountable problems. When I finally stopped taking my oral contraceptives, I was able to reconnect with my husband and the world around me. Everything seemed to look brighter, smell sweeter, and feel better.

It also freed me from obsessive negative thinking. Now when disagreements arise, they are quickly resolved. I feel a wider range of emotions and feel them more strongly, but those feelings once again include happiness, bliss, joy, and excitement.

When I realized the birth control pill was causing psychological and physical side effects, it was my husband who encouraged me to write about it. He didn’t expect me to keep taking the pills. He didn’t resent me for everything they’d put us through. And he was happy to use condoms until I figured out what came next.

Since weren’t ready for a baby, we had to find another birth control method. Talking through this decision together and taking a shared responsibility brought us closer.

As a writer, I found the birth control pill sapped my creativity. After I’d been on it for a few years, it became incredibly hard to think with any clarity, let alone transfer those thoughts to the blank page.

Once I was off the pill, I immediately began a daily blog, began writing articles for major publications, wrote a book proposal, published a book, and found inspiration for my documentary—all in the space of a few years.

Instead of keeping the burden of pregnancy prevention solely on me, learning about fertility awareness allowed my husband and me to share the responsibility. This created a far more respectful and loving situation.

Knowing I'm only fertile for a relatively short time during my monthly cycle alleviated much of the fear and anxiety around sex, for both of us. No more unplanned pregnancy panics or concerns about condom mishaps.

My fertility device is like a helpful mediator in this journey. It’s no longer only on me to track and interpret my fertile signs, and it makes the conversation about where I am in my cycle simple and fun.

Research shows the birth control pill can affect who you are attracted to. It all comes down to the changes in the pheromones we give off when we're fertile and ovulating, and how these are altered by hormonal contraceptives.

Because of that, many people have suggested that women could find their partner less attractive when they stop taking the pill. In fact, doctors like Julie Holland, M.D., psychopharmacologist and author of Moody Bitches, recommends women come off the pill before making a long-term commitment to their partner to see if they still like them with the "pill goggles" off.