Some users may use hormonal birth control after using Natural Cycles for a period of time. We understand that different stages of your life may call for different kinds of birth control, so we’ve written some tips below to help you make the transition back from hormonal birth control to using Natural Cycles.
When can I restart using Natural Cycles after hormonal birth control?
You can start using Natural Cycles again the day after quitting most hormonal birth control methods. We recommend that you start measuring as soon as you return to using Natural Cycles to get back into the routine, but that you exclude your temperatures until your first ‘real’ period starts (please read below “How to log the first bleed after hormonal birth control”).
Find more information about using Natural Cycles after hormonal birth control here.
If you’re using NC° Birth Control, the algorithm will give you Red Days until you log your first period. We recommend that you use protection (such as condoms or another form of barrier protection) each time you have sex until your first ‘real’ period starts.
Can I inform the app that I was on hormonal birth control during my break?
When you return to Natural Cycles, you won’t have the option to re-answer your setup questions and inform the app that you were recently on hormonal birth control. Instead, follow the instructions below for a seamless app experience!
How to log the first bleed after hormonal birth control
The bleeding you may experience on different types of hormonal birth control is not a menstrual bleed (period) – this bleeding is called withdrawal bleeding. Although this may seem like a period, it’s important to remember that withdrawal bleeding is not the same as a period.
Please keep in mind that after quitting hormonal birth control, the first bleed that you experience will also be a withdrawal bleed and that, if you are a returning user, this bleed should be logged as Spotting.
A first-time user who recently quit hormonal birth control will have the option to log Withdrawal bleeding in the app. However, if you’re returning to the app after a break, you will not have the Withdrawal bleeding option. Instead, make sure to log your withdrawal bleed as Spotting, and the algorithm will consider this information just the same as it would a withdrawal bleed.
Learn more about withdrawal bleeding here.
What can I expect when returning to Natural Cycles after using hormonal birth control?
Once you get your period and log it in the app, it may look like you had a long cycle that started when you last used the app. Rest assured that this long cycle is not taken into account in your averages and predictions. When you begin a new cycle with a period entry, the predictions will be based on your past completed cycles before the break.
After you’ve logged the start of your first period after hormonal birth control, you can measure as usual according to our guidelines and only exclude your temperature if necessary.
Please keep in mind that it can take a while for your first ovulation to occur again since ovulation is generally inhibited while using hormonal birth control. Your cycle may also be irregular for some time. As an NC° Birth Control user, you can expect to be given an increased amount of Red Days initially. NC° Plan Pregnancy users can expect to be given more Brown Days in the beginning.
For more information on how to use the app after a break, please visit this article, which answers the questions ‘Why is the app showing a long cycle?’ and ‘Can I reset my data?’.
We welcome you back, and should you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.