Woven Well: Natural Fertility Podcast

PCOS can cause irregular cycles, hormone imbalances, and more. Doesn't this make it impossible to work with fertility awareness methods or for natural family planning? This is a question our host, Certified FertilityCare Practitioner, Caitlin Estes, gets quite a bit -- so today, she's talking about PCOS and natural family planning! Listen here or watch on our YouTube channel: @wovenferti...

Do you experience PMS symptoms before your period starts? Are you looking for the cause of infertility or early pregnancy loss? It could be that your progesterone level is low! There are medical treatments for this -- including bioidentical progesterone supplementation -- but what about natural ways to increase progesterone? We've invited hormone and fertility Registered Dietitian, Courtney W...

We talk a lot about Progesterone and how we FEEL it when we don't have enough. But what about instances when progesterone isn't deficient , but resistant? Progesterone resistance is an area of new research and there's still much more to be learned, but this episode explains the basics of progesterone resistance, signs you may have it, and questions to ask your OBGYN. NOTE: This epis...

These client story episodes are the real deal. There is nothing like hearing from REAL couples, like Callie and Josiah, to hear what the process was like and how it transformed their fertility journey. Here's just a sneak peek of what you'll hear in this episode below. Don't miss it!  How their Christian faith inspired them to look into fertility awareness Refreshing alternatives to...

Thinking about getting pregnant in 2025? Interested in balancing your reproductive hormones? We've got good news! There are things you can begin RIGHT NOW that can BOOST your *natural* fertility! These are not wild, out of left field ideas, either. These are essential tips that will improve your reproductive health, no matter what cycle issues you may face. Let us know what you think of the e...

After IVF, the process isn't always over. For some, there is emotional trauma to unpack, physical pain to address, or spiritual questions to answer. For others, they struggle with the real concerns over what to do with remaining frozen embryos or how to tell their children they were conceived with donor egg/sperm. Where can you go when you need faith-informed support and healing? There haven&...

Christmas can be anything but peaceful for many. For those struggling with health issues or fertility challenges, it can be doubly so. But there is peace available for everyone during this season -- it may just take a little practice. In today's short episode, we are practicing this peace together and remembering the hope, joy, and love that's possible because of our Savior. CONTENT: Nav...

Lindsey and Dan felt sick at how they and their bodies were treated during their struggle with infertility. They felt they were being sold hope that couldn't be promised, by doctors who told them they had no answers. The entire journey didn't sit right with them, so they went looking for other avenues. Along the journey, they discovered an approach to fertility that was natural, cooperat...

Have you heard of Theology of the Body? In today's episode, we're welcoming guest, Jen Settle, who works as the Director of Ongoing Formation at the Theology of the Body Institute. She gives a great introduction to "TOB" and we discuss understanding the human identity, the impact of TOB on women, the gift of femininity and motherhood, and even how it relates to our understandin...

Your thyroid controls much of what happens in your body, including the health of your reproductive system. Healthy pregnancies require healthy thyroid functioning. But general thyroid labs are often limited and too general. We speak with functional medicine and NaProTechnology trained family nurse practitioner, Amanda Frederick, about how to identify, diagnose, and treat thyroid issues that could...

There are many different forms of fertility awareness or cycle awareness that help you confidently track your cycle for natural family planning for hormonal and cycle health improvements. Each method tracks different reproductive biomarkers created by a woman's body, but many methods have one in common: cervical mucus. What is cervical mucus? What does it do? What function does it serve? How...

Getting off of birth control can feel scary when you're not ready for children. Can you prevent pregnancy successfully without the pill? Grace faced these fears and questions as she and her husband made the decision to ditch the Pill after she felt angry, anxious, and emotionally spent after a year on the lowest dose of birth control. Today, she shares her story of how God met her in her heal...

Isn't Natural Family Planning (NFP) just something Catholics do? This is a great question that hits on a common misconception! YES, Catholic couples often use NFP, but why is that the case? And is it still beneficial and effective for non-Catholic couples? If you're hesitant about using Natural Family Planning because you're not Catholic, this episode is for you! It explains WHY NFP...

Today we have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Naomi Whittaker about the keys to preventing scarring, adhesions, and repeat endometriosis surgery. This is HUGE! If you’re dealing with endometriosis or suspect that you are, PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE YOU HAVE SURGERY TO REMOVE IT, if at all possible. Did you know that the #1 way to prevent adhesions and scarring from endometriosis surgery is to...

NEXT EPISODE RELEASE: Nov 1, 2024!! As Christians, our faith has a heavy influence on all of our important decisions in life: spouse, jobs, finances, moves. But what about our fertility decision? How can our faith guide us when it comes to questions about contraception, sterilization, or sexual union within marriage? Fr. Michael Novotny joins us to talk about why he discusses these important topic...

We've all heard things about our fertility that we're shocked to later find out are FALSE! This seems to be especially true when it comes to trying to conceive myths or how to get pregnant myths. But how do we know they're not true? When you hear something over and over again, you tend to believe it... That's why we're doing a Fertility "Myth Buster" episode toda...

While cycle charting is for every woman, some women experience medical or hormonal conditions that seem to prevent them from participating. Anna shares her story of feeling disqualified from fertility awareness options and how her interaction with this podcast and Woven Natural Fertility Care radically transformed her relationship with her body, her cycles, and her health journey. We're grate...

Switching to Natural Birth Control of some type -- like fertility awareness methods or natural family planning -- can feel really scary. How effective is natural family planning anyway? What if it doesn't work? These are fair and valid questions that every woman/couple should ask as they figure out the best option for them. But the great news is that certain forms of natural birth control, li...

Have you heard of cycle syncing -- the decision to make decisions and lifestyle choices based on where you are in your menstrual cycle? Today's guest, Megan Faller, is the founder of The Aligned Cycle and she joins us to share how connecting with this ancient practice has been so beneficial for her and why she wants to empower others with the same knowledge. My favorite part of this episode?...

It's normal to feel nervous before trying something new, and when that new thing is a fertility appreciation method like Creighton Model System, it can feel like a very big deal . How can you be successful with Creighton? What's the key to successful use of this fertility awareness based method? I've thought over my years as a Certified FertilityCare Practitioner teaching the Creigh...

Hope began her period at age 12 and, by age 14, was already experiencing extreme menstrual cramps with her period. She went to her OBGYN to seek answers and began a journey of discovery, health, and healing. Today she shares about her experience as a teenager, her timeline and process for diagnosis, and what she's doing now to invest in her reproductive health even as a young woman who is not...

We're hearing more and more about estrogen dominance -- but what is it exactly? What signs point to its possibility? And how can I reverse estrogen dominance in my own cycles?  Knowing these basics is the first step to identifying and restoring the underlying causes of hormonal imbalances like estrogen dominance. Today's episode discusses what causes estrogen dominance, natural and resto...

There are incredible benefits to using fertility awareness based methods (FABM) for reproductive health and family planning, but not all OBGYNs, midwives, or clinicians are on board. Why is this the case? Is there something "iffy" about FABMs? Is natural family planning (NFP) actually just the rhythm method? Yikes! Dr. Marguerite Duane, co-founder and executive director of FACTS about Fe...

In June 2024, a new bill was proposed called the RESTORE Act (or The Reproductive Empowerment and Support through Optimal Restoration Act). Politics aside, what does this bill say and could it be helpful for the real women facing reproductive health challenges in the United States? This episode reviews the goals of the bill and whether or not it could be helpful to women and couples. It wants to r...

Another great client story for you today, as we hear from Emily about how she reversed the effects of the PCOS that had been plaguing her for years! Emily dealt with unusual bleeding, unpredictably long cycles, chronic fatigue, and more. She shares how she reversed these effects once she realized "healthy eating and exercise" weren't cutting it for her. What an impact this has made...