Period Story

For the ninth episode of Period Story Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Susan Sheehan, the founder and CEO of Back Yourself Mentoring, a women's circle and network of women backing themselves and each other.

Susan shared the story of the tough first few years of her period and what she did to cope with the pain and migraines she used to have. She says that this was her normal and considered this her normal until it changed.

Susan says she had to work around her menstrual flow, under it, over it and it was something she had to tolerate. At the time, she accepted that this was part of being a woman, but definitely didn’t embrace the pain she was experiencing.

It took a pivotal moment for her to realise things needed to change. Susan talks about waking up in the middle of the night and being in such agony that she spent hours on the bathroom floor. It was there and then, Susan decided she never wanted to go through that again.

Susan embarked upon a journey of educating herself about her period and using journalling as a tool to understand what she was experiencing in each phase of her menstrual cycle. She says she started to see patterns in the foods she was craving, the emotions she was experiencing and how certain things such as stress affected her period.

Susan says that journalling has helped her find a deeper understanding of her body, her period and her menstrual cycle. She says the biggest learning is how to let go, especially during her period and how this is critical for avoiding burnout. The patterns she was able to spot through journallling helped her change her nutrition and lifestyle and she no longer has migraines, cramps or PMS.

Susan shares the journalling techniques that worked for her to change her period for the better. She says that this is such an important way for us to find our own rhythm and I completely agree!

Get in touch

Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod

Email

[email protected]

Show notes and transcript can be found at

http://www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch with Susan:

Website:

http://www.backyourselfmentoring.com/

Instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/_susansheehan_

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.

For the eighth episode of Period Story podcast, I spoke with Kat Horrocks, a women’s life coach and fellow podcast host.

Kat shared the impact of getting her first period at 10 years old and how by default, she became the one that all her classmates went to for advice and with their questions. Kat says that even now she’s the person in her friend group that gets asked all the period questions.

Kat talked about her journey with hormonal contraception and why she decided to come off of it after 7 years. She says that a conversation with her partner about the impact the pill was having on her emotions and their relationship was the wake up call she needed to make changes.

Kat says she wanted to have a period and now that it has returned, she knows her body is healthy and operating in a natural way. Kat uses her period as a marker of where she’s at, physically and mentally and says it keeps her in check to make sure she’s looking after herself.

Kat discusses the research she did when she decided to come off hormonal contraception and how she geeked out on all the new information.

Kat says that we shouldn’t underestimate our bodies; they’re amazing and they work. She says that listening to our bodies and learning what our bodies are saying is really powerful and I completely agree!

Get in touch

Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod

Email

[email protected]

Get in touch with Kat:

Website:

http://www.kathorrocks.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kat_horrocks/

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.

For the seventh episode of the Period Story Podcast, I spoke with Karen Arthur, the fashion designer, sewing tutor, stylist, speaker and model.

We talked about a first period that felt really frightening at the time, but in retrospect, was quite funny. Karen talked about learning about periods and sex through conversations with friends, feeling squeamish and embarrassed and learning that having a period didn’t mean she was pregnant.

Karen says that having a preacher for a father meant that conversations about most things to do with women, and anything to do with bodily fluids were taboo. She had been brought to believe that bleeding was bad and the Problem page in Jackie magazine was how she mostly learned about sex, relationships and periods.

We talked about what Karen felt she should have known about her body and how becoming a teacher and head of year made her determined to learn as much as she could, in order to teach her students and her daughters. Karen shares how her daughters have educated her the most on periods and sex through their openness and willingness to have frank conversations.

She says it’s taken her time to unlearn her feelings of shame and recognise that the more people talk about these things, the better it is. This has helped her talk about menopause as well. Karen talks about the events she’s run to help open up conversations around menopause and how they’ve help women feel less alone.

Karen says that menopause is a transition to another life and we need to think about how we can thrive, rather than how we can just get through it.

Karen says that no one should suffer this alone and I completely agree!

Tweet @periodstorypod

Email

[email protected]

Find out more about Karen:

Her website:

https://www.reddskin.co.uk/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thekarenarthur/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/reddskinuk

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ReddskinUK/

Craft Moves:

https://www.instagram.com/craftmoves/

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.

For the sixth episode of Period Story Podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with Esther Zimmer, a writer and strategist.

We talked about how the impact of a culture of shame and secrecy around menstruation and sex and she’s learned to move beyond this. Esther talked about the exploration she’s been doing over the few years around her body and understanding its natural rhythms.

Esther shared how being child-free by choice has changed the way she thinks about her period and menstrual cycle. She says that understanding her menstrual cycle has helped her understand how to manage her energy in the best way. She plans her project work, writing and running around her menstrual cycle and says it’s an amazing way to work.

Esther Zimmer is an Australian communications strategist, online course creator and writer living in London. She writes a regular essay series called ‘Truth & Clues’ where she shares the truth about her life as a woman in her 40s who’s still figuring out her place in the world. She’s currently writing her first book, a travel memoir, having recently completed a 12-month cross-continental cycling expedition with her husband.

Esther has an unhealthy obsession with words: Writing them, reading them and exchanging them via deep conversations. She created her own self-directed recovery from disordered eating, but still considers herself to be very much a work-in-progress. A part-time adventurer and full-time dreamer, Esther loves all animals, most humans and the infinite possibilities that a blank page holds.

Find Esther:

Website:

www.estherzimmer.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/esther_zimmer

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 the fifth episode of the Period Story podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with Tamu Thomas, the founder of Three Sixty. We talked about Tamu's first period and how this rite of passage was celebrated by her family and how she tracks her energy levels along with her menstrual cycle and uses this to plan how much work she'll take on.

Tamu and I also talked about how she's talking to her daughter about periods and menstrual health and how she's moved past the secrecy around menstruation she grew up with to now having a very open and free attitude.

E-mail [email protected]

Tweet @periodstorypod

Tamu Thomas is founder of Three Sixty; a brand she created for women in their late 30s and 40s that want to simplify life and create space for everyday joy. Tamu created the brand as a response to her own emotional and physical situation. At the age of 40, and after years of compromising her health, joy and pleasure to meet the demands of her career as a social worker and her role as a mother, she realised that feeling emotionally and physically depleted was not a necessity, or a given.

Find Tamu

Instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/livethreesixty

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LIVE-THREE-SIXTY-1839145456379400/

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/livethreesixty_

Live Three Sixty Website:

https://www.livethreesixty.com

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 the fourth episode of the Period Story podcast, I had a wonderful wide-ranging conversation with Deborah Campbell, the founder of Future Fe+Male and the Deborah Campbell Atelier.

We talked about Deborah's feelings about her first period and not being quite emotionally ready to cope with it, being forced to grow up quite quickly, fibroids, educating boys about periods and navigating her way through early menopause.

E-mail [email protected]

Tweet @periodstorypod

Links

Find Deborah on:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wearefuturefemale/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/wearefuturefemale/

The Future Fe+Male website:

https://futurefemale.org.uk

The Menopause Doctor:

https://www.instagram.com/menopause_doctor/

The Born Equal Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-born-equal-podcast/id1469626675

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.

For the third episode of the Period Story Podcast, I was honoured to speak with Sharon Walters, the London Artist. We spoke about shame and cleanliness, learning about periods and menstrual health in a family where children were seen and not heard, hiding her sanitary towels from her father, the effects of feeling disconnected from yourself and how Sharon learned that she didn't need to live with a heavy period. Sharon also shared how her collage series, Seeing Ourselves, has allowed her to feel strong, confident and connected with herself and her body.

Sharon says that understanding her body has helped improve her confidence and self-esteem and how believing in herself has opened up so many opportunities for her.

Find Sharon on Instagram @london_artist1 and at her website

www.londonartist1.com

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.

For the second episode of the Period Story podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Fiona Grayson, the founder of She can. She Did.

She can. She did. is a platform that puts the spotlight on women in their teens, twenties and thirties who've dared to go solo and launch their own businesses throughout the UK. Praised for its honest, raw and often amusing account of what it takes to launch a business as a female founder in the UK today, She can. She did. champions female business owners and encourages aspiring female entrepreneurs through a combination of down to earth interviews, the candid She can. She did. podcast and its informal event series, She can. She did. - The Midweek Mingle! which takes place in cities around the UK.

We talked about periods as a sign of good health, the way Fiona looks at her health holistically, stress and how it can affect female entrepreneurs. Fiona says periods don't have to be painful and that's definitely a message I agree with!

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.

Ateh Jewel, the multi award winning beauty journalist, blogger, director and producer. She’s been in the industry for 18 years writing for titles such as Vogue, Tatler, Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Allure, Guardian Weekend Magazine, Glamour, Grazia, Red Magazine Stylist and Get The Gloss.

Ateh is a huge believer in diversity and launched her own award- winning blog for women with darker skin tones called

http://www.jeweltonesbeauty.com, which has featured “Black Panther” Academy Award and Emmy Nominated actress Angela Bassett.

Ateh sits down with our host, Le'Nise Brothers and talks about her dramatic first period, having very open minded conversations with her mother about her period, women as superheroes and periods being part of the divine.

Other things mentioned on the show:

Beauty Banks by Sali Hughes

For more on Ateh Jewel, be sure to follow her on Instagram @atehjewel and @atehjewelbeauty and on Facebook @jeweltonesbeauty

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.