Let’s debunk once and for all this unfounded misconception! Precisely because of this false belief, many girls, and also many adult women, refuse to use it, putting themselves at risk of an unwanted pregnancy which would be a much more critical issue to manage. Previously, the first pills made contained a high dose of estrogen, and this could actually result in a slight increase in weight (always mild, we’re talking about a maximum of 2 pounds in the 1st year), mainly due to water retention. Today, however, the problem is completely solved. Both the pill and the other combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are all low in estrogen (≤30 mcg) and do not cause weight gain.
It’s important to remember that the first rule for maintaining normal weight is always a healthy lifestyle, which means a complete and balanced diet combined with regular physical activity that is commensurate with age. In this sense, it might be useful for you to keep a food diary for a couple of months, recording everything you eat, including snacks. You would not be the first to find out that you eat more than you think you do without realizing it.
If the feeling of weight gain or “…being swollen” persists, you can ask your gynecologist to switch to a pill that contains only progestin, which helps to counteract water retention.
