Just as faces are different, yet the same, so it is with fertility. Every woman's fertility is uniquely hers. Hormonal contraceptives stamp uniformity onto a woman's cyclical individuality. They are designed to affect fertility. The list of hormonal contraceptives includes, amongst others:
The effects of hormonal contraceptives can still be present for a while after stopping them, particularly if they had been taken for some time. It is not uncommon for a return to normal cycling to take some time. The disorders that hormonal contraceptives cause usually disappear by the sixth cycle, and may include:
These irregularities may be caused by the extra oestrogen and progesterone stored in the women's tissues which may take several weeks to leave. These extra hormones impede the chemical mechanisms, which trigger the regulatory centre and the ovaries, thus producing a ‘stop and start’ situation in follicular (egg) development.
Of the two fertility signs, the mucus symptom is the most affected and basal body temperature the least.
Hormonal contraceptives attempt to regulate cycles. In so doing, they can mask and leave untreated:
(a) Undiagnosed pathologies Women with persistent vaginal discharge, frequent or unexplained intermenstrual bleeding, inadequate temperature shift, very long and irregular cycles, persistent out of phase mucus peak & temperature shifts and amenorrhoea beyond six months should see a doctor or specialist.
(b) Undiagnosed subfertility Couples trying to conceive should see a specialist if the woman has recurrent short luteal phases, very long cycles, amenorrhoea (an absence of menstruation) for four months or more, anovular cycles or inadequate temperature shifts beyond four cycles or more, difficulty conceiving after trying for three months or more with apparently normal fertility cycles and appropriately timed lovemaking.
Natural Fertility Services Melbourne can also refer clients to specialist medical practitioners who are able to help couples experiencing more complex issues relating to their fertility.