Just Curious? If birth control stops ovulation then why do you still get a period?

Question

My understanding is that if your ovulating and you don't conceive by the end of your cycle then your uteris lining will shed causing a period. but if you don't ovulate then you won't have a period. Right? Just wondering

Answer 1

Because you take pills with hormones for 3 weeks. This causes you not to ovulate. On the 4th week you take a placebo or you don't have to take any pills. When your body doesn't get the hormones it will shed the uterine lining and you have your period.

Answer 2

Does Birth Control Stop Ovulation

Answer 3

If birth control prevented ovulation, then you would not be able to conceive on birth control. Yet, even when used properly birth control is not 100% effective.

Not all birth control-in both pill and other forms-prevent ovulation. Some simply make the uterus a hostile place for implantation to occur. Thus, ovulation and fertilization can (and do) take place, but the blastocyst can not implant in the uterus so when the period, which is brought on by hormones in the birth control, starts-the blastocyst-if one was created, it does not happen every month-or egg simply flush out with your uterine lining. This is why some people view birth control as a form of abortion.

To directly answer your question, however-the hormones in the birth control "trick" your body into thinking that the physiological processes that occur in a natural cycle have occured, even though they have not and thus menstruation occurs.

I hope this helps!

Answer 4

Hormonal birth control works by tricking your body into thinking it has already ovulated - when your body releases an egg, it also releases hormones that tell your brain "Hey, I just ovulated here, I don't need to do that again for a while, kthxbye". By artificially ingesting those hormones, your brain gets the false signal that you have ovulated, and rather than telling your ovaries to release an egg, starts telling your uterus "Hey! Build up a nice home for the zygote-to-be, there!".

As an aside, it is possible for some types of birth control to also make you stop menstruating - the one coming to mind right away is Seasonale, which drops you down to four periods a year. When scientists first developed THE PILL(tm), they deliberately played with the hormone levels so that the woman would menstruate on a monthly basis. They did this so the woman could have some reassurance that she was not pregnant. And personally, I love them for this. If I were on Seasonale, I'd be going through eight pregnancy tests a year, asking myself "okay, am I not bleeding 'cause it hasn't been three months yet, or am I not bleeding 'cause it didn't work?!".

Answer 5

I got off of my BC pills on Dec 1, 2009 (TTC). I didn't get an actual period until February 4th, 2010. I did have a period in Dec and Jan but it wasn't really a period. More of blood but no clots or pain. In Feb I got a full fledged period with lots of blood, clots, and cramps. The doctor also said that I had not ovulated in over 2 years before this month due to BC. It also took me 2 months to get back to a 28 day cycle. So it may take you a week, a month, or a couple of months. Good luck!

Answer 6

The reason you have a period while on birth control is because you take the "off day" pills, which are basically placebos. They allow your body to have its period. What most birth control does is prevent the released egg from attaching to the uterine lining and make the body unfriendly to eggs.

You can skip your placebos to delay your period, but sometimes women have breakthrough bleeding or have it anyway. It's not recommended to do it often though, because you increase your risk of blood clots when you do.

Answer 7

Birth control pills fool the body into thinking it is already pregnant, at the end of the cycle the last five days of pills are just placebo's. The body then sheds the buildup like normal.
Your doctor should have explained.

Answer 8

You have a period when there is no embryo burrowing into the uterine lining, releasing hormones that keep that lining intact. As soon as the estrogen and progesterone from your pill stops (when you go on the placebo for a week) those hormones are no longer in your body to keep the lining intact.

Answer 9

most women STOP getting a period once on birthcontrol. my step mom is on BC and she only has like 3 periods A YEAR!!

but that's a good question u asked.

aaaand another thing, there are some women, that DO NOT OVULATE (not related to Birth Control), but still get their periods! weird...

Answer 10

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Hello. It takes a women's body a while after stopping the pill for her hormones to get back to normal. Your periods might be shorter, longer, lighter , heavier, etc. Just give your body a while to adjust. I'm sure that's all it is. Take care :-)