Ah, birth control. The invention that lets us have our cake and eat it too (unintended pregnancy-wise, that is). But like most gifts from the heavens above, some downsides come with its usage.

One of the common queries surrounding this particular topic is whether or not birth control causes weight gain. So put on your reading glasses and let’s dive in a little deeper to find out!

All About Birth Control & Why We Love It

First things first – let’s review what birth control does for those who might be popping baby prevention pills without fully understanding their functionality.

The concept behind hormonal contraceptives (“the pill,” Depo-Provera shot, etc.) revolves around giving women artificial hormones to prevent ovulation i.e., a woman releasing an egg from her ovaries. By preventing fertilization through such means, birth control helps stave off unplanned pregnancies immensely (high-five!).

Does Taking Pills Incite Unwanted Pounds In Some People?

Now that we’ve established brief history 101 let’s move onto the real question at hand – can taking hormonal contraceptives lead people (or specifically those identifying as female) to pile on pounds unintentionally?

The answer lies somewhere in-between “yes” and “nah.”

How Hormones Play A Role

If you’re a science nerd/big bad wolf wanting to understand all about hormonal changes caused by oral contraceptive (also known as OCPs), listen up! Oral contraception blocks natural progesterone development which unbalances estrogen-progesterone ratio resulting in fluid retention levels inducing bloating while also slowing metabolic rate down leading possible further fat storage accumulation making losing physical mass more difficult than before using them.

To help put this into layman terms – Many types of white tubes are branching arms transporting essential vitamins throughout our cells’ machinery pathways when allowed continuous flow every day at the same time, but someone comes in and blocks several pathways from working efficiently. The possible retention of some vitamins potentially causing swelling all while slowing down our internal power systems opening doors to extra holding spots for any feed coming through everyday living intake.

Got it? Good! Let’s now move forward with a look into specific type(s) of birth control methods that have made people wondering if those pounds they’ve gained came from their little pills!

Birth Control Options Which Might Lead To Fluctuation In Weight

While every person is biologically different and unique, certain types of hormonal contraceptives (not just pills!) can lead to weight fluctuation/changes.

Depo-Provera Shot – “The Quarter Pounder”

First things first – let’s talk about the dreaded Depo-Provera shot, which has been nicknamed “the quarter pounder” due to its links with gaining an average of four pounds after one year of usage(!). It means that on average one would gain 0.33 lbs each month or close to 4lbs (which could differ depending on how much exercise you’re carrying out throughout taking it).

Yikes! Not only does this weight gain result in physical changes that might make wearing skinny jeans more challenging than before but also posits potential health risks (high cholesterol levels etc.) when sustained long periods over time.

If your gym joining days are starting soon (if not then go join something immediately come back here later)– be aware while taking ‘Depo’ shots as higher chance facing getting stuck faster than expected during progress tracking day-to-day scales take up space.

Certain Type Of Pills – “Miss No Mas”

Pills are another avenue where potential weight gain risk lies ahead – specifically speaking certain types such as Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella containing drospirenone: these have influence resulting cutting back water content significant enough throughout usage. Essentially, it means that your cells hold on to a larger amount of fluid than they would typically for those taking pills lacking drospirenone.

As an added benefit drospirenone can suppress the appetite to some extent which could help manage food craving over timeframe gains/losses becoming more susceptible.

Intrauterine Devices – IUDs- “Copper Coils”

If weight gain comes up while considering IUD use, do not worry as there haven’t been any reports linking it with pounds increasing here.

There are two types: Copper Non-hormonal & hormonal one Mirena – this contains levonorgestrel (combination estrogen-progestin) so may lead high blood pressure amongst users already living difficult maintaining healthy arterial counts.

Thoughts being always present when questions arise surrounding losing or gaining physical mass encouraged utilizing complete knowledge range about these methods before committing time/money towards such actions making us achieve goals less stressful!