How I Learned To Live With My Hormones

“We can put you on the birth control pill, try losing some weight, and come back when you want to get pregnant.”

Those were the words my doctor told me when he mentioned that I had PMOS (PCOS back then) and I asked what my treatment options were.

I had been off the pill for six months and hadn’t had a period since. I didn’t want to go back on the pill for the time being, so I decided to go with the “losing some weight” option.

At 18, I thought I could do that by myself. So there I was, at the beginning of my student years, obsessively counting calories, not drinking alcohol and cutting out sweets completely.

It worked for weight loss, but did it make me healthier? Nope. Did my period come back? Nope. Was I living my best life? Nope.

Searching for answers

Years went by, and I desperately searched for answers. I tried every diet, every supplement, and worked out like crazy, but nothing seemed to work.

Why wasn’t my body doing what it was supposed to do? I didn’t understand a thing about hormones, the female body, or what PMOS actually meant.

Learning to understand the body

Along the way, I started studying Health Sciences, delved into the field of psychoneuroimmunology (the science of how everything in the body works together), and worked in a gynaecology department for six years.

During that time, I heard thousands of similar stories from women struggling with their hormones and not understanding where their symptoms came from. They were often offered the same “solutions” I had been offered.

For some women, birth control or medication worked well. But many were still left with questions about their health, their hormones, and what was actually going on in their bodies.

Year by year, I learned more about my own body and how the female body works in general. Through a combination of the right nutrition, movement, rest, and psychological interventions (because what happens in the brain really matters!), I eventually got my period back and started feeling like myself again.

From recovery to practice

After years of studying and gaining clinical experience, I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping as many women as possible.

I started my own integrative practice, where I guide women with hormonal issues in understanding their bodies, addressing the underlying factors contributing to their symptoms, and improving their health through lifestyle interventions.

Over time, I realized that all women could benefit from understanding how their hormones work. We are barely taught about them at school, yet we live with our hormones every single day.

Joining Vyvi

That was the moment I decided to join Vyvi as Head of Health and Nutrition.

Honestly, I never imagined that I would be part of a project that involved building an app. But when I came across Vyvi, it immediately stood out to me.

There are apps that track your cycle, apps that provide lifestyle advice, and apps that collect data from your wearable. But I had never come across an app that combines your own input with personalized lifestyle recommendations based on your hormones and cycle.

This is exactly the approach I take in my clinical practice. Which is why I felt inspired by Vyvi, its founder Inga Petersen, and its vision and approach.

A shared vision for women’s health

My personal journey started with PMOS, but Vyvi is for every woman who wants to understand her hormones and learn to live in sync with them, rather than working against them.

Want to stay hormone inspired :)? Follow Vyvi’s journey, hit the subscribe button and be the first to test when our first beta opens later this autumn!

Cheers!

Eske Romée Ruijters

Head of Health and Nutrition