Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—reproductive diagnoses facing women today. In this informative and hope-filled episode, hosts Amy and Emily are joined by Dr. Tracey Parnell, a board-certified Canadian physician and researcher, to unpack what PCOS really is and what it isn’t.

Together, they explore how PCOS develops, the underlying hormonal and metabolic disruptions at play, and why so many conventional approaches focus on symptom suppression rather than true healing. Dr. Parnell shares a cooperative, restorative approach to treatment—one that works with a woman’s body to restore ovulation, improve hormone health, and support long-term reproductive function.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS, suspect you may have it, or simply want a clearer understanding of women’s reproductive health through the lens of Natural Family Planning and restorative medicine, this episode offers clarity, encouragement, and real solutions rooted in respect for the female body.

🎧 Listen in for a conversation that replaces confusion with understanding—and diagnosis with hope.

Resources:

1. IIRRM- https://iirrm.org/

2. PCOS Challenge- https://pcoschallenge.org/

3. Creighton Charting- https://www.fertilitycare.org/creighton-model-system/

4. FEMM Charting- https://femmhealth.org/

In today’s episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Emily and Amy dive into the often-misunderstood reproductive condition Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) with special guest Cynthia Donovan, The Period Nutritionist and a registered dietitian. Together, they unpack what HA is, why it happens, and why so many women are told their only options are IVF, IUI, or the birth control pill. This conversation is full of hope as Cynthia shares life-giving, restorative alternatives offered by medical professionals who focus on healing the body and restoring ovulation. Cynthia also opens up about her own journey through HA and her recovery—one that ultimately led to the natural conception of her two beautiful boys. If you or someone you love has been told there’s “no other way,” this episode offers encouragement, clarity, and real solutions rooted in honoring women’s reproductive health and the body’s innate design.

Resources:

Follow Cynthia on Social Media-

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/period.nutritionist/

TikTok: @period.nutritionist

Website: www.periodnutritionist.com

Apply for Period Recovery Strategy Call w/Cynthia:

https://0u8h3wddwmr.typeform.com/StrategyCall

The Period Recovery Podcast: https://www.periodnutritionist.com/podcast

Free Period Recovery Guide:

https://prodigious-knitter-1788.kit.com/dfdff8e4ae

HA Fact Sheet:

https://prodigious-knitter-1788.kit.com/dfdff8e4ae

In this deeply moving episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily sit down with Lynn, who courageously shares her powerful love story marked by both joy and profound hardship. From young love to relational abuse, annulment, pregnancy, and the realities of motherhood, Lynn opens her heart about the ways unhealed spiritual and relational wounds can shape — and sometimes distort — our understanding of marriage, intimacy, and human sexuality.

With humility and honesty, Lynn reflects on how her experiences impacted her sense of self, her faith, and her views on love, commitment, and the body. This conversation sheds light on the lasting effects of trauma within relationships and the path toward healing through truth, grace, and restoration. Amy and Emily guide the discussion with compassion, offering listeners hope that no story is beyond redemption and that healing is possible, even after deep brokenness.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking greater understanding of how our past relationships influence our present, and how God gently invites us toward wholeness, healing, and authentic love.

Resources:

1. Adoration- https://www.catholic.com/tract/adoration-benediction-catholic-answers-guide-to-eucharistic-adoration

2. Language of Your Body- https://a.co/d/34Va46U

3. Rosary- https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/how-to-pray-13648

4. St. John of the Cross- https://tanbooks.com/authors/st-john-of-the-cross?h_campaign_id=316743689&bng_id=1350200714214434&h_ad_id=84388045453621&msclkid=9a17031a9ec81ac41ed36a5a3af144fa&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20-%20DSA%20-%20TAN%20Books&utm_term=tanbooks&utm_content=All%20Webpages

5. Caryll Houselander- https://www.everand.com/author/689597131/Caryll-Houselander?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Everand_Bing_Performance-Max_NB_US&utm_term=www.everand.com&utm_device=c&msclkid=65a96fae652114afdc9006eec14ad570&utm_content=Audiobooks

In this heartfelt episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily welcome Jessica to share an intimate look into her love story with Shea—her high school friend turned lifelong partner. Jessica reflects on the beautiful journey of their relationship, the intentional choices they made as a couple, and their decision to remain virgins until marriage.

She also opens up about the reproductive health challenges that marked the early years of their marriage. After years of frustration and inadequate treatment from mainstream medicine, Jessica finally found real answers and compassionate care through a medical professional practicing restorative reproductive medicine.

Jessica and Shea’s story continues with the gift of adoption—welcoming a beautiful little girl into their family—and the joyful surprise of later conceiving their handsome baby boy. Their journey is one of faith, perseverance, healing, and the profound ways God grows a family.

This episode is a testament to hope and the transformative power of trust—in each other, in authentic healthcare, and in God’s timing.

Resources:

1. Dallas Whole Life Authentic Care: https://www.wholelifeac.com/

2. Creighton/NaPro: https://www.fertilitycare.org/creighton-model-system/

In this inspiring episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily sit down with Kevin and Connie to share their powerful journey back to the Catholic faith. During their dating and engagement years, both felt a deep tug on their hearts—one that ultimately led them to a renewed relationship with God and His Church.

Kevin and Connie open up about how their growing convictions shaped not only their spiritual lives but also their understanding of marriage, family, and the gift of fertility. When they later faced infertility, they followed their well-formed consciences to seek answers that aligned with their faith. Their path led them to restorative reproductive medicine and NaPro Technology, where they finally found compassionate, root-cause treatment and real healing.

Together, they offer a witness of hope, perseverance, and trust in God’s plan—an episode sure to encourage any couple navigating questions of faith, fertility, or the beauty of God-centered marriage.

Resources:

1. The Bible in a Year- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bible-in-a-year-with-fr-mike-schmitz/id1539568321

2. Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body- https://a.co/d/7LmVys9

3. Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender- Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender

4. The Medical & Surgical Practice of NaPro- https://saintpaulvi.com/product/npt/

5. The Saint Paul VI Institute- https://saintpaulvi.com/

6. Inito Fertility Tracker- https://www.inito.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoobWAyRNmrVo-MXNhImRp2O-8UEH-qDYtDFUccQ6sbO9O7urynk

In this heartfelt episode, hosts Amy and Emily sit down with Dan and Mary to explore the beauty, challenges, and grace-filled surprises that come with practicing Natural Family Planning within marriage. Dan and Mary open up about their journey of being radically open to life, welcoming children close together in age, and navigating the joys and trials that shaped their family story. They share how the Lord gently expanded their hearts—one baby at a time—and how NFP deepened their communication, strengthened their marriage, and continually invited them to trust in God’s timing. This conversation is a moving witness to faith, sacrificial love, and the abundant ways God works through family life.

Resources:

1. Christian Courtship in an Oversexed World: A Guide for Catholics- https://a.co/d/einVtsg

2. Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender- https://a.co/d/gnVgDiZ

3. The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning- https://a.co/d/cnXOEMI

4. Interior Freedom- https://a.co/d/5XkOdsv

In this powerful and grace-filled episode, hosts Amy and Emily welcome Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV, for a conversation that will both convict and comfort listeners seeking God’s will in their marriages. Drawing from the rich tradition of Ignatian Spirituality, Fr. Mark offers practical guidance for how couples can prayerfully discern God’s invitations—especially when it comes to decisions about family size and living out the Church’s vision for marriage.

Together, they explore how to recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit, distinguish authentic peace from false consolation, and cultivate a discerning heart that remains open to God’s loving plan. Whether you’re newly married, navigating the beautiful chaos of family life, or simply seeking deeper spiritual clarity, this episode offers encouragement, wisdom, and a renewed sense of purpose rooted in trust and faith.

Tune in to be strengthened, challenged, and inspired to follow God more wholeheartedly within your vocation.

Resources:

1. Humanae Vitae- https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html

2. "What is 'discernment' anyway?"- https://www.discernment.institute/what-is-discernment-anyway

3. Discerning the Will of God- https://www.discernment.institute/product-page/discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decision-making

4. Discernment of Spirits in Marriage- https://www.discernment.institute/product-page/discernment-of-spirits-in-marriage

5. Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement- https://www.discernment.institute/product-page/overcoming-spiritual-discouragement

6. The National Bioethics Center- https://www.ncbcenter.org/

In this week’s episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Emily and Amy pick up where they left off in their series on Responsible Parenthood. After last week’s deep dive into responsible motherhood, the conversation now turns to the vital role of fathers. What does responsible fatherhood look like in today’s world? How can men embrace their vocation to lead with love, sacrifice, and presence within their families?

Join Emily and Amy as they explore practical insights, personal stories, and timeless wisdom on what it means for fathers to live out their calling with intentionality and faith. Whether you're a dad, a mom, or simply someone interested in family life and Natural Family Planning, this episode offers encouragement and inspiration to grow together in the beautiful, sometimes messy journey of parenthood.

🎧 Tune in, reflect, and join the conversation!

Resources:

1. Humanae Vitae- https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html

2. Letter to Families- https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1994/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_02021994_families.html

3. Fathers’ Irreplaceable Role in Welcoming Life- https://www.usccb.org/prolife/fathers-irreplaceable-role-welcoming-life#:~:text=Fathers%20have%20a%20vital%2C%20unique,virtues%20of%20humility%20and%20courage

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily sit down with Jennifer to explore her transformative journey from the messages she received in public-school sex education to discovering the truth, depth, and beauty of human sexuality as taught by the Catholic Church.

Jennifer shares candidly about growing up with a fragmented understanding of sex, fertility, and womanhood—an understanding that left her unprepared for the challenges she would later face in trying to conceive at an older maternal age. Through her struggle with infertility, she found not only greater knowledge of her body but also a renewed appreciation for the Church’s life-giving vision of marriage, openness to life, and the dignity of the human person.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has ever questioned the messages they’ve received about their body, fertility, or purpose—and for those seeking a deeper, more holistic understanding of what it means to be created for love.

Resources:

1. Creighton Model- https://www.fertilitycare.org/creighton-model-system/

2. NaPro Technology- https://naprotechnology.com/

3. St. Pope Paul VI Institute- https://saintpaulvi.com/

4. St. Gerard Prayer- https://themotherssaint.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/StGerardNovena_digital.pdf

5. Catholic Healthcare- https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/news/read-rise-new-catholic-healthcare-inspired-saint-padre-pio

In this thought-provoking episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily dive into the heart of what it means to live out a Christian call to responsible motherhood. Drawing from key Church encyclicals and weaving in the lens of current cultural conversations, they explore how a woman’s sexual choices carry profound spiritual, relational, and generational significance.

Amy and Emily challenge listeners to reconsider the modern narrative around sexuality—reminding women that intimacy is never just about momentary pleasure or personal preference. It is also about the man they choose, the virtues he embodies, and the father he may one day become. With compassion, honesty, and a deep grounding in Catholic teaching, they offer a fresh perspective on discernment, dignity, and the sacred responsibility of nurturing future life.

Whether you're navigating dating, marriage, or broader questions about vocation and family, this episode invites you to reflect more deeply on the beauty and weight of choosing not just a partner, but someone’s future father.

Resources:

1. Humanae Vitae- https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html

2. Pope Francis's Reflection on the Demanding Role of Motherhood- https://www.foryourmarriage.org/blogs/pope-francis-reflects-on-a-mothers-demanding-role/

3. Persona Humana- https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19751229_persona-humana_en.html