Mark 5:28 - Why I Stopped Taking Birth Control

Okay, so this one is for the ladies...No, really… :)

If you’ve ever read Mark 5:25-34, you were probably shocked to read that this woman was bleeding for 12 years. 12 years ya’ll! I can’t even deal with it for 4 days. Yet, when she had the chance to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and receive healing, she went for it. Her faith brought her healing and breakthrough.

So what does this have to do with me? Well, back in February 2019, I was talking to one of my Sister’s in Christ (S.I.C.) about wanting to get off of birth control. I started taking birth control when I was 15, due to my extreme menstrual cycle side effects...and because of my diet [which I will discuss in another post later]. But I was starting to feel like relying on birth control meant that I wasn’t fully trusting God. I felt like I wasn’t trusting that He could relieve me of my symptoms. Then another S.I.C. Told me to do a Word study and focus on what the Bible says about “Blood”. *cue The Blood Still Works* :)

As I started reading different scriptures that spoke about blood, I realized that Mark 5 was the only chapter I really needed to focus on during this “study”. I needed to have the same faith that woman had when she pushed through the crowd and touched Jesus’ garment. I needed to learn how to rely on God and trust that He would be here for me.

So...on March 16 , 2019, I threw away my birth control. Now, I wish I could say that my next cycle was “smooth sailing”, but it wasn’t. Actually, it was horrible. All of my old symptoms were starting to come back, from before I was put on birth control. My skin started breaking out like crazy, my stomach was bloated a lot, my energy levels were going down, I was getting moody, and my cramps...Oh my gosh, they were so painful. I even started doubting myself and felt like I made the wrong decision by discontinuing my birth control. This happened for the next few months.

I called my doctor and asked her to put me back on birth control. Unfortunately, she said I had to come in for my physical and get the dreaded Pap smear before I could be put back on it. So... I said okay. I told my S.I.C. about everything and she said, “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Great! Now, I’m convicted (lol). I prayed about it and chose not to get back on birth control. This was in August (2019). So, I called my doctor a week later and cancelled my appointment.

I’m so glad I made that decision because my next cycle and the cycles after that were much better. Now, I barely cramp, I don’t have to take any meds for pain, I don’t have the severe side effects anymore and through it all, I have learned to lean on God when I feel helpless. This may seem really small to most, but just to give you a quick glimpse into how my cycles were before birth control, my mom would have to pick me up from school every month because of the pain. I would have panic attacks in class and the room would be spinning (not really…but my eyes were too blurry to focus). I would have to lay down, curl up in a ball and sleep with heating pads on my stomach. The only medicine that would somewhat work was Excedrin (which is full of caffeine) so I wouldn’t sleep much. I was afraid to stop taking birth control because I didn’t want to deal with those side effects again. But by taking that leap of faith and quitting my birth control all together, God has shown himself faithful in so many ways.

Not only has my relationship with God been strengthened in that area, I have also learned to be more in tune with my body. I have paid more attention to which foods cause bloating, which foods cause my skin to break out, and when to avoid certain people because my attitude might be just a little bit moody this week (hehe).

This post is not to discourage anyone from taking birth control if you feel led to do so. But I do want to encourage you to pray about it and to make sure your motives are right. Birth control effects your body in various ways and your hormones.

Here’s a few scriptures I want to leave you with:

Mark 5 (just read the whole chapter)

Romans 15:5

Psalms 37:4

Joshua 1:9

Matthew 14:27

Psalms 28:7

Proverbs 13:12

Lastly, be encouraged! God is in full control and He will always have your best interest at heart.