Birth Control Causing Weight Gain

hi A.-
as for weight gain from birth control, they usually say 5-10lbs weight gain or loss can occur. i would suggest if it is bothering you, not waiting until your next annual exam, but call back and see if you can switch something else now. i used to do education around bc and always said using bc should not make you someone different, you should feel good about using it. good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

I have always gained and/or not been able to loose weight while on the pill. Yasmin made it so I didn't gain, but I couldn't loose either.

Good luck

I know plenty of people who gained weight on a bcp.

But honestly, I can not for the life of me figure out why your dr didn't want you to have a period while nursing. That makes no sense at all. I know MANY nursing moms who have regular cycles. I'm blessed in that nursing is keeping AF away! :-) yeah!

Why doctors continue to want to screw up mother nature is beyond me. Tell your doctor what is happening. If he won't listen, find a new doctor.

If you are not breastfeeding, there is no reason to be on the progesterone only pills (POP). The POP's are used with breastfeeding because the other hormone in regular BCP's can decrease milk supply. I cannot say if the pills are causing the weight gain (I believe for some they do), but I would ask if they would put you on a regular pill. The POP's work when used correctly but are much less forgiving if you miss a dose or even take your regular dose late. And, by the way, the POP's do not stop you from having a period while you nurse. Some people will not have periods while they nurse. I was not one of those lucky ones. I've had 3 kids who have been exclusively breastfed for 12 months (and took the POP's) and with each I started having periods by 6 months post-birth.

i swear the same thing is happening to me...in fact...i eat healthier than i did...and drink no pop...i weigh about what i did at 7 or 8 months pregnant! ugh! AND...my breasts are HUGE! they grew?!?!? same painful growth spurt you get at puberty or pregnancy?
any chance you are taking yasmin?

When you are nursing, you shouldn't be on a combined pill. When you stop, they can switch you. this is what I have heard and what I experienced when I was nursing. In my case, it should be a low dose progesterone, I was told that I might stop periods, and it is extremely important that you take it at the same time everyday to prevent pregnancy (off by an hour can make a diff because of the low dosage). I would not take any chances when nursing, what goes into you, can come through your milk to the baby.

Your dr should have told you when they put you on the Progest. only pill that if you stopped nursing to call them and have your Prescription switched to a combined pill.
There is a small chance that just being on the prog. only pill and not nursing "could" have your body out of wack and/or actually result in a pregnancy.
I would take a test and call the drs asap to have the prescription switched.

A. ~
Besides all of the other suggestions you've received, they may want to check your thyroid levels. It's not uncommon for pregnancy to cause a low thyroid afterwards, which would cause you to gain weight (you could also feel tired, have dry skin, constipation, moodiness ...).
D.

Yes you can gain weight. The dr. did not tell you because they are stupid ( after my opinion). You tell them about this problem and they try to convinced too is not tru.After my daughter at age of 34 I go thru menopause, and they told my is normal to go soo early and give me Progesterone and the night mare start. My symptom was gain weigh, depresion...I stop take them and by some natural calciu and antioxidant.I start loosing weight and my apetitte gone. then web site from the rpoduct I use is marketamerica.com/moraru and I use OPC3 (antioxidant) and Isotonic Calcium. I leve them.

I've always gained weight while on b/c--but also after my first things just never quiet went back the same, my hips are bigger and my bottom, and even when I am the same weight as I was before preggo--those things stayed bigger.

I can't imagine why your doc would not want you to have a period while you nurse. I know that some birth control pills can reduce your milk supply so they are careful what they put you on. Are you sure the doc didn't tell you that you 'may not' have a period but could still get pregnant?

As far as weight gain...you really shouldn't gain more than 5-10 pounds due to the pill...although that can seem like a lot, I know. There are SO many different pills to choose from, if this is causing you a concern I wouldn't hesitate to ask the doc to change it now, before your yearly. It's likely they can do it without a visit esp. since you were just there.

~L.

It may have to do with the fact that you stopped nursing. I had lost all 48lbs of pregnancy weight by the time my son was 4 months old. But once he started to wean from the breast (around 12 months of age), I noticed a few pounds creep back on. It happened very gradually, but it still bothered me.

Just to be clear, I am not a medical professional... So this is just my layman's opinion... It could be a thryiod issue - this can be checked pretty easily with a blood test. If that comes back clear, it could be the birth control. Doctors put nursing women on this kind of BC because they consider it safe for the nursing baby. I would suggest calling your doctor and asking to switch BC now that you're finished nursing. Speaking of which... That could be another reason for your weight gain. Nursing burns a lot of calories which your body had gotten used to. Now that you're not nursing anymore, you may have to work a little harder to get that extra weight off. Small changes can make a big difference - eat all whole grains, lots of fruits & veggies, lean proteins, etc. Also make sure to get exercise (I know it's hard for new moms but it's so important - even if it's taking your son for a walk). Best of luck!

I don't see why you would be gaining it doesn't make sense. But I was on a IUD and it made me retain lots of water and be bloated. I wouldn't wait for 1 year. If your not breastfeeding any more even if you are go discuss it with your doctor. I personally am having issues with my birth control every one I am on I always get crabby for no reason with and I am moody. I myself wish we didn't have to take them. Well best of luck.

If you feel this is causing you to gain weight, you might want to see your doctor sooner. If nothing else, at least you'll know. In the meantime, you might want to try to up your daily exercise. Nothing extreme, but maybe a walk around the block after lunch or dinner etc.
Also, there is NO problem with having a menstrual cycle while breastfeeding. So the reason the doctor gave you for using the pill makes no sense. Maybe he wanted to build up your iron stores, if you were anemic. I'd ask him about this further.
S.

Hi A., I am a little confused about your message. Did your dr. put you on b.c .pills because you requested them, or did he put you on them because he didn't want you to have a period while nursing? B.C. is your choice, not the dr., and if you are having undesireable side effects there are many options out there, depending on if you want to have more children right away, how long you want to wait in between pregnancies, etc. FYI, when I was nursing, my body acted liek it was still pergnant and I couldn't lose the pregnancy weight. I also became pregnant while nursing ( I was weaning). I wouldn't wait 5 more months, if you want to be off of the pills, call the dr.'s office and ask them how to stop. If you don't want to get pregnant now, find another form of B. C. before you do that. Usually, you wait until the end of a month cycle and don't start a new pack.

I always gained weight when I was on the pill. I know plenty of others who have said the same thing. I asked my doctor why they say you don't gain weight from the pill when it's clearly not true. She told me that the pill manufacturers say that their products do not cause weight gain. I told her they were full of it and she agreed. Anyway, I refuse to take birth control pills or use any other type of contraception that uses hormones. I get crazy and gain weight. Not pretty. I currently have a Mirena IUC. I love it! I know it has hormones, so I was wary at first, but my gyno assured me that the hormones stay in the reproductive organs and do not go anywhere else. I've had Mirena for over a year now, and I love it! I haven't gained any weight and I've had no problems. That's what has worked for me. However, everyone is different. Good luck!