My DD (16) is on Seasonale so she gets her period every 3 months. She has been on BC for about 2 years. She was having horrible PMS (really probably PMDD) and went on another one first (Yasmine, I think). She felt like that helped, but she was still majorly depressed for 2 weeks out of the month. We decided to try Seasonale so she would only be depressed 2 weeks out of everything 3 months.

It has worked great! She is much happier, way fewer cramps, etc.

If she hadn't had such severe issues, I wouldn't have put her on it (and her doc may not have agreed to put her on it).

Anonymous wrote:I do not have particularly strong feelings about this. I had a hysterectomy at 32, after having 2kids, and love not having periods. But, I also take the law of unintended consequences seriously.

My DD is 14, very low body fat (always has been, not an eating disorder), and is developing on the late side. And no period yet. He pediatrician says given her body type, she is very much in the range of normal, and it may be another year or two. Once she gets her period, and learns how to deal with it, and gets used to it, I would have no real problem with continuous birth control pills, in theory.

BUT... and this is a huge but... she would need to go to a gynecologist who specializes in young adults, and talk to her doctor— and me while she is a minor— about whether this is a good, healthy, safe option. What the science says about this, what the risks are, and if the long term risk/ benefit analysis has been done.

I would not let my DD make a decision that could impact her health and fertility based on what DCUM says her body was designed to do. Not what DCUM says should should or should not have to deal with. Not DCUM antidotes about taking birth control with a week off for periods in your 30s. What an actual, practical, good at what she does MD my DD and I trust says.

There is certainly conflicting info on DCUM. If the answer is that this is safe, it would be DD’s call. And turns out to be that the data isn’t there, or there may be a link to cancer, or it may worsen mood disorders, which run in our family, then I would not okay it for a minor, unless the benefits outweighed the risks— like debilitating periods or the PP with an autistic niece. Once she turns 18? Her call.

But I would teach her to make better medical decisions than why my small town gyn said 25 years ago when I went on BC, but paused and got my period each month. Not random antidotes on the internet.

When my DD turns

For what its worth... I'm 53 and that's how pills worked back then. A pack contained 4 pills, one for each week. The 4th week was a placebo, since some people like to take a pill every day rather than remember to start again. And yes, you got your period in that week.

Anonymous wrote:Why would you bother with the pill? Just get her a Mirena. They’ll insert them for teens. My teen has one.

Insertion can be painful for women who haven’t given birth so sometimes the doc will dilate the parient’s cervix ahead of time.

Because for some women, it is uncomfortable. And for some women it doesn’t stop your period— you just have low level bleeding every day. And because can get pregnant on Mirena, and if you do, it is likely to be ectopic. But you will not know you are pregnant because continuous low grade bleeding and discomfort. You will find out you are pregnant when your tube bursts.


Ask me how I know...

Why would you bother with the pill? Just get her a Mirena. They’ll insert them for teens. My teen has one.

Insertion can be painful for women who haven’t given birth so sometimes the doc will dilate the parient’s cervix ahead of time.

Anonymous wrote:I have boys, but I do the same for myself and I would for my daughter too. Maybe not at 12, but once she starts high school for sure. There is no medical reason to have a period.

What does this mean exactly? Medically I don't need one but do I need one physically? Biologically? Psychologically?

I do not have particularly strong feelings about this. I had a hysterectomy at 32, after having 2kids, and love not having periods. But, I also take the law of unintended consequences seriously.

My DD is 14, very low body fat (always has been, not an eating disorder), and is developing on the late side. And no period yet. He pediatrician says given her body type, she is very much in the range of normal, and it may be another year or two. Once she gets her period, and learns how to deal with it, and gets used to it, I would have no real problem with continuous birth control pills, in theory.

BUT... and this is a huge but... she would need to go to a gynecologist who specializes in young adults, and talk to her doctor— and me while she is a minor— about whether this is a good, healthy, safe option. What the science says about this, what the risks are, and if the long term risk/ benefit analysis has been done.

I would not let my DD make a decision that could impact her health and fertility based on what DCUM says her body was designed to do. Not what DCUM says should should or should not have to deal with. Not DCUM antidotes about taking birth control with a week off for periods in your 30s. What an actual, practical, good at what she does MD my DD and I trust says.

There is certainly conflicting info on DCUM. If the answer is that this is safe, it would be DD’s call. And turns out to be that the data isn’t there, or there may be a link to cancer, or it may worsen mood disorders, which run in our family, then I would not okay it for a minor, unless the benefits outweighed the risks— like debilitating periods or the PP with an autistic niece. Once she turns 18? Her call.

But I would teach her to make better medical decisions than why my small town gyn said 25 years ago when I went on BC, but paused and got my period each month. Not random antidotes on the internet.

When my DD turns

I have boys, but I do the same for myself and I would for my daughter too. Maybe not at 12, but once she starts high school for sure. There is no medical reason to have a period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reaserch on periods and cancer.

Our bodies were not made to have periods every 28 days.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2001234/

Well, seeing that our bodies were actually made to have periods every 28 days your statement is completely wrong.

So how did your labour and delivery without analgesic or assistance go for you? Because women were meant to best children, too.

2 natural births and one with an epidural.

The natural births were a much faster recovery than the one with an epidural.

Sure, I had two epidural deliveries and recovery was much faster (like, instaneous) with one than the other.

This thread is a potpourri of logical fails and defective reasoning.

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe no one has mentioned breakthrough bleeding yet! I tried to go on continuous BC but the bleeding on/off for months was much worse than having periods. I'd never inflict that on my kid unless medically warranted.

This! It has never worked for me to continously take bc pills. I have tried various brands and it just always leads to having to deal with much worse breakthrough bleeding!