Wedding Blog
My first fitting is tomorrow! Though I am excited, I am strangely a little anxious about the whole process. I have had my dress for several months now and have delayed scheduling a fitting until now.
Why the anxiety? Slightly but not really worried about the skill… My dress does have some complicated seam patterns and some lace on the bodice, but overall I feel OK about skill, particularly as the seamstress came recommended from a friend. It’s not so much the price, as I have an idea of what to expect (though we will see how that goes tomorrow). It’s also not the timing… The timing should be exactly perfect, as I want my dress to be ready the month before.
So what exactly is the root of this anxiety? Well, it’s something that may have an economic and physical (and probably emotional 
) effect. The underlying reason is that I am actually quite nervous about weight fluctuations…in either direction.
I know that many brides typically start dropping a lot of weight the month or so before the wedding - so one thing I am nervous about is that my weight will shift so much I will have to get the alterations redone. Something similar happened to me when I got a bridesmaids dress fitted before, and I ended up having to pay an additional 50%. Given that my dress will likely involve some complex alterations, this could add up quite quickly.
However, I am much more nervous about weight fluctuation in the other direction. So…the truth of the matter is that when Mr. D and I started dating, we made a commitment to one another that we would wait. How does that relate? Well, what that means is that I have not yet started birth control. In addition to seeing some friends put on weight after starting the Pill, I have also heard a couple horror stories of friends of friends who started the Pill…and couldn’t fit into their dress the week before their wedding! I suppose I could have started birth control a few months ago so that my weight could stabilize by the time I needed to get alterations done. However, I feel like I gain weight pretty easily and usually have a hard time losing it, so I suppose I delayed starting birth control out of fear. But at this point, I know that it’s really about time to get my dress fitted.
I am just worried that I will gain weight after the alterations have been completed, and horror upon horrors, will not be able to fit into my dress, and there will be nothing the seamstress can do about it.
How did some of you deal with weight fluctuations, whether you lost or gained weight? Any tips on how to ensure a perfect fit into your dress on your wedding day? (And at the risk of sounding clueless, I would also love to know if there is a specific type of Pill for which weight gain is less of a side effect!)
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Two words: water pills!! Call your gyno and get them to write you a prescription if you start retaining and bloating. But those aren’t permanent. I had a hard time adjusting to the pill since it made me mad hungry. My advice is make sure you’re not eating larger portions and to really avoid salt and drink lots o water! Start the pill as soon as you can so your body can adjust, sometimes that in itself can suck and you wouldn’t want to go through that on your wedding day! Then again, I’m the gal that gets all the side effects of things- your body may not change a bit!!
I’ve heard that low-dose hormones often result in less weight gain… though when I started on them, I gained 11 pounds. I’m not sure if that is more just a side effect of me, because I have hormonal problems myself and don’t produce enough estrogen which is why I have to take the pill?
If you’re really worried, you could always wait until after the wedding to start taking the pill, or start your first week the week of the wedding… it took me a month and a half to amass the total weight gain, so if you started that first week, you’re not going to be stretching your dress at the seams. Just a thought…
I’m on a low-dose (ortho-tri cyclen lo) and although I may have gained a few lbs over the years, I did not notice a dramatic weight gain while on them or when I started them (and I’ve been on it for over 6 years). I’d get started on them now so your body can adjust, but you’ll probably be fine!
Ms Daffodil-
I think you have a lot of options. As for birth control pills, I think it’s really difficult to tell who might gain weight and who might not. The safest bet is to go with anything marked “Lo”, since there will be fewer side effects with a lower dose of hormones.
Could you just use condoms for the wedding night honeymoon period? I know it isn’t the most romantic thing, but then you wouldn’t have to worry about the weight gain issue.
IUDs are another option you could talk about with your physician, depending on when you want to start trying to have kids.
I actually lost weight when I started my BC. (I take a low dose called Alysse or something like that) The key is drink lots of water (so you dont bloat) and continue to eat right. (My best friend started BC freshman yr in college, and blamed it on her weight gain, when in fact, it was all the junk food she was eating)
i didn’t gain any weight and it cleared up my skin. supposedly this particular brand is good for clearing up acne, which would be a plus for your wedding day. 
oh hmm, not to say you have bad skin, but it did make my skin glow with that extra something something. 
I use the Nuva-Ring, which I began using after having so much trouble (weight, emotions, breakthrough bleeding, etc) with five different brands of pills. The Nuva-Ring has been wonderful — low maintenance and no noticeable weight gain or side effects. So perhaps you’d like to consider the Ring as an option too…Good luck, Miss D!
It’s obviously totally dependent on each person. I’m on Alesse like stiffaknee, and I had the weight gain, plus my skin has gotten so much worse since I’ve been on it the past year and a half. I used to have perfect skin… and then when I started the pill, I started breaking out. Both my OB/GYN and dermatologist said that while it clears up skin for a lot of people, some of us get the unfortunate opposite effect. Oh, well… I guess the weight gain and the bad skin are both better than having to have my ovaries removed which would be the alternative option right now.
I didn’t gain a bit of weight when I started on the pill, but it was also at a time where I was really paying attention to what I ate, so that might make a difference.
I fairly recently started taking yaz and I am sooooo happy with it. I’ve taken other pills and had some problems (extreme moodyness, weight gain, bad skin) but I have had NONE with this one. In fact, my PMS has drastically improved and my skin is amazing. I’ve been on a new diet, workout routine too and I’ve had no problem losing weight so I don’t think that I would gain weight on this pill. I can’t say enough good things about it, honestly.
Nuvaring, if your insurance will cover it, is a much better option than any “lo-dose” pill. The lo pills, especially if you are outside the typical weight parameters, will be less effective as birth control, and you have to take them AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY. The Nuvaring just continually administers a low dose of hormone since you don’t have to worry about taking the pill at the same time. Also since it is progestrin-only and does not have estrogen, it should have fewer bloating-weight gain side effects.
You get a three hour window with the higher dose pills, but its more effective the closer together you take them. I take a mono-phasic (norinyl 1/35) and I lost my appetite and 5 pounds when I went on it. When I switched to a tri-phasic (think ortho try-cylcean) I gained weight, went crazy, and lost my sex drive.
Definitely start the pill and get tested for STDs now, and he should do the same. (You didn’t say whether you’ve always been waiting or are just waiting for each other, but some things can be sexually transmitted without ever having sex - it would suck to give your partner a yeast infection…) Give yourself at least three months to adjust to the pill before you decide it isn’t working for you or it is making you crazy.
Hi Miss D. I am one of those unlucky girls with birth control/weight horror stories. I was on DepoProvera for a little over a year. I gained… wait for it… almost 75lbs in that window of time. No changes in diet or workouts. It then took me three years to take the weight off. I’ve had similar, but less drastic problems with some pills too.
Currently I’m on Yaz, and like missus above, I love it. I haven’t gained on it, and in fact, have been able to continue to lose weight gained from past pills. My younger sister is also taking Yaz, but only for relief from really awful cramps and mood swings, not sexual activity. She has had zero side effects, and it’s her first time taking BC pills.
Just my two cents, but my experience is that low-dose is the way to go. Good luck.
a low dose monophasil pill is probably your best bet. i didn’t gain any weight, but i’d start now to give your body some time to adjust.
If you are not planning to have kids for at least 5 years get an IUD. I have had mine for almost 3 years now and I love it. I went with Paraguard because I didn’t want any horomone. I don’t do well with them… synthetic horomones are not bio-identical to what our bodies produce and I had a so much trouble on them. I have had no weight gain, no change in my skin and I don’t have to remember to take a pill. The only downside is heavier periods, but I can live with that.
Talk to you OB/GYN about your concerns and see what they recommend. They know your body and what will work for you! Good luck!
Yaz is the way to go!!! With other pills I was on I often experienced side effects, but with Yaz I have had no problems. I recommend it to everyone.
I only gained a couple of pounds, but my breasts did go up a cup size when I started taking the pill. It’s funny how it affects people differently. My best friend experiences all of the potential side effects, to the extent that she can’t even use the pill. I’ve never experienced any side effects.
I started on Ortho-Cyclen (monophasic pill) the summer after my freshman year of college and I gained about 5 pounds - although it was college so I don’t know if that was the cause! Plus that was about the time I stopped working out as well…*sheepish*. It really didn’t affect me that much though and I didn’t have to change clothes sizes at all. My friend did start on a Depo shot at first and it made her gain weight AND have some other particularly unpleasant side effects so I would not recommend that since those are so unpredictable!
I highly recommend the Nuva-ring as well. i have been using it for three years now, and was previously on mircette, yaz, and ortho-tricyclen, and the nuva ring by far has the least amount of side effects, as it is has the lowest amount of hormones. But as was mentioned, everyone reacts VERY differently to each pill. The best thing to do is to go to your ob-gyn and have a good convo.
I did not notice any change in weight when I started the pill. But you have plenty of other options…
My FI and I are both “waiting” till our wedding date, and I also went through similar frustrations as I planned my birth control initiation date. I actually started my birth control (Loestrin24Fe) about 3 months ago, and I was really anxious about gaining weight. Fortunately, I haven’t gained any weight since, and so, I am hoping it will continue this way until July when I will finally be getting married (and having lots and lots of…..*blush).
Good luck!
Can I suggest that you not even take the pill at all? I am glad to hear that there are girls having good experience with the low dose BC pills, but personally I think the pill kinda bites. I think it’s so effective because it makes you not want to have sex, which, as a newlywed, is probably not how you want to be. The old condom has a lot going for it - no weight gain, doesn’t kill your sex drive and, bonus, you don’t need to worry about going off it and re-adjusting when you decide you do want to have kids. Pills are not your only option. Just my two cents.
Can I recommend against an IUD? A friend of mine in her 20s got one and reacted really badly to it; she got a lot of scar tissue and almost had to have a hysterectomy. I’d vote for a NuvaRing over that.
I’m on Orthotricyclen Lo and didn’t gain any weight on it. I’m thinking of switching to Seasonique, though, because my PMS is still pretty bad. Also, when I first began it (years ago), I had some pretty rough emotional side effects; some depression for the first few months is pretty common, and if you’re predisposed to that already, you should be ready for it.
Here is an interesting article to read:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/25/health/webmd/main1236556.shtml
I’ve been told that while the scale may go up a bit initially when you start the pill, it’s not FAT that you’re putting on. It’s water weight. You may tend to hold more water as your hormones adjust and you may find yourself more bloated than usual. It will settle down after a couple of months.
Like the other commenters are saying, go with a lo dose pill, or use condoms prior to the wedding if you are worried about bloating before your wedding.
Everyone has different experiences, so make sure you consult your doctor and do what is best for you.
i’d start now to get your body adjust to it. plus you’ll develop your own pattern of remembering to take the pill, which is super important.
as far as side effects, that’s wholly dependant on the person. one friend of mine stopped taking the pill because of weight gain and mood swings but i haven’t had any side effects at all.
i’d talk to your ob-gyn more about your options and any possible side effects. when i went in the first time, i came with a whole list of questions. you might find that another method other than the pill is your best choice. good luck!
Thanks for sharing Miss D, I am in exactly the same situation although I’ll be getting married this Dec so hopefully I’ll have time to adjust to whichever option I take. I’m worried about the emotional side effects because I sink into quite low moods during PMS as it is! Hope you find something that will work! x
You want to talk to your OBGYN about the best options for you. There are many options out there, you just have to decide what works best for you. For example, my OBGYN is very cautious with me being on the pill because strokes, hypertension and heart conditions run in my family and one side effect of the pill can be blood clots (causing the stroke or heart attack). Since I’m genetically predisposed to those issues (systemic blood clots), they will only allow me a LO-dose pill.
I prefer a monophasic pill (like yaz, Nordette, Lo-ovral or the brand I take, ortho novum-lo), as you can “back to back” a pack to manipulate/adjust your period a week or a month if you have something going on, such as honeymoon, wedding, etc. I do this around finals time because I get EXTREMELY tired when I am on my cycle, so I adjust my cycle a week with the monophasic pill. There is one called Seasonale that only gives you 4 cycles per year, as it is just a monophasic pill skipping the week of inactive pills that cause the monthly cycle. You cannot do this on the triphasic pills because they have different horomonal levels and if you tried to do it, the pills are less than 50% effective (versus the 98%). Personally, I tried the triphasic pill and I had the typical moodswings of PMS and got acne while on them- which I never in my life have had.
If I had a predictable and easy cycle, then I would have gotten an IUD. No pills to remember, no worries, just a monthly cycle. There are two kinds of IUDs, copper and horomonal. Each has benefits. I am considering getting a copper one in the future, because I’ve been on the pill so long and I am uneasy due to the already increased risk of blood clots from the pill alone, my family history makes me more concerned.
Anyhow if you want the down and dirty on the pill, here’s a webpage that has some really helpful and detailed information.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/E/35320/35326/351282.html?d=dmtHMSContent
Good luck making your decision.
Why don’t you start taking the birth control (or whatever you find works for you) with plenty of time before your wedding, so your weight will have adjusted accordingly? Just because you’re on the pill doesn’t mean you’re in the bed. I mean, don’t wait until 1 month before your wedding - get a prescription now and start taking it, that will give your body time to adjust.
I started on BC 4 or 5 months before we became intimate with one another.
Also, it took me a few different prescriptions to find the right one.
Good luck!
I have to agree with Kami about the pill. BC pills work by altering testosterone levels, so that your eggs won’t be released. Testosterone is the main hormone involved in sex drive… thus it’s really hard to take any hormonal BC that won’t affect your sex drive.
I bring this up because I’m another one who waited til marriage… and a couple months after the wedding, I stopped taking the Pill (was on Yasmin) because my sex drive was non-existent. This was not cool, as my husband and I were pretty impatient to get on with things after waiting so long! It caused a lot of stress in our new marriage… and was something I had not ever thought would be a problem (due to the ‘impatience’ mentioned previously). Things actually were ok on the wedding night and honeymoon - probably from the newness of everything? But it was a big problem when we got back to real life. Stopping the pill really helped with these issues.
I don’t want to add to your worries, but it’s something to think about… Everyone is different so there’s no way to really predict things, it’s just that from my own personal experience I would say stay away from hormones.
I’m in my last semester of pharmacy school and can tell you that with oral contraceptives today, the weight gain isn’t as bad as it used to be. When you go to your gyno, which you should do soon, ask for a low hormone oral contraceptive (unless you are overweight/obese…BMI >31). If you are heavier, low dose OC is less effective. It takes a full pack of pills before you are protected against pregnancy, so if you aren’t planning on having sex until marriage, just make sure you get through a full pack before you have sex. You won’t gain that much weight in a month. Also, if you are concerned about weight gain ask your doctor about Yasmin. It contains a progesterone that acts as a mild diuretic, so it prevents any water retention.
oooh all such wonderful advice that i will keep in mind when i finally go in to my dr’s appt. keep the advice coming!
also, have any of you experienced finding that your dress didn’t fit the week of the wedding, whether it was related to BC or not?
how did you deal at the last minute?
I totally second just using condoms. Or try the temperature method. It’s natural and free and brings you closer together as a couple. Plus, when you want to have kids there’s no waiting and you’ll know exactly when you’re ovulating. It’s perfect!
I hated the pill!
I put on 10 lbs that i couldn’t lose no matter what and I almost totally lost my sex drive.
2 months ago I went off of it and lost 10 lbs quickly and would be having good nookie if not for the fact that the fiance and I decided to stop temporarily until the wedding (it’s late in the game, I know, but it makes us feel better!)
we’re abstaining right now …whew….but when i was active i was on the Nuva Ring and loved it! it was awesome. no side affects for me and no everyday maintenance.
the only problem, if i had to name one, is that it can get….shall we say “knocked out place” if the “going gets rough” BUT this is a simple fix. just a quick rinse and pop right back in place. No worries!
IUD is by far the best BC I have tried. I have tried desogen, ortho-tricyclen low, nuvaring, cyclesssa and apri, and they did not work for me. (Chronic yeast infections, a possible side effect, really kills the libido.)
I have the paraguard and love it. My gynecologist has been giving them to (nulliparous) women for more than 10 years, and said that she never had a patient experience the scarring that amysue’s friend experienced.
While it is a very small possibility, the very slight risk of infertility was something I was willing to risk over the increased risk of breast cancer that comes along with taking the hormones in BC pills.
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Mrs. Daffodil, San Francisco/Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 26, Nonprofit Strategy Consultant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Resident Physician
Engagement Date: December 29, 2006
Wedding Date: May, 2008
Blogging Since: August, 2007
Venue: Church w/ floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Valley; Westin in downtown LA
About Me: I moved around a lot growing up, but consider myself a Southerner at heart. I love scrapbooking, dancing, doggies, and diet coke. I am all about personalizing everything and hence, I'm a DIY bride who is just loving the entire wedding planning process! Mr. Daffodil and I met in our college fellowship group and were "just friends" for three years before we started dating. We've been together for four years now and can't wait to get married in sunny SoCal, Mr. Daffodil's hometown.
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