This is something I’ve only shared with my close friends and family over the last year, and it’s taken me some time to realise quite how much I want to share it with you. Full transparency, I feel anxious about doing so, but more recently I’ve opened up to clients sharing my journey where it felt appropriate, and I’ve been bowled over by the support, love, and connection that’s resulted from this openness.

So let’s get personal.

I started the pill when I was 18. I went to a sexual health clinic on the way back from Sixth Form with a few of my closest girlfriends in Brighton. The nurse recommended some good old-fashioned Microgynon, letting me know there were barely any side effects…just crack on. It was great! I had my 7 day break where I’d have my period, sometimes I’d smash a few packets back to back, but no harm done right?

Move forwards 5 years and I’m 23.

I’m doing a lot of triathlons at this stage and swimming at least twice a week. A friend in my tri club tells me that some pills stop you having periods altogether - meaning more consistent sport performance and no stress about swimming with a tampon - yippee! So I begin the Progesterone only pill and guess what? My periods totally stopped.

How wonderfully convenient.

Move forwards 2 years and I’m 25.

I decide I’m over the one pill a day faff (after nearly 8 years) and move to the contraceptive implant in my arm. My periods didn’t return, which is apparently the case for a third of women, but again, I celebrated! I can’t be dealing with that faff! I want to wear white shorts and train consistently throughout the month. Hurrah!

Funnily enough, this is the same year that I make the career change from Account Manager to Personal Trainer (yes I know, quite the leap). Within this change, I begin to educate myself about female health, not for my own benefit, but for that of my clients.

I was coaching women with PCOS, endometriosis, PMDD, peri-menopause, pre and post natal, and everything in between! So yes, I thought, probably worthwhile learning about those pesky hormones to ensure I was coaching all my ladies to the best of my ability.

The more I learnt, the more interested I became.

In November 2023, at the grand old age of 30, I decided to take the implant out, and embark on my own ‘Natural Cycles’ journey. So, 12 years after my initial visit to the Sexual Health Clinic in Brighton, I found myself in a similar establishment in Camberwell, lying on a hospital bed whilst a nurse removed my implant, letting me know my period would return in a month or two. In fact, she informed me I would be fertile the day after the implant was removed, so I should be careful if I didn’t want to become a mother just yet!

Eight months go by - still no period.

I was getting really worried, had blood tests (all came back fine) and had booked an appointment with a private specialist to see what was ‘wrong’ with me.

Month 9 hits - and FINALLY Auntie Flo returns, after her long hiatus.

I couldn’t believe it, I had been told my whole life there were minimal side effects to birth control, that my hormones would ‘snap back’ as soon as I clicked my fingers. The reality is that the human body is so much more complicated.

I WISH someone had told me that it takes 17% of women over a year to get their cycle back after hormonal birth control.

I WISH I had known years ago that I might need to give myself this buffer window.

I am so grateful to the NHS, to my body, and to my cycle for getting me where I am today, but there is so much about female health that we are not taught in schools.

So there it is, I hope this helps someone, makes you feel less alone, and less like a ‘failure’ as a woman - which has definitely been my thought patterns over the last year. I’m here if you’ve got any questions or need support - I’ve got you.