Ovulation symptoms on the pill

[torturedtoaster.livejournal.com]

I have kind of asked this before, back when I was terrified that I was ovulating on the pill. Yikes! Got over it though, and decided that I am okay, but now I am still left wondering..

I still get ovulation-y symptoms around the time I would be ovulating if I wasn't on the pill (two weeks after my period starts). Cramps here and there, breast pain sometimes, etc. Just little things. I also get discharge that is kind of milky white but still semitransparent. It doesn't have that "egg white" texture so I rest assured it's not ovulation discharge. But even still, I can't help but wonder why I get these sorts of symptoms around this time so often, while on birth control. Does anyone else experience this??

Comments

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

Some people do ovulate while on the Pill, but hormonal BC doesn't just work by stopping ovulation. It thickens the cervical mucus making it very hard for sperm to gain entry. It also thins the uterine lining making it inhospitable for a blastocyst. So, on the rare off-chance that you are ovulating you're still protected by your Pill. If you're uncomfortable with the thought of that you might want to discuss it with your healthcare provider, and maybe switch to a formulation with higher doses of hormones.

[torturedtoaster.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know all that. :) I've been on birth control for almost two years now. Like I said, I am confident that I am not actually ovulating.. I am just confused by the semi-ovulation-like symptoms. I suppose it could actually be ovulation and I've been relying on my pills being only like.. 80% effective (well.. less effective) for this long. I dunno.

Last time I went in to Planned Parenthood for an exam, I talked to the doctor about it and she told me "probably ovulation!" like it was totally normal, no big deal that my birth control might not be doing its job completely, no need to switch pills.. I was confused, so she explained (very poorly, I had to ask about it here after..) that we still "ovulate" on the pill, but the egg isn't mature. So perhaps that is related to the symptoms..

[archangelbeth]

that we still "ovulate" on the pill, but the egg isn't mature.

...Could I get an explanation of that one? It was my understanding that either the follicle doesn't ripen entirely, and no egg is released, or... an egg escapes, but doesn't get to play with the sperm 'cause of the other HBC effects. So I'm curious about an immature ovulation thingy!

[torturedtoaster.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Like I said she worded it quite poorly, so I ended up asking about it here when I got home. It's hard to get clarification on anything at Planned Parenthood because they are always in such a hurry..

I'm not sure if I'll ever know what she *really* meant, but someone here theorized what she *might* have been talking about. It could be that towards the end of my inactive week, my body starts getting ready to ovulate again, but it stops when I start my active pills. So then, maybe.. it kinda spits out whatever it started? I can't remember exactly what was said. Haha. Maybe the doctor was just nuts, or didn't know what she was talking about. Either way, she wasn't very helpful since that "ovulation scare" was the whole reason I was in there (I was hoping to switch to a stronger pill).

It might actually make sense for me though, in a way. I think something about being on HBC makes my body want to ovulate ASAP. When I first started the pill, I was on a very, very low dose and had a full-on period every other week. When I went in to get that checked out, the doctor decided to put me on a a new pill. She said that if I was having a period on the active pills, there was a chance I could be ovulating, too.. within a little over a week from the beginning of each period. If that makes any sense..

[torturedtoaster.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Like I said she worded it quite poorly, so I ended up asking about it here when I got home. It's hard to get clarification on anything at Planned Parenthood because they are always in such a hurry..

I'm not sure if I'll ever know what she *really* meant, but someone here theorized what she *might* have been talking about. It could be that towards the end of my inactive week, my body starts getting ready to ovulate again, but it stops when I start my active pills. So then, maybe.. it kinda spits out whatever it started? I can't remember exactly what was said. Haha. Maybe the doctor was just nuts, or didn't know what she was talking about. Either way, she wasn't very helpful since that "ovulation scare" was the whole reason I was in there (I was hoping to switch to a stronger pill).

It might actually make sense for me though, in a way. I think something about being on HBC makes my body want to ovulate ASAP. When I first started the pill, I was on a very, very low dose and had a full-on period every other week. When I went in to get that checked out, the doctor decided to put me on a a new pill. She said that if I was having a period on the active pills, there was a chance I could be ovulating, too.. within a little over a week from the beginning of each period. If that makes any sense..

[archangelbeth]

Okay, that makes a bit more sense. Thanks! I don't know if it'd spit out the ova -- I don't think it can spit out an unripe one? -- but it's true that the follicles may start maturing. I wonder if it would be useful for you to be on one of the no/few/shorter withdrawal bleed pills, to try to hit your ovaries with more of the hypnoHBC?

[torturedtoaster.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've actually just started stacking my pills so I don't do the withdrawal bleeds as often. Making them shorter sounds like a sweet idea too!

[ladycat.livejournal.com]

Ooo, thanks, that's useful (if a little scary) to know.

I was starting to suspect the same as the poster - that my low hormone Nuvaring lets me ovulate - I have the same ovulate-ish symptoms as her, and I don't feel like hell on my ring (most high hormone HBC has been a bit of a disaster for me).

[polaroidmoment.livejournal.com]

I'm on hormonal birth control and I definitely feel that twinge on either side every month. I've never brought it up with my doctor, but as I'm regularly having sex without condoms and haven't yet even had a pregnancy scare... I'm sure they're just phantom pains. I think I read somewhere that you can get the symptoms (or whatever) associated with ovulation even if you're on HBC.