When you (and by that, I mean "I") counsel couples and constantly write about relationships, you’re gonna hear all sorts of random and fascinating stuff. Case in point — not too long ago, I was talking to an older man (in the grocery store, no less) about misconceptions that women have about men when it comes to sex. “A lot of you don’t think that a man can get turned out by a woman, but it happens and is easier than a lot of them think. A lot of it has little to do with her cat and that’s the point.” (Cat. LOL.)
Seniors — especially Black ones — are a wealth of wisdom, so while there was no need to test him on his insights, I did decide to interview a few fellas to see what their thoughts were on what he said and if they would be willing and able to provide me some examples too.
Below are what 12 men shared. At the very least, ponder what was said, poll a few guys who you know and then take all of the intel to heart. Because the other thing that the man said to me is that the women who can make it happen are the women who are truly unforgettable — “And trust me, we don’t remember everyone.”
Hmph. Let’s proceed, shall we?
*Middle names have been used because…well, I’m sure you get it.*
1. Malik. 33. Single.
Giphy“A lot of women talk about the importance of foreplay happening before sex. Guys feel the same way…in a different way. We like it when we get nasty-ass texts in the middle of the day or a phone call where our lady tells us what she enjoys that we do to her. Don’t underestimate a man’s need to feel thought about and appreciated even when it comes to sex. A woman who sexually affirms can have the world.”
2. Zeke. 24. Single.
“There’s muscle memory and then there’s sex memory. My best sex has been with women who pick up on my cues — the sounds I make during sex that let them know that some stuff is cool and other stuff is amazin’. If they hit those buttons and scratch those itches, she’s got me.”
3. Wesley. 37. In a Long-Term Relationship.
Giphy“Before I settled down, sex had gotten pretty stale, I won’t lie. I mean, p — sy is always gonna be good because even when it’s not, we can make it that way but it was just…predictable. That’s not the case now because she [name left out on purpose] always comes with something new — a new position, some new lingerie, some different tasting lube…hell, I never know. That has me intrigued because that means she’s always thinking about how to make our sex life better. It’s an adventure every time. She gets props for that.”
4. Hendrick. 30. Engaged.
“The best sex I ever had was with a woman from my job. At work, she was always really quiet and sweet but in the bedroom…if we ever made it to the bedroom?! She had a totally different personality. Wigs at work. Natural hair at home. Very cooperative at work. Demanding as hell at home. Even the way she treated me was different. She was very 'What do you need?' at work but in the bedroom, she was on some ‘Your d — k is mine’ s — t. It was the contrast more than anything that was a turn-on because she knew how to switch up her energy to get what she wanted. S — t. Now you’re gonna have me look her up on IG to see what her fine ass is up to these days.”
5. Jerod. 27. Single.
Giphy“How graphic can I get?"
"Ladies, you probably already know that good head is all about you enjoying giving it as much as we enjoy receiving it. But some of y’all be on a cheat code. You use so much of your hand that your mouth is barely touching it."
"A woman who moves her hands out of the way? She’s the one who can get a shopping spree afterward.”
6. Alex. 30. Married Five Years.
“I have an average size penis. The best sex I ever had was with a woman who know exactly what to do with it. Not having a huge d — k doesn’t mean we can’t please a woman but it does mean that some positions work better than others and she knew that. She put her own legs over my shoulder. She scooted her own self onto the side of the bed. She told me to sit up, so that she could wrap her body around me. A woman who knows a man’s body is gonna know how to take it there.”
7. Elijah. 42. Married 12 Years.
Giphy“I’ve been married for a long time now and even before then, I was out in these streets and yes, she knows it. What sold me on my wife, even before I proposed, was how high her drive was and how confident she was sexually. Guys are used to being the initiator so much that it’s damn near mind-blowing when a woman comes on the scene and can run circles around you with their libido. She always makes me feel wanted. A lot of women don’t get that that feeling alone will make a man want to come home — hell, come home early too.”
8. Vernon. 42. Single.
“One word: swallow. A woman who devours is gonna always be a top 10 in my book. It’s not just because it feels amazing. It’s also because she’s saying that she’s not turned off by every part of a man. Ask any guy. He’ll say the same thing.”
9. Cendall. 37. In a Long-Term Relationship.
Giphy“My best sex was with a woman who made me meditate naked with her before we did anything. I thought she was crazy AF at first but there can be a lot on your mind when you’re having sex. The quiet calmed me down and made it easier to focus on it all. I’ve tried to get other women to meditate too. Funny…it’s not quite the same.”
10. Manson. 33. Married Six Years.
“I swear you ain’t lived until you’ve been with a woman who hates having sex in the bed. I’m dead serious. The ones who will figure out how to get it in on the side of the couch, in the breakfast nook, and in the corner of your garage? It’s like they’re saying that a bed is too predictable to them — they want to try some new s — t, and hell, I’m wit it.”
11. Uzziah. 50. Divorced.
Sexy Season 2 GIF by Blunt Talk - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphy“The young women need to hear this:
"Making a man cum is not doing much. A hole in the wall can do that. Making a man orgasm is the key to life."
"One tip: His ball sack is there for a reason. Play with it. A LOT. You’re welcome.”
12. Jaymes. 30. Single.
“Enthusiasm is gonna beat out experience every time. A woman who expresses excitement about being with me? I don’t care if she knows how to spin on my d — k or not. She’s already got me hype because I feel like she genuinely wants to be there. I used to not understand Prince’s song ‘Kiss’ when he said that a woman doesn’t have to be experienced. I do now.”
-----
There you have it — 12 men who divulged a bit of what goes on in their own bat caves (so to speak), chile. Which one surprised you? Which one are you already implementing and seeing the results of? Which one will you try next time?
A wise person once said that the best sex comes from two people who get off on pleasing their partner.
Definitely words to live by if one of your sex-related life goals is to turn your man…all the way out.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Delmaine Donson/Getty Images
RELATED
These days, it's for a completely different purpose, though. Now that I am in the hopefully latter stages of perimenopause (I’m not sure because my mother had a full hysterectomy at 29, her mother died at 53 and I don’t deal with my paternal grandmother because…chile… ) — although I have always had relatively easy cycles and I could definitely set my watch to them, about two years ago, my periods started to show up whenever they felt like it and it was damn near a crime scene once they did.
It was driving me crazy, and so, my nurse practitioner recommended that I take progestin-only pills to shorten, if not completely stop, my cycle: “After a year or so, we can wean off and see if you are entering into menopause on your own.” (Whew, perimenopause, chile.)
Although the first five months of being on this particular pill made me wonder if it was worth it to take this approach, I actually re-upped for another 12-month cycle because the extra progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) has benefitted me in other areas as well because I am sleeping more soundly and my weight is more stabilized (by the way, when these things are “off,” they are signs of low progesterone levels). However, I did ask my nurse practitioner if, once I do decide to wean off of the pill, would there be any issues.
Her response is what inspired me to write this article because, until she said “post-birth control syndrome” to me, I had no idea there was such a thing. Anyway, if you give me a sec, I’ll explain to you what it is and why you should care if hormone-related birth control is currently a part of your life.
Yes, Post-Birth Control Syndrome Is a Very Real Thing
GiphyOkay, so it’s important to always remember that the way that birth control works is it “manipulates” your hormones so that you can significantly reduce your chances of conceiving. This means that taking them could result in some side effects including nausea; weight gain; headaches; irregular periods and/or spotting; increased stress; depression; blurry vision; breast tenderness, and/or a lowered libido.
That said, even though birth control pills are basically 99 percent effective (when taken correctly and consistently), if the side effects that you are experiencing are making you close to miserable, you should absolutely share that with your healthcare provider because…what’s the sense in preventing pregnancy when you don’t even feel up to having sex because you don’t feel good or your sex drive is shot? More times than not, your provider can find you another pill brand or option that will help you to feel more like yourself.
With that out of the way, think about it — if going on the pill can produce side effects, why would going off of it…not? And this is where post-birth control syndrome comes in.
For the most part, it’s what can happen to your body once you decide to come off of birth control. Typically, the symptoms will last anywhere between 4-6 months and, although the symptoms seem to present themselves most intensely as it relates to going off of the pill, any hormone-related birth control (like IUDs, injections, patches, the ring or implants) could produce similar outcomes.
Outcomes like what?
- Irregular cycles
- Breakouts
- Excessive gas and/or bloating
- Weight gain
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Fertility issues
- Migraines and/or headaches
- Shifts in your libido
- Sleeplessness/restlessness
- Hair loss
Whoa, right? And if a part of you is wondering, “Okay, if this is indeed the case, why have I not heard of this syndrome before?” It’s because it’s not a term that conventional method uses nearly as much as alternative medicine does. Still, it makes all of the sense in the world that if your body has to adjust to an uptick in hormonal intake, it would also need to adjust to removing those extra doses of hormones from your system as well. COMMON. DAMN. SENSE.
Anyway, if you were thinking about taking a break from birth control and taking all of this in has you feeling a bit…let’s go with the word “trepidatious” about doing so, I totally get it. There are some things that you can do to make experiencing post-birth control syndrome either a non-issue or a far more bearable one, though.
7 Home Remedies That Can Make Coping with Post-Birth Control Syndrome Easier
Giphy1. Take a multivitamin.Something that’s fascinating about what going off of birth control can do is it sometimes has the ability to lower your nutrition levels as it relates to certain vitamins and minerals; this is especially the case when it comes to vitamins B, C, E and minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc. So, if you don’t currently take a multivitamin, now would be the time to start (along with consuming foods that are particularly high in those nutrients as well).
2. Up your vitamin D intake. Speaking of nutrient levels, a vitamin level that commonly drops after going off of birth control isvitamin D. This is hella critical to keep in mind as a Black woman since many of us tend to be naturally deficient in the vitamin as-is and vitamin D is important when it comes to fighting off diseases, regulating weight and keeping your moods stabilized (for starters). So, make sure that your multivitamin has vitamin D in it. Also make sure to consume vitamin D-enriched foods like fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms, yogurt and fortified orange juice.
3. Drink herbal teas. Since going off of birth control will cause your hormones to be all over the place for a season, consider drinking some herbal teas that will help to stabilize them. Black cohosh contains phytoestrogen properties, Chasteberry can help to level out your prolactin levels and green tea can help your hormones out by helping to balance out your insulin (which can sometimes directly affect them).
4. Keep some ibuprofen nearby. The headaches and migraines? Until those subside, you and ibuprofen are probably going to become really good friends; although I will add that ginger tea and inhaling essential oils like chamomile and lavender can help to ease migraine-related symptoms too.
5. Do some meditating. Waiting for your hormones to get back on track can be stressful as all get out. That said, something that can get your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to chill out is to meditate. If meditation is new for you, check out “7 Meditation Hacks (For People Who Can't Seem To Do It).”
6. Get massages. As if you needed an excuse to get a massage, right (check out “12 Different Massage Types. How To Know Which Is Right For You.”)? However, there is some evidence to back the fact that regular massages (somewhere around once a month) can help to lower your stress, boost your dopamine, increase blood flow and drain your lymphatic system so that you will have more energy.
7. Sleep/rest more. There is plenty of scientific research out here which says that sleep deprivation can throw your hormones out of whack — and since your hormones are already trying to stabilize themselves, you definitely need to get 6-8 hours of sleep and not feel the least bit guilty about taking naps sometimes too.
____
Post-birth control syndrome may not be the most pleasant thing about getting off of birth control yet it is manageable. So, now that you know all about it, you can feel more confident about taking a birth control break (or getting off altogether) — without the surprises that can come with doing it. Give thanks.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Unsplash