Period Story

For many entrepreneurs, a personal experience provides to inspiration to start a business. This is certainly true for Jo Barry, the inventor of Rae, an award winning wireless portable heating pad and the founder and CEO of Scarlet, a period care company,  who I speak to on today’s episode of Period Story. 

In this episode, Jo shares: 

• How difficult her periods were from the very beginning 
• How at age 10, she had to deal with flooding and very heavy periods and how this affected her confidence
• Her endometriosis diagnosis at age 19
• Why she invented Rae, a wearable rechargeable heating device 
• The hurdles she faced when building Rae, including people wincing at the word blood
• What it’s like running a bootstrapped business 
• And of course, the story of her first period

Jo says that women need to stop playing down their pain, especially if it’s something that is interrupting your day or life in any way. She says we don’t have to dismiss our pain. 

Thank you, Jo!

Get in touch with Jo:

Scarlet Website

Scarlet Instagram

LinkedIn

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

On this episode of Period Story, I speak to Dr Sula Windgassen, the health psychologist and author of the book It’s All In Your Body. 

In this episode, Dr Sula shares: 

• Why getting told the issues you’re experiencing are ‘all in your head’ inhibits healing and fosters a message of distrust, isolation and disconnection
• Why categorising psychology as woo woo can preclude so many people that could directly benefit from working with themselves in a slightly different way 
• How our psychology and biology can impact each other though psychobiological loops and change multiple systems in our body
• Why it’s important to accept our feelings and experience them in our window of tolerance
• The impact suppressing emotions has on the physical body
• What symptom spirals are and how to interrupt them 
• And of course, the story of her first period

Dr Sula says that she wrote her book for people who feel unseen and dismissed in their suffering to know there are options and it’s not all in your head. 

Thank you, Dr Sula!

Get in touch with Dr Sula:

Her book: It’s All In Your Body

Her website

Her Instagram

Her community

Her podcast: https://www.howwereallyfeel.com

Her YouTube

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

Did you know that 90% of venture capitalist investors are men? On this episode of Period Story, I talk to Marina Gerner, the journalist and author of The Vagina Business about innovation in femtech and the vagina-centric space. 

In this episode, Marina shares: 

• How a viral article in Wired magazine led to her writing her book The Vagina Business 
• The pushback she received about the title of the book
• How investor squeamishness and embarrassment is holding femtech and vagina-centric businesses back from being able to effectively raise money
• Why a data-centric approach is helpful when raising money 
• The questions you need to ask when choosing a period tracking app to ensure your data is being protected 
• And of course, the story of her first period

Marina says we need to have more conversations about women’s health and that we’re in a collective learning experience as a society. 

Thank you, Marina!

Get in touch with Marina:

Her book: The Vagina Business

Her Wired article: We need to talk about investors’ problem with vaginas

Her website

Her Instagram

Her Substack

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

What would you do if your period was so painful that you would faint when you were on the toilet? This was the dilemma Lexi Elven, my guest on today’s episode of Period Story faced for 8 years.

In this episode, Lexi shares: 

• Why she turned to Reddit to help her understand why she was in so much pain that she would faint during the first two days of her period
• The phrase two GPs on an endometriosis Reddit forum told her to say to her doctor, which helped put her on a diagnosis pathway
• How a second opinion led to her receiving a bowel endometriosis diagnosis after 8 years
• How yoga has been a helpful tool to manage endometriosis symptoms 
• And of course, the story of her first period

Lexi says that if you’re in a similar situation, it’s important to try and persevere if you feel lost and not to let embarrassment stop you from seeking help. 

Thank you, Lexi!

Get in touch with Lexi:

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

Would it surprise you to hear that menstruation can be a great time for detail oriented work, and for making great decisions? On this week’s episode of Period Story, I speak to Maggie McDaris, the CEO and co-founder of Phase, a company that helps women align their work with their menstrual cycle.

In this episode, Maggie shares:

• The story of her postpartum adenomyosis diagnosis and what she does to manage the condition 
• The four phases of the menstrual cycle and how less than 40% of women know when they ovulate
• The post-ovulation cliff and why she believes the luteal phase gets a bad rap 
• The generational divide on what productivity means 
• Why our periods can be a great time to reflect, make decisions and take action on those decisions 
• Why the follicular phase is a great time for strategic planning and creativity 
• The influence of testosterone on communication skills 
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Maggie says that it’s very empowering to know how changes in our physiology and hormones impact how we show up every day and understanding this can help us show up as a better version of ourselves. 

Thank you, Maggie!

Get in touch with Maggie:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

Menopause is big news right now and rightfully so. But with all the noise, how do you know what’s right for you? On this week’s episode of Period Story, I’m joined by Dr Claire Phipps, the Menopause GP, who talks me through common perimenopause and menopause myths and misconceptions. 

In this episode, Dr Claire shares: 

• Why she’s only just understanding her menstrual cycle at 48
• Why empathy is vital as a doctor
• Why moving away from a paternalist model towards patient empowerment is an important part of her work as a GP and menopause trainer 
• Why the 10 minutes you have with an NHS GP should be the start of the conversation
• The difference between perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause 
• How a holistic approach to menopause may or may not include HRT
• Why it’s important to meet patients where they’re at 
• Why perimenopause can be a time of unmasking for neurodivergent women and the rise of AuADHD diagnoses 
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Dr Claire says the we should try not to be fearful of menopause or pathologise it, but instead, embrace it and move towards a positive natural transition. 

Thank you, Dr Claire!

Get in touch with Dr Claire:

Website

Instagram

Women’s Health Concern

British Menopause Society 

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

Did you know that 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed down the toilet everyday in the UK? Martha Silcott is the inventor of two products that aim to reduce the impact of disposable personal care waste: FabLittleBag and HyGeeni. This was a perfect week to release this episode of Period Story with a fellow Arsenal fan (#coyg!)

In this episode, Martha shares: 

• The lightbulb moment that led to her inventing a brand new product
• The process of patenting and bringing FabLittleBag to life
• Why we need to stop flushing tampons and pads and the impact this waste has on our sewage system  
• What terms the loo roll wrap, flushers, binners, and the handbag smuggle mean
• The Period Supportive movement in sport she started, in order to help periods be less of a barrier to girls’ participation in sport
• How a customer inspired the invention of HyGeeni, a larger disposable bag to help dispose of used stoma bags and diapers 
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Martha says that if you want to invent something or create something new, there is plenty of help out there to talk to and to give you guidance!

Thank you, Martha!

Listen in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Kia855 

Listen in Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/339AF1QyodImw44v141Emv 

Get in touch with Martha:

Website

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

Did you know that your nervous system can have an impact on your experience of menstruation? I get into all of this and more on today’s episode of Period Story with Amy Gaston, the president of OhmBody, a drug-free wearable device designed to work with the body’s nervous system to naturally support lighter, shorter, more comfortable periods.

In this episode, Amy shares: 

• The impact of growing up in a conservative Christian household and being a late bloomer on her understanding of her body
• Why perimenopause has led her to ask better questions about her health 
• Her thoughts on innovation in women’s health 
• The issues that disproportionately affect women and why we have to talk about women’s health, not just health
• Why menstruation is a whole body experience 
• What OhmBody is and why it’s a helpful drug-free way of managing period pain, premenstrual pain, and ovulation pain 
• How stimulating the vagus and trigeminal nerves can increase the body’s clotting process, and help reduce heavy menstrual bleeding
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Amy says that painful periods are not normal and that if your period disrupts your everyday life in any way, there is a better solution than normalising this narrative. 

Thank you, Amy!

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

We’ve got a corker for you today! I’m so pleased to share my conversation with Dr Sarah Hill, the author of the books How The Pill Changes Everything: Your Brain on Birth Control and The Period Brain: The New Science of the Luteal Phase and How To Thrive Through It on today’s episode of Period Story. 

In this episode, Dr Sarah shares: 

• Why her experience as a psychologist led her to write two books on the effects of women’s cycling hormones and the brain
• Her thoughts on biological essentialism and how our biology, including our hormones, influences what we do 
• Why progesterone is underrated, including the amazing fact that our peak progesterone levels are up to 250 times higher than our peak oestrogen levels
• Why we need to eat more in the second half of our menstrual cycle 
• Why PMS is not a pathological condition, but an inevitable consequence of experiencing hormonal changes in a world that wasn’t created with female bodies in mind
• What the vagus nerve is and how vagal nerve stimulation can be a helpful treatment in decreasing the symptomology of PMDD, perimenopause, and heavy menstrual bleeding
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Dr Sarah says that it’s important to learn to listen to your body and trust what it’s telling you, so you believe your body. 

Thank you, Dr Sarah!

Get in touch with Dr Sarah:

Website

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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

I’m so happy to kick off season 12 of the Period Story podcast with Neelam Heera-Shergill, the CEO of Cysters, an award winning charity working at the intersection of reproductive justice, racial justice and health equity. 

In this episode, Neelam shares:

• The three biggest signs that her mum spotted that told her that Neelam might have PCOS
• The flippant comment her university GP made left her feeling uncomfortable and upset 
• Why she wishes she was told much earlier on about the connection between increased risk of fatty liver disease and heart disease, PCOS and being of South Asian heritage
• How she navigated dating, PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis and conversations about potential fertility issues 
• Why it was important for Cysters and Endometriosis UK to report on the longer endometriosis diagnosis times for people of colour
• The racist messages she received because of this report
• Her thoughts on white privilege in the women’s health space
• Why food sits at the heart of the work Cysters does
• And of course, the story of her first period 

Neelam says not all work needs to be done in silos and we are much more powerful when we come together. 

Thank you, Neelam!

Get in touch with Neelam:

Website

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email 

[email protected]

Book a 30 minute hormone health review with me: http://eatlovemove.as.me/hormonehealth 

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