We ask kids all the time "what do you want to be when you grow up?" but how often do we ask them "do you want to be a mom?" or "do you want to be a dad?" These questions are the very basics of the concept known as reproductive life planning, a topic we unpack in detail during this enlightening episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast featuring Dr. Danielle Miller, MD.

As the founder of Luz Medicine, a direct primary care practice in Lancaster, PA, Dr. Miller focuses on the full spectrum of primary care and women’s health, including infertility care. Reproductive life planning has therefore become a passion of hers, and we discuss what the concept looks like in action (and how it has evolved over time), and how we can do better by the young people in our lives by being honest about the realities of waning fertility. In this fascinating episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, we also discuss lessons on the importance of reproductive life planning gleaned from the recently published Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth by Dr. Catherine Ruth Pakaluk.

As always, you do not want to miss this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast!

Show notes:

Find out more about Natural Womanhood's Cycle Mindfulness Clubs, here.

For more on Natural Womanhood's Period Genius program, click here.

To learn more about Dr. Danielle Miller and FACTS, click here.

For those interested in Dr. Miller's direct primary care practice, Luz Medicine, click here.

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In May 2024, Melinda Gates pledged $1 billion dollars to defend “reproductive rights” in America. But back in 2012, she was throwing around even bigger sums and broader goals: she publicly pledged to dedicate $5 billion to fund a massive pro-contraception campaign in 69 of the poorest countries in the world, most of which, at the time, were in Sub-Saharan Africa.

From her apartment in the UK, a young, female, Nigerian biomedical scientist watched her TV in anger and disbelief as Gates pledged to meet the "unmet need" of African women for contraception. That same night, Obianuju Ekeocha would pen an open letter to Gates that would garner massive international attention, and spur the creation of Culture of Life Africa.

Yet, 12 years later, Gates's plans have proved largely successful: millions more women around the globe are on hormonal contraceptives as a direct result of her concerted efforts.

During Natural Womanhood's September 2024 Annual Gala, the same Nigerian woman who bravely challenged Gates in her open letter over a decade ago issued a new challenge for everyone in attendance: if the scourge of contraception came from the West, the antidote would need to come from the West, too. We're excited to play some key excerpts of Obianuju Ekeocha's powerful speech for our listeners in this special Season 3 episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast.

Also in this special episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, host and Editor-in-Chief, Grace Emily Stark, is joined by the co-founder and CEO of NW: Gerard Migeon. Gerard tells our listeners about Natural Womanhood's vision as a non-profit organization, everything we’re doing to alert promote authentic women's health all over the world, the impact of our work, and how we need your financial support now more than ever.

You’ll also get to hear from the University of Texas at Austin leader of our Cycle Mindfulness Clubs, who'll tell us a bit more about that program, her experience in it, and why it matters to her. Finally, we'll be playing clips of some key moments of the riveting talk that Obianuju Ekeocha gave at our annual gala this past September. In this exclusive recording, Obianuju shares how she got involved in promoting authentic women's health, what is really going on in Africa, and how we all must respond.

You do not want to miss this explosive special episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast!

Show notes:

Find out more about our Cycle Mindfulness Clubs, here.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode.

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As more women awaken to the reality that birth control has been used as a bandaid for so many of their health issues, the search for root-causes and authentic solutions has led many to consider alternatives to allopathic medical care, such as naturopathic medicine. But how does naturopathic medicine differ, especially for women's health? In today's episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, Grace interviews Dr. Jessica Whelan, ND (also a FertilityCare™ Practitioner and Medical consultant) who practices comprehensive women's health care in Saint Albans, VT (and via telehealth).

Together, Grace and Dr. Whelan discuss:

1. What is naturopathic medicine, and how does it differ from allopathic medicine?
2. What can a naturopathic doctor (ND) trained as a NaproTechnology and FertilityCare™ Practitioner and Medical consultant offer to patients differently from an MD or DO trained in NaPro—especially when it comes to endometriosis, PCOS, and infertility​?
3. The surprising ways naturopathic doctors can help women overcome mental health struggles (among other issues).

And much more!

Show notes:

Dr. Whelan's 6 Ways to Healthy Hormones and Better Cycles Guide

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

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An estimated 44% of girls don't know what's happening when they start their first period. And when it happens, many of those girls are fearful that they are sick—even dying—and suffer in silence, too embarrassed to admit what's happening or ask any questions about it.

Fear, confusion, lies: This is the sad reality of puberty for far too many young American girls today. But it doesn't have to be that way for your daughter. In today's episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, Grace Emily Stark discusses not only the importance of teaching our daughters about their periods (well before they start!), but about the entirety of their cycles, with ovulation as the focal point. And for moms who have no idea where to begin when it comes to having these conversations with their daughters, that's where Natural Womanhood's Period Genius program comes in (formerly known as Mothers of PreTeens).

For this episode, Grace is joined by Christina Valenzuela, creator of Pearl & Thistle, an online suite of menstrual cycle, body literacy, and NFP education for all ages and stages. Together, Grace and Christina (moms of daughters themselves!) discuss the how and why moms are best-suited for giving their daughters the empowering body literacy they both need and crave—even if they don't know it, yet.

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women’s health. The podcast is hosted by Natural Womanhood’s Editor-in-Chief, Grace Emily Stark. Grace is an award-winning journalist, a certified instructor of the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness, and she holds a M.A. in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Natural Womanhood exists because all women can learn to claim their natural fertility as beautiful, powerful, and healthy. Learn more about Natural Womanhood, here.

Show notes / links:

Want to purchase Natural Womanhood's Period Genius program for you and your daughter (or gift it to someone who needs it)? We're now offering it at $87 for 12-month access! ($125 for lifetime access). Click here for more details.

Use the coupon code PARENTS15 to get a 15% off discount on Pearl & Thistle's CYCLE PREP: First Period Course for Girls (cycleprep.com)

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For years, Jennifer Lahl has been one of the lone voices screaming into the void about the ethical dangers of assisted reproductive technology (ART), including egg and sperm donation, and surrogacy. She specializes in sharing the stories of those people the billion dollar ART industry likes to hide, like those of the children conceived by anonymous donor gametes longing to know their genetic parents, or surrogates and babies abandoned by commissioning couples. More recently, she's been working to promote the voices of another silenced group: detransitioners, whom the transgender movement likes to pretend do not exist.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Jennifer for this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast to hear her thoughts on what all of these issues have in common, and whether she believes—as we do, at Natural Womanhood—that authentic body literacy might hold one of the keys to ending the practice of surrogacy, gamete donation, and perhaps even toppling the entire façade of transgender "medicine."

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women’s health. The podcast is hosted by Natural Womanhood’s Editor-in-Chief, Grace Emily Stark. Grace is an award-winning journalist, a certified instructor of the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness, and she holds a M.A. in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Natural Womanhood exists because all women can learn to claim their natural fertility as beautiful, powerful, and healthy. Learn more about Natural Womanhood, here.

Show notes / links:

Order Jennifer's new book (co-written with Kallie Fell), The Detransition Diaries, here.
Follow the great work of The Center for Bioethics and Culture, here.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferLahl

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode.

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

"What started as an ambitious crowdfunding campaign back in 2014 has since grown into the world’s first wearable [basal body temperature] sensor, advancing women’s reproductive health throughout every stage." So reads TempDrop's "About Us" page. As it happens, Natural Womanhood's website also began 10 years ago, in 2014, and so it only feels right that we'd have the distinction of being the first podcast to ever interview TempDrop's inventor and founder, Michael Vardi.

In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, NW's Editor-in-Chief, Grace Emily Stark, and TempDrop's founder, Michael Vardi, trace the beginnings of TempDrop, fertility apps, and women's growing interest in body literacy. They also discuss the trends, discoveries, and challenges of the last 10 years of fertility awareness and Femtech, and what the future holds for both.

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women’s health. The podcast is hosted by Natural Womanhood’s Editor-in-Chief and Public Relations manager, Grace Emily Stark. Grace is an award-winning journalist, a certified instructor of the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness, and she holds a M.A. in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Natural Womanhood exists because all women can learn to claim their natural fertility as beautiful, powerful, and healthy. Learn more about Natural Womanhood, here.

Show notes / links:
If you want to buy a Tempdrop, be sure to use our affiliate link to get 15-25% off during the month of July!

About TempDrop: Tempdrop uses the latest scientific knowledge to bring you an accurate method of cycle tracking and identification of your fertile window. Wear the Tempdrop sensor on your upper arm during sleep and sync to our charting app whenever it's convenient. Tempdrop‘s sensor continuously monitors your basal body temperature while you sleep, eliminating the need to wake up at the same time each day.

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

Support the Show.

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Follo

Support the show

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Abigail Anthony knew a thing or two about pain and perseverance as a former competitive ballerina. But when her increasingly painful periods and other seemingly disparate side effects made her workload at Princeton harder and harder to manage, people treated her as if she just needed to mentally "toughen up."

Now a graduate student at Oxford (and the current Collegiate Network Fellow at National Review), Abigail wrote the story of her endometriosis journey for The Free Press, where she interned last August. We knew we had to interview her for The Natural Womanhood Podcast, and she graciously agreed to record this episode with us, all the way from England! We hope you enjoy this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast.

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women’s health. The podcast is hosted by Natural Womanhood’s Editor-in-Chief and Public Relations manager, Grace Emily Stark. Grace is an award-winning journalist, a certified instructor of the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness, and she holds a M.A. in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Natural Womanhood exists because all women can learn to claim their natural fertility as beautiful, powerful, and healthy. Learn more about Natural Womanhood, here.

Show notes / links:

Read Abigail's piece for The Free Press: I Wasn’t Hysterical. I Was Sick.
Follow Abigail on Twitter @abigailandwords

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Follow us on Instagram @naturalwomanhood

Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode.

Follow us on X @naturwomanhood
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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

Talking about intimacy can be tough, which can make communicating about natural family planning (NFP) with our spouse—or sharing about NFP and its benefits with others—a little bit... uncomfortable. How can we communicate better about sex, intimacy, and natural family planning to benefit not only our own marriages, but others', as well?

In this intimacy-focused, third episode of season 3 of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, NW’s Editor-in-Chief, Grace Emily Stark, interviews Ellen Holloway, Catholic sexuality and intimacy coach and host of the Charting Toward Intimacy podcast. Together, the two share their own personal experiences with how natural family planning has deepened intimacy in their respective marriages—and muse about why we're not better at sharing with others the "good news" of NFP. (Spoiler alert: they have some ideas for how to do that.)

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women’s health. The podcast is hosted by Natural Womanhood’s Editor-in-Chief and Public Relations manager, Grace Emily Stark. Grace is an award-winning journalist, a certified instructor of the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness, and she holds a M.A. in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Natural Womanhood exists because all women can learn to claim their natural fertility as beautiful, powerful, and healthy. Learn more about Natural Womanhood, here.


Show notes / links:

Learning to love (with) Natural Family Planning : What dozens of couples told us about their experience with NFP

Vines in Full Bloom + NFP Basics

Charting toward intimacy on Instagram: @chartingtowardintimacy

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.

Support the show

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Follow us on X @naturwomanhood
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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation,

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode.

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.