Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery for Women's Health Professionals

Andrea Thompson, LMT, has been a licensed and practicing massage therapist in Oregon. Her passion is utilizing modalities, such as Craniosacral Therapy and Arvigo Techniques of Mayan Abdominal Therapy ®, to  bring a deep sense of awareness to the body while tapping into its inherent healing capabilities. Although she enjoys working with all ages and genders, her main focus is working with female-bodied people to assist them in the process of attaining healthy menses and natural conception, as well as aiding them through the physical changes of pregnancy.  

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free. 

• The benefits of massage therapy and body work modalities for a woman’s fertility
• How body awareness can change your health and mindset
• What is Craniosacral Therapy?
• How can vaginal steaming help with your menses?
• Castor oil pack benefits
• The importance of having your cervix and uterus aligned
• Why having a healthy and clean womb not only helps with fertility and your menstrual cycle, but also helps your baby in the long run
• How pregnancy massages and prenatal yoga are beneficial to your ever changing body
• How body work can be healing for women (or any individual) who has been through trauma, whether physical or emotional

• Andrea Thompson, LMT - AJA Family Health
• Fertility Awareness Mastery - 10 Week Group Program
• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• FFP 202 | Vaginal Steaming for Period Problems | Steamy Chick | Keli Garza
• FFP 198 | The Balance Plan for Healthy Cycles | Angelique Panagos
• P 191 | Cervical Health & Fertility Awareness Charting | Lisa | Fertility Friday
• FFP 173 | Reclaiming Menstruation | The Wisdom and Power of Your Menstrual Cycle | Lara Owen
• FFP 018 | Arvigo Abdominal Therapy | Vaginal Steaming | Traditional Maya healing for Fertility and Menstrual Cycle Irregularities| Dr Rosita Arvigo
• FFP 050 | Journeys in Healing | Arvigo® Therapy for Fertility and Pregnancy | Donna Zubrod & Diane MacDonald
• FFP 067 | Healthy Menstruation | Fertility Awareness | Fertility Massage Therapy | Rachel Eyre
• FFP 071 | Connecting With the Wisdom of Your Menstrual Cycle | Fertility Massage Therapy | Clare Blake
• FFP 201 | Pelvic Floor Alchemy | Isa Herrera

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Click here to buy now.

Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery Live Group Program

This episode is sponsored by my 10 Week Fertility Awareness Mastery Group Program! Master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles and how they relate to your overall health! Click here to apply now!

In today’s special edition of the Pill Reality Series, I share two interviews with Nina and Kathryn, two women who used the copper IUD, and wanted to share their experiences with it.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• Benefits and possible side effects of the Copper IUD
• What were some of the side effects Nina experienced with the Copper IUD?
• How long did it take Nina's body to regulate after removing the Copper IUD?
• Is insertion of an IUD downplayed?
• Kathryn’s positive side effects with the Copper IUD
• What was the reasoning behind Kathryn removing the Copper IUD?
• Importance of sharing and researching experiences with various types of birth controls

• Fertility Awareness Mastery - 10 Week Group Program
• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• Pill Reality Series | Fertility Friday
• [On-Air Client Session] FFP 237 | Demystifying the Cervix | Lisa & Dana
• [On-Air Client Session] FFP 238 | Fertility Awareness, Birth Control, and Body Literacy | Lisa & Leah C
• FFP 218 | The Pill Gave Her A Stroke | Pill Reality Series | Julia & Lisa
• FFP 205 | Is Your IUD Messing With Your Mind? | Pill Reality Series Lisa & Allie
• FFP 161 | Are IUDs Safer Than The Pill? | Hormonal IUDs vs Copper IUDs | Dr. Steve Gangemi

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Click here to buy now.

Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery Live Group Program

This episode is sponsored by my 10 Week Fertility Awareness Mastery Group Program! Master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles and how they relate to your overall health! Click here to apply now!

Amanda Laird is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ and host of The Heavy Flow Podcast – a weekly podcast dedicated to periods, reproductive health and other taboo health and wellness topics, and Amanda is the author of Heavy Flow: Breaking the Curse of Menstruation.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• Embracing your menstrual cycle and escaping the wrath of period negativity
• Why are women's bodies being ignored in capitalist structures?
• Does your period interrupt your productivity?
• Balancing work and motherhood
• Why is it important to talk to the next generation about menstruation?

• Heavy Flow: Breaking the Curse of Menstruation
• Amanda Laird | Website
• The Heavy Flow Podcast
• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• FFP 239 | 6 Ways to Improve Your Menstrual Cycle in 2019 | Lisa | Fertility Friday
• On-Air Client Session] FFP 220 | Managing Intense Period Pain | Maria & Lisa
• FFP 202 | Vaginal Steaming for Period Problems | Steamy Chick | Keli Garza
• FFP 198 | The Balance Plan for Healthy Cycles | Angelique Panagos
• FFP 180 | Managing Painful Periods | Dysmenorrhea | Endometriosis | Dr. Lara Briden, ND

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Click here to buy now.

Dr. Mariza is functional practitioner, and the author of six books: including the The DASH Diet Cookbook and and her most recent book The Essential Oils Hormone Solution. She has been featured on Fox News, MindBodyGreen, Dr. Oz, the HuffingtonPost, and in Women's Health, Shape and Self magazines. She has lectured at wellness centers, hospitals, conferences, and corporations on hormone health and essential oils, nutrition, and detoxification, and she is the host of the Essentially You Podcast.

In today's episode we talk about essential oils and their impact on hormones and the menstrual cycle.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• What are essential oils?
• The non-invasive healing powers of essential oils
• How to bring essential oils into your life
• Can oils help with balancing hormones?
• The impact of oils on fertility and menstrual pain
• Managing stress with essential oils
• Are essential oils safe to use during pregnancy?

• The Essential Oils Hormone Solution 
• The DASH Diet Cookbook: Quick and Delicious Recipes for Losing Weight, Preventing Diabetes, and Lowering Blood Pressure 
• Dr. Mariza Snyder | Website
• Essentially You with Dr. Mariza
• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• FFP 214 | Hormone Testing | The DUTCH Test | Diana Walley | Kristen Burkett
• FFP 212 | Vegetarianism Explained | Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
• FFP 182 | Depression, Weight Gain & Mood Disorders | Pill Reality Series | Lisa & Lorena
• FFP 163 | PCOS & Fertility | Improving Fertility & Balancing Hormones with Diet & Lifestyle Changes | Robyn Srigley
• FFP 144 | Seed Cycling & Hormone Balance | Supporting Your Menstrual Cycle Naturally | Dr. Nicole Sandilands

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Click here to buy now.

In today’s episode I share the honest truth about using fertility awareness for birth control, and what are the main reasons why women get pregnant (user failure) when using the method. I share what you need to know in order for this method to work for you, and it’s more than simply “follow the rules”. I know you’ll appreciate this episode, because it’s the stuff no one talks about.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• User failure versus method failure
• The difference between user failure and method failure as it relates to fertility awareness
• How effective is the fertility awareness method?
• The importance of understanding the rules (fully) prior to using fertility awareness for birth control
• What is "rhythm method thinking"?
• Why the decision to become pregnant is not black and white, and how to manage the grey area
• Managing your fertile window effectively

• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• FFP 119 | The Truth About Using Fertility Awareness Postpartum | Is Fertility Awareness Effective When You’re Breastfeeding? | Lisa | Fertility Friday
• FFP 158 | How Effective is Fertility Awareness? | The Marquette Method | Dr. Mary Lee Barron, PhD
• FFP 171 | Avoiding Pregnancy Naturally With Fertility Awareness | Lisa & Madi
• FFP 187 | Charting your cycles post-pill | Preconception planning | Lisa & Karen
• FFP 208 | From Birth Control To Fertility Awareness | Lisa & Michelle
• Fertility Friday Podcast Episodes

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Click here to buy now.

Kimberly is a Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing trauma resolution practitioner, birth doula, and single mom. She specializes in helping women prepare for birth, recover from birth injuries and birth trauma, and heal from sexual trauma. She is the founder of Magamama.com, an international holistic women’s health care resource for expectant and new mothers. She is the co-founder of the STREAM School for Pelvic Care, where she trained birth professionals, yoga teachers, somatic therapists, and bodyworkers to help women prepare for birth and recover from birth. She is the author of bestselling The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions and Restoring Your Vitality.

In today’s episode we talk about the fourth trimester, and why postpartum care is essential for both mother and baby.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

Today I share the top 4 ways to prepare your body for pregnancy.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• Why you'll want to consider coming off hormonal birth control 18 months to 2 years before you are ready to start trying to conceive.
• Managing your fertility post-birth control
• The importance of a preconception period of at least 6–12 months before you start actively trying to conceive
• Why it's equally (if not more!) important for men to institute a preconception period of at least 6–12 months before you're ready to start trying for a baby
• Getting the timing right using fertility awareness when you're ready to conceive

• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• FFP 009 | Sacred Fertility Foods | The key to having healthy babies and a healthy pregnancy | Sally Fallon-Morell
• FFP 188 | Real Food For Pregnancy | Optimizing vegetarian & vegan diets for pregnancy | Lily Nichols
• FFP 126 | Does Your Diet Impact Your Breastmilk? | Eating for Two: How to Produce the Most Nutritious Breastmilk | Managing the Postpartum Period | What Breastfeeding is Really Like | Lily Nichols
• Fertility Awareness Podcast Episodes | Fertility Friday
• Pill Reality Series | Fertility Friday

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Follow this link to purchase your copy today.

I've had many requests to share some behind the scenes info about the process of bringing my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility to life! Today I pull back the curtain and share what the writing process was like, and some of my key takeaways now that the book is finished and out in the world!

I share what it was like going through thousands of research papers to provide the depth of information you'll find in this mammoth book, my reflections after seeing what the data shows — and after reviewing the researchers' interpretations of that data.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• What the process was like researching for this book, and how that affected the writing process
• The importance of thinking critically about scientific research
• The relationship between hormonal birth control and fertility
• How hormonal birth control affects menstrual cycle parameters
• How hormonal birth control impacts the time it will take you to become pregnant when you stop taking it
• Why many researchers conclude that this well established (temporary) delay in the return of fertility is no big deal
• Why I had to give myself some grace and let go of my expectations of the timeline (writing, editing, etc.)
• Managing the range of emotions that sparked up as I wrote this book
• Why it's up to us to demand better medical care

• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• Fertility Awareness Podcast Episodes | Fertility Friday
• Pill Reality Series | Fertility Friday

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Follow this link to purchase your copy today.

Exciting news to share today! My new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility was released today! After 2 years of researching, writing, editing, and more editing, The Fifth Vital Sign is finally here!

In today’s episode, I talk about the main message of the book: Why we must look at the menstrual cycle as a vital sign that is constantly relaying important information about our health and fertility. We can tap into this incredible knowledge by paying attention to our cycles, and monitor our progress by paying attention to how our cycles change over time. Fertility awareness is a central part of this process as it gives us the tools to both modify and understand what’s happening in our cycles.

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. The Fifth Vital Sign is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can head over to thefifthvitalsignbook.com to download the first chapter for free.

• When I first discovered that the menstrual cycle is the fifth vital sign of your health and fertility
• The incredible properties (and role) of cervical mucus
• What information will you find in the book?
• What are the normal parameters of a healthy menstrual cycle?
• The issue with timing sex based on a specific day of the menstrual cycle
• Why hormonal birth control is not the answer to period problems (and menstrual cycle irregularities)
• The history of the pill, and how it relates to our current understanding of how it works
• The research on how the pill alters mate choice

• The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
• Get The First chapter of The Fifth Vital Sign for FREE | thefifthvitalsignbook.com
• FFP 223 | Overcoming Hypothalamic Amenorrhea | No Period. Now What? | Dr. Nicola Rinaldi, PhD
• FFP 141 | Surviving Hypothalamic Amenorrhea | Getting Your Period Back Without Fertility Drugs | Nicola Rinaldi
• Pill Reality Series | Fertility Friday

Related podcasts & blog posts:

• On-Air Client Sessions | Fertility Awareness Reality Series Episodes | Fertility Friday
• Fertility Awareness Podcast Episodes | Fertility Friday
• Pill Reality Series | Fertility Friday

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

This episode is sponsored by my new book The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Follow this link to purchase your copy today.

New Year, new beginnings! In today’s episode, I share 6 ways to improve your menstrual cycle in 2019.

Join us for Fertility Awareness Mastery in January 2019! We start next week! If you were waiting for the last minute, it has officially arrived!

Today’s episode is sponsored by my 10 Week Fertility Awareness Mastery Program! Gain confidence charting your cycles, and gain deep insights into the connection between your health, your fertility, and your cycles. We start on January 22nd, 2019. Will you be joining us? Click here for more information!