Why Do Women Bleed Monthly? And Why Is Your Doctor Using a Birth Control Pill as Treatment?

Why do doctors recommend birth control pills for hormonal imbalance in women? This is one of the many questions I hear from my female patients over and over again. To answer this question, it helps to understand why women bleed monthly. The answer comes down to estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen promotes growth of the uterine lining. Then, around day 14, you ovulate, and progesterone fortifies this lining. Without estrogen, your period would be light. With a little bit of estrogen, you may have light but more frequent cycles. If you have erratic periods, it’s a sign your hormones are not functioning properly. 

Your cycle should be reliable and predictable. When it’s not, many physicians will recommend birth control. Why? Because they believe the birth control pill is designed to help you regulate your period. But in reality, this can often act as nothing more than a band-aid. Using birth control to regulate your period masks your underlying issues without addressing them.

Birth control is not the answer for managing perimenopause symptoms, and it can actually worsen your mood, mental clarity, and metabolism. If you’re looking for support during perimenopause, you should seek testing first with your physician. At that time, you could explore taking progesterone. 

Balanced hormones are crucial for a normal period, and our bodies need to be healthy for this harmony to exist. Doctors tend to get fixated on the function of your organs, like the uterus and ovaries. Focusing on balancing hormones, even adrenal and thyroid hormones, may reveal the root of the problem.