What Are Your Hormones Telling You?

As more women abandon traditional contraceptive pills in favour of high-tech fertility apps, learning to interpret our unique hormonal fluctuations is more important than ever, reports Charlotte Haigh

- Charlotte Haigh

Ask a bunch of twenty- or thirty something women if they’re on the pill today, and chances are you’ll find a good number opting for ‘natural, nonchemical methods’ instead. Among my friends in long-term relationships, less than a third use traditional pills, patches or injectables. They are part of a wider movement of women who are shunning hormone-based contraception in favour of cycle-tracking apps, such as Natural Cycles, Clue and Glow. And many are evangelical about the advantages.

‘Psychologically, I love being more in touch with my body and what it wants at different times,’ says my friend Emma, 32, who speaks for many women. She came off the pill because she couldn’t find one that suited her and was sick of being palmed off by her time-poor GP with various options that gave her headaches, lowered her sex drive or resulted in bleeding mid-cycle. ‘Since I’ve stopped putting chemicals in my body, I’m in touch with the subtle fluctuations in my cycle and getting to know my moods better. I feel more energetic and sexier around the middle of the month, which is when I’m ovulating, and plan romantic nights with my boyfriend around that time.’

Using a natural fertility app, Emma also keeps track of when her lowest point in the month is - just before her period is due. ‘Now I have time to prepare for that energy and mood dip, so I avoid making big decisions at work or seeing people who may trigger negative feelings. It’s empowering.’