The Unspoken Cycle with Leah Vaughn

I recently had a difficult conversation with a friend about a decision that she made…and quickly came to regret.   And she said to me, “I wish I hadn’t acted on my feelings”.   I understood exactly what she meant.   We’ve all been there done that…questionable actions or choices fueled by intense emotions.   Why is this even a struggle? &nbs...

After 3 long years of trying to grow our family to no avail, my wife and I were at what we thought was going to be the end of that grueling road.   Embryo transfer day arrived and our hope quickly blossomed into excitement and anticipation for our little ones who we just knew were nestling snuggly into my womb…until we got the call, “Your pregnancy test is negative, I’m sor...

Wear your courage, believe in your strength…what does that even mean? It means that today you’re in need of a reminder that you ARE a badass woman!   It means that your courage is greater than you acknowledge it to be, and it means that your strength is profound.   It means that I understand what it’s like to feel weak, defeated and consumed by life’s hurts, chal...

As a mother I want to nurture my daughters, teach them, guide them, love them and send them off into the world as strong, independent women who build their own tribes filled with close friends that they can turn to when life gets tough.   And I believe that it is my responsibility as their mother to be their parent, NOT their friend.    Unpopular opinion?   P robably!   Ca...

For many people,  COVID opened the door to a major shift in the ability to work from home.  I'm one of those people.  I quickly realized that I had all of the tools and equipment needed to create a cozy space in my home to get my work done, rather than have to trek into the office every day.  Then I relocated far away from my flagship office...and here I am today with the work...

A wise woman (my wife), recently said to me “if your passion feels like an obligation, then it’s just another unfulfilling job”…her words rang so true to my ears.   2023 was adventurous, joyous, disappointing, painful and everything in between…and rather than feel excitement and passion for The Unspoken Cycle podcast and online platform that I've created, it fe...

My year was breezing along, having created amazing memories and also celebrating a ton of successes both personally and professionally along the way...until a failed IVF cycle and sudden loss of our furry loved one right before Thanksgiving catapulted me into a cocoon of grief that I wasn't expecting, at a time of year that I look forward to the most.  Join me on today's episode as I get vuln...

Approximately 30-60% of children who live in homes where domestic violence occurs, are abused by the abuser and/or a parent in the home. Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared my testimony of domestic violence survival…but today I’d like to talk about the silent victims of domestic violence…the children. Join me as we learn how to identify the red flags of child abuse, expl...

I was on top of the world, having done the necessary work on myself to heal from past relationships.   I had just finished my degree program, had a great career and had just returned from taking my kids on a Disneyland vacation…when a high-functioning meth addict charmed her way into my world…and threw it for a complete tailspin. Join me as I share my story of abuse at the hands...

Over 15% of abusers have a history of mental illness. But, does this excuse their abusive behavior?   Absolutely not! On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, I bring you Part 2 of My Unspoken Story: Paranoia Made Him Do It…a personal recollection of abuse at the hands of a diagnosed schizophrenic.  Join me, as I talk about the prevalence of mental illness among abu...

When support groups and online resources cause MORE anxiety and stress, it's time to kick them to the curb!  With immediate access to all of the sad stories and worse case scenarios in the world, these online forums and blogs can be less than encouraging and just a downright bummer! Today I'm here today to tell you that "their story is not your story"...wise words that were once told to me by...

Nearly 1.5 million high school students in the United States are physically abused by dating partners every year.   In 1997, at the age of 17, I became part of that statistic.   Dating abuse is not something that’s regularly taught in schools, yet over 57% of teens know a peer who has been physically, sexually or verbally abused in a relationship.   In honor of Domestic Violen...

Season 1 is on an intermission!  Join me as I recap the exciting first season of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast and give a sneak peak of what's to come!  Regular episodes will resume on October 2nd...but stick around!  New episodes of Fertility Fridays will continue streaming each Friday!

When it comes to the various types of fertility treatments, I like to think that there are three groups of people: those who believe in Western Medicine, those who believe in Eastern Medicine and those who combine the two.  Personally, I'm the latter.  On today's segment of Fertility Fridays, I'm digging into a Tale of Two Medicines...or rather talking about Western Vs. Eastern medicine...

It's no secret that women have had to fight their way up the ladder of success, while being pushed down by the men at the top.  It's also no secret that women hold more power and wealth in their careers and lives today than ever before.  I've always thought I was born with a leader's mindset, as I bulldozed my way up the corporate ladder in my early 20's and never looked back.  Join...

It's no secret that many lesbian couples who are trying to conceive, can do so in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.  Single mothers by choice and even heterosexual couples with male-factor infertility can do the same! With today's advanced tools and resources, countless couples have skipped the fertility clinic altogether and successfuly conceived using at-home insemination methods....

When we love someone, we want to be able to express our love for them in all the right ways, right?   And when someone loves us back, we certainly want to feel their love in all the right ways too, right?   Have you heard of the 5 love languages?   Maybe you have, but are in need of some refreshing, or maybe you’re not sure what I’m talking about at all. Join me on today...

It's no secret that fertility struggles cause heavy strains on relationships.  In fact, approximately 26% of couples diagnosed with infertility end up separated. How can something that we desire so strongly WITH our partners, be the very thing that drives us apart? Join me on today's segment of Fertility Fridays as I get real and raw about fertility stressors, the impact they have on relation...

In a world where negativity surrounds us every day, is it really possible to be positive in a TOXIC way?  Yes my friends, it is!  On today's episode, we are talking about toxic positivity, how it's very possible to be overly positive and how that creates unrealistic hope.  Unrealistic hope?  Yes, that's a thing too!  Join me as we walk the fine line of realistic vs. unreal...

The process of choosing a sperm donor can be grueling, intense and super overwhelming!  With all of the various options of sperm banks and donors, it can take hours upon hours to do the necessary research to narrow down the best options for you and your situation.  On today's segment of Fertility Fridays, I help take some of that stress off of your shoulders, share the techniques that my...

Sometimes we wake up on the wrong side of the bed or maybe we’re going through a really tough situation, maybe PMS is raging or maybe we don’t know why but we just aren’t feeling it.   Each day is different, and when we’re in the thick of a bad day, it can feel unbearable.   The good news is, it’s OK to not feel OK.   And we don’t have to put on a...

Our endocrine system controls many functions and hormones in our bodies.  But what we don't hear about often enough is how the Thyroid function directly correlates with our reproductive function, and how a low-functioning thyroid can complicate fertility or cause infertility altogether.  On today's segment of Fertility Fridays I'm sharing my difficult journey with Hashimoto's, Thyroid Ca...

We all suffer at the hands of adversity at some point in our lives.  Some will be much more traumatic than others.  Often times that trauma will convince us that we will continue to be victimized by unfortunate circumstances and this victimized menality becomes easy to embrace; however, living in victimhood does not allow us to heal, nor does it allow us to move forward from tragic circu...

Have you heard of perminopause?  I was new to this term until it became a reality for me.  Menopause is inevitable for all women and perimenopause is a transitional stage that many women experience as the onset of menopause.  On this episode of Fertility Fridays, I talk about the difficult stage of perimenopause, explore the signs and symptoms and share my experience with it. Did yo...

On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast I’m exploring the faux pas  of social conversation surrounding politics and religion. Why do these two topics almost always result in intense discussion?   And better yet, How can we navigate these tricky waters civilly when our friends and loved ones are at odds with our personal views? Do we have to lose friendships because w...