The Natural Womanhood Podcast

Emily and Kirk had just suffered their second miscarriage, and they were done : done with the pain, done with the fear, and done having kids. They had already had two children, and had made their peace with their family size, so they made the decision to have Kirk undergo a vasectomy. Done. Until... Join us for the first episode of season 3 of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, where NW's Editor-...

So many women wonder if they can reliably use a fertility awareness method (FAM) while breastfeeding—and it's little wonder, given that this can be the trickiest of times to learn and use a FAM. But with a little guidance and perseverance, it absolutely can be done, and we're here to talk about how! In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, co-host Cassondra Moriarty is in the ho...

It's no secret that fertility awareness methods (FAMs) can be a controversial subject. For non-Catholics, using FAMs for family planning is seen as controversial when they're (mis)understood as ineffective iterations of the Rhythm Method (of course, in reality, they're lightyears ahead of the Rhythm Method in scientific validity, and therefore incredibly effective when used appropri...

"Does the world we build welcome mothers, or does it treat them as a problem to be solved?" That's the question author Leah Libresco Sargeant wrestles with over and over again in her writings on her Substack and elsewhere, and especially in her essay " Designing Woman " for Comment. For this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast (S2E8), Grace and Cassie were thrilled to...

When it comes to adolescent sex education programs, do we have to choose between "abstinence-only" or "comprehensive?" Dr. Sarah Denny doesn't think so. In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, Grace and Cassie interview Dr. Denny about her beautiful and innovative vision of a "third way" for sex education—one which gives teens a full picture of both the...

In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast (Season 2 / Episode 6), Grace and Cassie interview Dr. Matthew Loftus, a family doctor who currently lives (with his wife and four children!) and practices medicine in Kenya. As you might have guessed from the title, this is "the episode where we talk about porn," and we approached Dr. Loftus as a guest speaker on this topic after reading...

In this episode (Season 2 / Episode 5), Grace and Cassie interview Tiffany and Kelly of Beautiful One Midwifery , a practice based out of Encinitas, CA. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss the key differences of midwifery care vs. obstetrical care when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum—learning a lot about the power of women's bodies in the process. "Your body is n...

In this episode (Season 2 / Episode 4), Grace and Cassie interview Julia McElhenny on the benefits of fertility awareness methods (FAMs) for single women. Julia is the assistant video editor for a non-profit media studio in Austin, TX called the Emergent Order Foundation, and she actually edited the first season of The Natural Womanhood Podcast for us—oh, and she happens to be Grace's little...

In this episode (Season 2 / Episode 3), Grace and Cassie interview functional nutritionist and registered dietician Victoria Coglianese of Wonderfully Made Nutrition. We discuss not only what good nutrition looks like for women suffering from PCOS, but also how to be mindful of the ways we nourish our bodies as women. Women are not just small men, and our nutritional needs differ in some very impo...

In this episode (Season 2 / Episode 2), Grace interviews Leah Jacobson, author of Wholistic Feminism: Healing the Identity Crisis Caused by the Women's Movement , and founder and CEO of The Guiding Star Project . Grace and Leah have a fascinating conversation that discusses the implications of the women's movement, from its origins, to its effects on modern women's health and well-b...

Welcome back to The Natural Womanhood Podcast! In this episode (Season 2 / Episode 1), we're discussing all things postpartum. Cassie and Grace recorded this episode after both recently having new babies (their second and third, respectively), and in it, they reflect on what they've learned through each new postpartum experience--about themselves, their bodies, and their relationships. Y...

Dr. Lauren Rubal, M.D. is a board-certified OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist (REI). She was also once one of the top full-scope REI providers for the Kaiser Health Network, which meant that she frequently provided in vitro fertilization (IVF) services to patients struggling with infertility, and provided birth control to women struggling with menstrual issues like endometriosis and polycyst...

What do you think of when you hear the term "self care?" Does it mean treating yourself to something special or expensive? Does it mean forcing yourself to maintain some semblance of personal hygiene (like showering), even though you're overwhelmed and exhausted? In this episode (Season 1 / Episode 7), we tackle the topic of self-care with therapist Julia Hogan, LCPC, and discuss th...

Living with your fertility feels radically different when turning off your fertility is the cultural norm. But couples often find when they make the switch to using a fertility awareness method (FAM), that it can be a wonderful tool for strengthening their relationship. In this episode (Season 1 / Episode 6), we have an enlightening conversation with  FertilityCare Practitioner and Natural Womanho...

Fertility Awareness Methods have come a long way from your great grandma’s rhythm method. As Grace puts it, comparing today's Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) to the antiquated rhythm method is like comparing Jerry Seinfeld's car phone to the smart phone you are probably listening to this podcast on. Who first discovered that basal body temperature rises after ovulation? Who put togeth...

Birth control is so ubiquitous and so easy to procure, that many women have not stopped to think about how it prevents pregnancy, and why it matters. The history of birth control, from the very first iteration of the Pill to the modern options available to women today, provides some interesting clues about what birth control is, how it works, and what its creators intended it for.  In this episode...

Although FEMM is one of the latest  fertility awareness methods (FAMs) to take the world of women's reproductive health by storm, it's built on a long history of established science . Complete with a sleek mobile app and established restorative reproductive medicine protocols—and a growing directory of healthcare providers around the world trained to administer those protocols—FEMM is wh...

Some of our most popular articles on the Natural Womanhood website have to do with painful sex . A growing area of interest is how pelvic floor physical therapy can be utilized to heal the causes of painful sex , but as we discover in this episode, it can do so much more.  In this episode (Season 1 / Episode 2), we interview Dr. Jen Tippmann, PT, DPT , owner of Tippmann Physical Therapy in Fort Wa...

The Natural Womanhood Podcast brings together experts in the field of fertility awareness for candid, informative, and friendly conversations about authentic women's health. From pelvic floor physical therapy, to surgical interventions, to relationships and mental health, no topic is off limits for Grace and Cassie, as they seek to bring the empowering truth about women, their bodies, and the...