Oil pulling & birth control

Today I want to share with y'all a couple of things that have been total game changers for me health-wise. When you find something that works or learn something new, you should share, so here goes!

About a year ago I posted about oil pulling and how I had begun an experiment with it in hopes of finding a natural solution to my dental problems. Lo and behold, a year later and I'm still going strong! I had my check-up the other day with my dentist and got a routine cleaning. My hygienist didn't take x-rays since I'm five months pregnant, and let's just say I was really happy to not have to stick my foot out while I gagged on the seemingly gargantuan pieces of plastic they put in your mouth. Yuck! My visit was quick and painless, and I could have fallen asleep in the chair since I was so relaxed and confident. The only thing she found? A little redness on my lower gums, most likely due to pregnancy (yup, the little nugget inside me makes dental hygiene harder!).

Strangely enough, I hadn't experienced any sensitivity to heat or cold since I got my mouth under control. That is, until I got my cleaning. It could be due to the cleaning exposing certain parts of my gum that weren't before, or it could be that I have no exposure to fluoride except for what's in tap water. I can't say for sure, but I know that after a couple days of oil pulling it was gone again. At this point I can definitely say that oil pulling works as well, if not much better, than traditional dental hygiene. If you're like me and find that all the toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss in the world just isn't cutting it, no matter how many times a day you do it, I encourage you to take a couple of months to try oil pulling. It's weird, and people might think you're crazy, but when they see your beautiful smile and realize you don't use toothpaste EVER, you'll look like a boss.

In other news, oh yeah I'm pregnant! We're 25 weeks in with our baby girl who is growing strong and healthy and already shows promise of being a great soccer player. Obviously with pregnancy comes a lot of changes in physical and emotional health. But what I really want to share with y'all, especially my lady-friends, is what happened before I got pregnant.

Most women nowadays go on some form of birth control (most commonly the pill) soon after they get engaged because, well, "I'm getting married and we don't want babies yet." Now while I believe that putting off children for a little while is good and healthy for a newlywed couple (so long as the timing of children has been discussed and agreed upon), I do think more couples should take into consideration how they're preventing pregnancy. Sure, the pill is easy and convenient, but have you thought about how it affects your body?

If you read my pregnancy announcement post, you'll know what I went through before trying to get pregnant. Years of hormone treatment had me rattled about whether or not it would happen, but by God's sweet favor we got pregnant within four months. But what happened in those four months was of great interest as well. We all know that medications have side effects and that different bodies respond differently to those meds. However, I didn't expect such a drastic change in my health when I came off of birth control. Within the first month I saw major changes:
- My energy levels went up.
- My emotional state was more balanced (no more cry-fests).
- My complexion got better.
- The constant bloating in my abdomen went away.
- My oral hygiene improved, and my teeth didn't seem to "hang on" to food as tightly.
- Frequent nausea went away.
- And my lactose-intolerance completely disappeared! (I'm sitting here with a glass of whole milk drinking to my heart's content by the way.)

I literally had no idea what those pills were doing to my body! Now granted, I had a special case where I needed to be regulated, but looking back now, if I had known how much the pill would affect me, I would have stuck with my old treatment that worked just fine and used other means of contraception. My husband and I have already agreed on alternative methods of pregnancy prevention when our daughter arrives, simply because my health is better off without the pill.

So, if you're a woman who's looking into contraception, or if you're a guy who is engaged to a special lady who you hope will one day be the mother of your children (but not just yet), I ask that you take into consideration these things. These days society says sexual freedom comes in pill form and being able to do whatever you want whenever you want, but I have to disagree. I have a problem with a pill that is so quickly offered to women, even young girls, without knowing just how it will affect their bodies. In my opinion, understanding the female body and how it works on a month-to-month basis is  one of the most empowering things a woman can do for herself. A book that I've come to love is "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler, and I plan to have my daughter read it when she's old enough. It explains beautifully and clearly all the workings of a woman's cycle whether she's just tracking, or trying to prevent or achieve pregnancy.

Hopefully all this info and my experiences with it can be of some help to others, and I hope that you've learned something. I'm always open to questions about this stuff, as I want to see others find relief sooner rather than later, so get in touch if you have a question. Be blessed my friend!