For the final episode of season 10 of Period Story podcast, I’m so happy to share my conversation with Dr Juliet McGrattan, an international speaker, award winning author, educator and running expert. 

In this episode, Dr Juliet shares: 

• Her experience of perimenopause and why she’s happy not to know when she goes through the day of menopause 
• Why imposter syndrome and anxiety were the main symptoms that told her she was perimenopausal 
• Why stopping caffeine was helpful for her 
• Why comparison is a trap when it comes to exercise
• How exercise can be very powerful in menopause 
• Her tips for getting into running in midlife
• A sneak peek into her new book about running and menopause
• And of course, the story of her first period

Dr Juliet says it’s very easy to become resentful or fall out of love with your body at different times of life and that you can find yourself battling against it. She says that to feel more accepting of our bodies and to learn to work with them, we need to ask ourselves, “what can I do that will make things a little bit better?”. 

Thank you, Dr Juliet!

Get in touch with Dr Juliet:

Instagram

Website

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really happy to share my conversation with Lily Silverton, the writer, columnist, speaker, coach and founder of The Priorities Method Journal on today’s episode of Period Story podcast. 

In this episode, Lily shares: 

• The joy of getting her period back after losing it for two years as a teenager
• Her struggle with disordered eating and depression and how a trip to an ashram helped her begin to reset her mental health
• How she realised the power for her thoughts and that some thoughts aren’t true 
• Her experience of painful periods and severe premenstrual depression after having her two children 
• The transition she made from fashion and culture journalism to retraining to become a stress management and positive psychology coach 
• Why stress isn’t inherently bad for you
• The reframe of ‘I get to’ and ‘I choose to’ 
• One of her coaching principles: live your life, don’t fix your life
• And of course, the story of her first period

Lily says there's nothing wrong with wanting to improve or change, whether that's your internal self or your external self but she says we should consider how we can approach this with real compassion, so that you can work from a positive point, rather than berating yourself. 

Thank you, Lily!

Get in touch with Lily:

Instagram

The Priorities Method Instagram

Website

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really happy to speak to Seetal Savla, a fertility patient advocate, writer and speaker on today’s episode of Period Story podcast. 

In this episode, Seetal shares: 

• Why she still struggles when her period arrives each menstrual month
• Her work around challenging fertility, menstrual and menopause stigma in the South Asian community 
• A few sentences to relay when dealing with overly inquisitive family and friends 
• What it feels like to be on the other side of her fertility journey and why she dislikes the term ‘success story’ 
• How a South Asian therapist helped unpack the cultural challenges she was facing around her fertility journey
• Why her and her husband decided to give away their embryos after six years of TTC
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Seetal says this is her purpose and she is in a privileged position where she can share her experiences of infertility, pregnancy loss and pregnancy after loss to help other people and hopefully be a part of the change we need to see going forward. 

Thank you, Seetal!

Get in touch with Seetal:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Additional resources to explore:

HFEA: 'Fear is what holds many South Asians back from being honest about their fertility journeys'

Women's Health UK: 'I'm pregnant after multiple losses - and it's a mental and emotional battle'

Metro UK: Where are all the South Asian egg donors?

HuffPost UK: When you're a woman of colour, infertility comes with extra stigma

Stylist: '6 lessons I've learned about surviving - and thriving - after pregnancy loss'

Tommy's: Intergenerational experiences of miscarriage

So We've Been Told podcast

Netflix documentary: Period. End of Sentence (explores the stigma around periods in rural India).

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

’m so pleased to speak to Dr Joyce Omatseye, a UK-based medical doctor, health advocate and digital health innovator on today’s episode of Period Story podcast. 

In this episode, Dr Joyce shares: 

• Why it’s important that both girls and boys are educated about periods
• Cultural differences around talking about menstrual health between the UK and Nigeria
• What led to her launching her health events organisation Ara Nini Health 
• How creating safe spaces for discussions on fertility, reproductive health and fertility has opened conversations across multiple generations of women
• What it means to be a Black female doctor in the UK
• How she advocates for her patients 
• Her work with WHO Fides to combat misinformation in global health and why we need to be aware of what we’re consuming online 
• How to be prepared for conversations with your doctor
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Dr Joyce says that we should never be afraid to ask the questions we need to in a doctor’s appointment and if you feel you’re not being listened to, ask for a second opinion. She says that there’s no doctor that should feel offended by you asking for a second opinion. 

Thank you, Dr Joyce!

Get in touch with Dr Joyce:

Instagram

Ara Nini Health

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m so pleased to speak to Nahid de Belgeonne, the nervous system whisperer, one of the OGs in London wellness and author of the book Soothe: the book your nervous system has been longing for on today’s episode of Period Story podcast. 

In this episode, Nahid shares: 

• Why she hated her periods and found them a complete inconvenience 
• How finding a healthier relationship with her body and emotional state changed her relationship with her period 
• What wellness looks like for her in her 50s and why it’s important not to lose the potential for new things as we get older
• How your brain keeps the score, but your body is a scorecard
• How her new book Soothe is a accessible way to learn how to tend to your nervous system in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening 
• A simple technique to start your day with 
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Nahid says we need to gatekeep our nervous systems because if you don’t, nobody else will. She says our world is getting faster, so we really have to be mindful of what we open our nervous system up to. 

Thank you, Nahid!

Get in touch with Nahid:

Her book, Soothe

Instagram

Website

Substack

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m so pleased to speak to Donna Dia, the founder of the Beauty Beat, the UK’s only luxury beauty event for women of colour on today's episode of Period Story podcast. 

In this episode, Donna shares: 

• Why having a very light period and being able to wear white jeans isn’t always a good thing 
• How a thin uterine lining led to fertility complications 
• How a routine D&C after a missed miscarriage led to Asherman’s syndrome 
• The research she did to understand Asherman’s 
• The long and traumatic journey, including multiple surgeries, to help her uterine lining grow 
• How her fertility journey lead to the Beauty Beat
• Why the Beauty Beat is a dedicated event for women of colour and Black beauty 
• The why behind THEE Beauty Beat goody bag
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Donna says that it’s valuable to learn about your gynaecological health, whether you have a light or heavy period, so that you can advocate for yourself and be the champion of your health. 

Thank you, Donna!

Get in touch with Donna:

TikTok

Instagram 

The Beauty Beat

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m so pleased to speak to Jen Moore, a medical campaigner and author of the new book, Endometriosis: Understand your symptoms, Get the right treatment, Reclaim your life on today's episode of Period Story podcast.

In this episode, Jen shares: 

• Why it took 22 years to finally get an endometriosis diagnosis 
• How a failed surgery led to her groundbreaking medical gaslighting campaign They Said What?
• How therapy helped her with the emotional healing required after having a hysterectomy 
• How she almost needed a new endometriosis diagnosis after her hysterectomy due to the spread of the condition on her ovaries, bowels, kidneys and bladder
• How a casual conversation with a friend led to her writing a book on endometriosis 
• Her advice for those struggling to get a diagnosis
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Jen says that endometriosis is such an individual condition and it’s so important that we don’t compare journeys - the only comparison is with yourself. 

Thank you, Jen!

Get in touch with Jen:

Her book

Instagram 

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest on season 10 of Period Story podcast is Kat Pither. Kat is the founder of Yogi Bare, the global yoga brand and movement community and co-founder of Healthy Metal, a magnesium supplement. 

In this episode, Kat shares: 

• The story of her pregnancy loss through ectopic pregnancy
• Her initial feeling of relief after losing her period due to disordered eating and substance abuse
• Her journey in nourishment to get her period back, including stepping away from the rules, styles and labels prevalent in the yoga and wellness worlds 
• How a wall chart with colourful fun stickers has helped her get back in touch with her menstrual cycle 
• How a yoga practice with a lot of self-touch, softness and playfulness helps her slow down and reconnect
• The authenticity behind her yoga brand Yogi Bare
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Kat says that instead of looking outwards, it’s important that we look inwards and find the celebration and joy in our bodies.

Thank you, Kat!

Get in touch with Kat:

Whats Good Kat - IG

Yogi Bare - IG

Healthy Metal - IG

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 10 of the podcast is here! I'm excited to share that my guest on the first episode of season 10 is Melissa Hemsley, a former private chef turned best-selling author, including her most recent book Real Healthy - Unprocess Your Diet With Easy Everyday Recipes. 

In this episode, Melissa shares: 

• Her fertility journey
• What she’s doing to prepare for her next embryo transfer, including how she’s nourishing herself
• The wise words her dear friend Emma Cannon, the renowned fertility acupuncturist, shared with her 
• Why she’s gone back to school to study nutritional therapy and what she wants to do afterwards
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Melissa says that it’s so important to find lovely people in your life that you can speak to, not be afraid to lean on and ask for help when you need it. 

Thank you, Melissa!

Get in touch with Melissa:

Instagram

Substack

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest on today’s episode is Tamara Driessen. Tamara is a tarot reader, intuitive guide, author of Luna and The Crystal Code and host of the podcast Another Phase. 

In this episode, Tamara shares: 

• What it meant to be diagnosed with PCOS and anovulatory infertility 
• Her experience coming off the pill and reconnecting with her menstrual cycle 
• Some of the habits she incorporated to kickstart ovulation and regular menstrual cycles 
• How to reconnect with your intuition 
• Why it’s important to slow down to be able to speed up
• The real deal on manifestation and why it’s so important to find peace in your here and now 
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Tamara says that comparison is such a trickster because it really disconnects us from ourselves. But when we accept ourselves exactly as we are or accept what we need in the moment, there's just so much power in that. Then the next breadcrumb appears, the next dot connects rather than us trying to chase something else that actually isn't meant for us in this moment.

Thank you, Tamara!

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

Tweet and IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Get in touch with Tamara: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaradriessen_/ 

Website: https://www.tamaradriessen.com 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.