The Cyclical Doula Podcast: Fertility Awareness, Charting Cycles, and Reproductive Health Education

In this episode, Emma speaks with Karen "ZuZu" Armes, a holistic health educator, author, and founder of Holistic Health Educators—an online school of natural medicine available in 100 languages worldwide. ZuZu shares her remarkable journey from wanting to get off epilepsy medications before starting a family to becoming a trusted guide for thousands seeking natural health solutions.

Key topics covered include:
- ZuZu's personal health journey: overcoming epilepsy through food and natural remedies
- Why she shifted from conventional medicine to holistic health practices
- The importance of stress reduction for fertility and hormonal health
- Moon phases and their connection to cyclical health
- Herbal allies for fertility: raspberry leaf tea, hibiscus, goji berries, maca root, and bee pollen
- EMF protection and its impact on reproductive health
- The critical role of nutrition in pregnancy: why what you eat matters for baby development
- Nervous system health as the foundation for hormonal balance
- Creating a safe internal and external environment through boundaries, feng shui, and home energy
- The dangers of polyester and the benefits of natural fibers
- Why you should address the nervous system before jumping to hormone replacement
- Practical daily rituals: saunas, exercise, dance, and morning routines
- How to feed fussy eaters and nourish your family with whole foods
- The connection between the people in your life and your ability to conceive and carry pregnancy
- Why stress reduction practices like bouncing on a ball, music, and meditation are essential

ZuZu emphasizes that true health comes from working upstream—addressing root causes rather than symptoms, supporting the nervous system, nourishing the body with real food, and creating an environment (both physical and relational) that supports life and fertility.

Connect with Zuzu:

Website: https://www.lillyfieldscenter.com
Holistic Health Education Platform: https://holistichealtheducators.com
Personal Platform & Story: https://www.zuzuunleashed.com

Connect with Emma:

emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this episode, Emma speaks with Candice Jones, a nurse practitioner specializing in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and women's hormonal health. Candice shares her journey from primary care nursing to launching her own hormone practice dedicated to helping women navigate perimenopause and hormonal transitions.

Key topics covered include:
- What perimenopause is and why hormones fluctuate dramatically during this phase
- The three main hormones discussed in HRT: progesterone (the calming hormone), estrogen (affecting the entire body), and testosterone (supporting energy and libido)
- How HRT is personalized based on individual symptoms and needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach
- The importance of symptom tracking and cycle awareness in identifying hormonal patterns
- Why lab work alone cannot diagnose perimenopause—symptoms matter more
- The connection between hormonal balance and weight management, sleep quality, and overall quality of life
- Different delivery methods for HRT (patches, creams, pills, pellets) and how to choose what works for your lifestyle
- The critical importance of ongoing follow-up care and communication with your provider
- How hormone replacement can provide benefits beyond symptom relief, including bone health, cardiovascular protection, and dementia risk reduction
- Red flags to watch for when choosing a hormone specialist
- Why it's never too late to seek hormonal support, even years after menopause

Candice emphasizes that women deserve to feel like themselves again and that quality of life is paramount. She encourages listeners to advocate for themselves, track their symptoms, and find providers who offer multiple treatment options rather than pushing a single approach.

Resources:

Connect with Candice: www.coastalhealthandhormone.com
www.glowspa.com

Connect with Emma: emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice

This episode features Jillian Beck-Rogers, a fertility nutrition and wellness coach who helps women support their fertility through nutrition and lifestyle habits. Jillian shares her personal trying-to-conceive journey and the gaps she identified in fertility care, which led her to become a certified prenatal nutrition expert. Key topics include: the importance of food-first approaches to fertility, practical nutrition strategies for optimizing fertility, the emotional and physical aspects of the trying-to-conceive journey, how lifestyle habits impact fertility outcomes, the role of nervous system regulation in conception, and building confidence and control during fertility challenges. Jillian emphasizes that fertility support should go beyond basic prenatal vitamins and "eat healthy" advice, offering comprehensive, science-backed strategies tailored to individual needs.

Resources:

Connect with Jillian: www.jillianhealthandwellness.com

7 Foods to Boost Fertility: https://www.jillianhealthandwellness.com/fertility-food-guide

Jillian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianbeckrogers_health

Connect with Emma: emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this episode, Emma speaks with Anne-Marie Pereira, a Fertility and Emotional Healing Therapist, about the profound connection between emotional patterns, subconscious beliefs, and fertility challenges. Anne-Marie shares her personal journey of loss and healing, including the loss of her second son and how that experience led her to explore hypnotherapy and emotional healing work. She explains how unexplained infertility often has emotional roots and discusses specific beliefs that can impact fertility, such as fears of repeating family patterns, inherited generational trauma, and negative self-talk about the body. The conversation covers how the body contracts in response to emotional stress and fear, making it difficult to receive pregnancy. Anne-Marie provides practical first steps for listeners: observing your self-talk, bringing creative energy into your life, and using daily practices like meditation recordings to shift mindset. She emphasizes that women have agency in their fertility journey and can create a strong partnership with their bodies through positive affirmations and emotional healing work.

Resources:

Connect with Anne-Marie: www.freeinfertility.com

Anne-Marie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freeinfertility

Connect with Emma: emmamma.com/link 

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

This episode features Denise Elysa, a somatic practitioner and embodiment guide who shares her profound journey of healing from over 30 diagnoses including Lyme disease, ME/CFS, MCAS, and POTS. Denise discusses how disconnection from the body often underlies chronic illness and how somatic inquiry, energy healing, and nervous system regulation can support deep healing. Key topics include: the importance of viewing the body as intelligent rather than broken, how trauma and emotional repression manifest as physical symptoms, the role of safety and trust in healing, cyclical nature of healing (non-linear), and practical embodiment tools. Denise emphasizes that healing requires slow, intentional work that honors the body's protective mechanisms rather than forcing quick fixes. She shares her Bridge to Embodiment program which combines somatic inquiry, energy healing, past life regression, and community support over 6-12 months.

Resources:

Connect with Denise: www.deniseelysa.com

Connect with Emma: emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this episode, Emma sits down with Dr. Tarah Davis, a functional medicine pharmacist and founder of The Rooted Farmacy, to explore the transformative power of root-cause healing. Dr. Davis shares her personal journey from severe childhood illness to becoming a trauma-informed functional medicine practitioner. The conversation delves deep into why gut health is foundational to overall wellness, explaining that gut health is not about symptoms but about the intricate connection between your immune system, nervous system, and digestion. Key topics include: understanding the gut microbiome and its role in hormone production and breakdown; how perimenopause is often misdiagnosed and is really about metabolic dysfunction, blood sugar imbalance, and accumulated stress; the use of continuous glucose monitors to track real-time blood sugar patterns; why functional medicine requires a 6-month commitment and a 'ready, willing, and able' mindset; the importance of looking at the whole person from birth onwards; how gut health impacts fertility, mood, autoimmunity, and weight loss resistance; and why one-on-one personalized approaches work better than one-size-fits-all protocols. Dr. Tarah Davis emphasizes that you're not broken—you've been set up for failure by lifestyle and misinformation, and healing begins with learning to love your body.

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Tarah Davis: https://therootedfarmacy.com
The Rooted Revival: https://l.bttr.to/9q7Dl
Book a discovery call with Dr. Tarah Davis here: https://l.bttr.to/RPfGD
Dr. Tarah Davis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Therootedfarmacy

Connect with Emma: emmamma.com/links

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this conversation, Emma sits down with Dr. Jennifer Schlueter, a trauma-informed hypnotherapist, breathwork facilitator, and EFT practitioner who specializes in supporting women navigating endometriosis and other hormone-related conditions. Dr. Jennifer shares how she discovered the power of hypnotherapy to access the subconscious mind and release stored trauma that manifests as physical pain and emotional dysregulation. Together, they explore the profound connection between our emotional experiences and our bodies—and how what we've been through shapes the way our bodies communicate with us. You'll learn what hypnotherapy actually is (and how it differs from entertainment hypnosis), why women often prioritize everyone else's needs over their own, and how cyclical living can transform not just individual health but society as a whole. Dr. Jennifer breaks down how breathwork, EFT tapping, and dance can help release tension and shift your nervous system in real time. This episode is for anyone ready to access the answers already within them and reclaim their power through the wisdom of their body.

Resources & Links:

https://subscribepage.io/endometriosisebook

www.mindyoursubconscious.com

https://www.instagram.com/dr.jenniferschlueter/

emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this conversation, Emma sits down with Dr. Taylor Dempsey, a chiropractor and women's health advocate who specializes in gentle, nervous system-focused care. Dr. Taylor shares how chiropractic care extends far beyond pain relief—it's about optimizing nervous system function and supporting the body's innate ability to heal. Together, they explore the Webster Technique for pregnancy, how to listen to your body's whispers before they become screams, and why preventative care matters at every life stage. You'll hear about the importance of body literacy in fertility and pregnancy, how stress impacts conception and birth outcomes, and why building a village of practitioners—chiropractors, doulas, massage therapists, and pelvic floor PTs—creates the best support system. Dr. Taylor also discusses adjusting babies from birth, the nervous system impact of birth trauma, and how informed choice and body trust are revolutionary acts in modern healthcare. This episode is for anyone ready to shift from reactive to proactive health and understand their body as inherently wise.

Resources & Links:

https://luminarychiropractic.com

https://www.instagram.com/luminarychiropractic

https://icpa4kids.com/find-a-pediatric-chiropractor/
https://nervoussystemchiro.com/chiropractor-directory/
https://principledchiropracticassociation.com

emmamma.com/links

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this episode, Emma speaks with Paige Aberasturi, a registered dietitian and personal trainer who shares her journey from struggling with disordered eating and diet culture to becoming a nutrition professional dedicated to helping women fuel their bodies properly. Paige discusses how her personal experience of trying to change her physical appearance through restrictive eating and exercise led her to pursue formal education in nutrition and understand the science behind healthy eating. Throughout the conversation, Paige addresses common nutrition myths that affect women, particularly the "eat less, move more" mentality that ignores important factors like bone mass and muscle mass. She emphasizes that pursuing weight loss at the expense of muscle and bone health is counterproductive, especially as women age. Paige also discusses how restrictive eating affects menstrual cycles, leading to amenorrhea and other health complications. Key topics include: The difference between disordered eating and intuitive, nourishing eating, How diet culture impacts women's relationship with food and their bodies, The importance of understanding nutrition science beyond appearance, How restrictive eating affects menstrual cycles and hormonal health, Practical approaches to nutrition that support overall health not just weight loss, The role of vitamins minerals and fiber in women's health, Working with a registered dietitian vs unqualified nutrition advice, Insurance coverage for dietitian services.

Connect with Paige:

• Coaching program (includes recorded and live aspects): https://www.startfuelingbetter.com/start-fueling-better-program/
• 1:1 nutrition counseling (often fully covered by insurance): https://www.startfuelingbetter.com/1-on-1-nutrition-counseling/

Connect with Emma: https://emmamma.com/link

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

Meaghan Wamboldt, a functional nutrition practitioner specializing in gut health, hormones, and fertility, shares her personal journey of medical dismissal and self-advocacy. After struggling with secondary amenorrhea (no period for nearly a decade), gut issues, and infertility, Meaghan discovered that traditional doctors were missing crucial information. She discusses how functional testing—particularly the GI map—revealed significant gut imbalances that were directly impacting her fertility. Meaghan explains the connection between gut health and hormonal balance, why reproductive hormones are the first to shut down under stress and inflammation, and how addressing root causes through lifestyle changes can restore fertility. She emphasizes the importance of asking questions, advocating for yourself with healthcare providers, and understanding that the body works as an interconnected system, not in silos.

Read more at emmamma.com/podcast/52

Connect with Meaghan:

website: https://meagwamboldt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meagwamboldt

Emmamma Resources + Links:

• Book a Free Clarity Call with Emma
• Ask a Question for the Podcast: Submit here
• Leave a Review + Get a Gift: Claim your gift here
• Website links: https://emmamma.com/link
• Instagram: @cyclicaldoula

The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Cyclical Doula Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Emma Goff or Emmamma LLC. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.