Breasts & Hormones

Women often do not realise that their breast tissue, as well as the womb and ovaries, are sensitive to the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. They are directly linked.

Most of us experience swelling of the breasts, painful breasts and a more lumpy feeling in the week or so before our period. This is due to the building levels of progesterone, the hormone that prepares the body for the new life that is supposed to grow within us.  

When, in a normal cycle, you do not get pregnant in the 2 or 3 days after the ovulation, the balance tips over to more progesterone than oestrogen and your period starts roughly after 2 weeks when progesterone is no longer needed and oestrogen becomes dominant again. The thick womb lining (the cushy little nest your body made in anticipation of the new life) is shed and the cycle starts again. Under the influence of oestrogen, your body loses the water weight, breasts shrink and feel soft again and makes you all gorgeous and happy-feeling, ready to have another opportunity to make a baby.

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Sadly, I do see the negative effects of HRT, Merina coil and Pill.

Girls are put on the Pill for irregular, heavy or painful periods as young as 14. Often they stay on some sort of contraception until they want to become pregnant, which nowadays, is later in life, after the age of 30. And of course, in between babies, after babies and then HRT into the menopause. This is an incredible amount of time of hormone interruption.

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There is implanted progesterone contraception (under upper arm usually left arm and of course the inter-uterine device the Merina Coil, whereby a woman never has a period. Let that just sink in for a moment: how unnatural this is for our body. These types of contraception make your body believe you are continually pregnant, suppressing the release of an egg for as long as you are on it.

It also upsets the relationship to oestrogen, there is no ebbing and flowing of the hormonal tides throughout the month.

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In my 11 years working as a clinical thermographer, I have seen several women with left breast tumours, who also had the contraceptive implant in the left upper arm. 

I have seen young women on the Merina coil or Implanted progesterone anticonception, who developed a quick growing lump in their breast.

I have seen women in their late 30ties and early to mid 40ties with breast cancer after years of contraception, but also after fertility treatment.

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Mental health and depression 

As a homeopath, I know of the link between suppression of hormones and how women feel. Women on contraception often feel flat and depressed. The passion has gone from their lives. This is possibly an advantage for the men in our lives, to be more level so to speak, but naturally we should have a cycle including in the way we feel.

Women may feel anxious or uncertain, lacking confidence.

Therefore, once the contraception is removed, the body can start re-adjusting itself on all levels and women feel much brighter. Don't forget: when on the Pill or HRT, you are also changing the way your thyroid works, because it is all interlinked.

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Usually there is no need to interfere with medications and given some time, the hormones find their own natural way.

But when it is more difficult, homeopathic treatment and nutritional changes can be very beneficial in restoring order.

Women should not be worried about their periods or menopausal symptoms, but look for alternatives other than contraception.

And if you do not want to get pregnant, you can take control by using condoms or a pessary, which also protects you from the human papilloma virus, a risk for cervical cancer.

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For the sake of the health of your breasts (womb and ovaries), please consider coming off the contraception or hormone replacement. If you would like homeopathic treatment for hormonal regulation, I am happy to help as a professional homeopathic practitioner.

More info on homeopathy here

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Update 

After having spoken to several of my ladies, I think there is possibly 1 good option to control unruly hormones and severe menopausal/post-menopausal issues. It also has the possibility to restore things to a younger you.  I don't know enough about this, but you can inform yourself. It is a a natural, bio-identical hormone support called the Wiley Protocol. This uses oestrogen and progesterone in cycles and with different amounts, as it were as when you were still having cycles. For this you will be under the supervision of a medical practitioner and it is mainly done online, but I believe the first appointment needs to be in person, because there are blood tests involved.  

I think progesterone only creams can work, but I think are a little hit and miss. Also I think you should use it 2 weeks out of 4. But again you need to take medical advise on this.

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