Why are we taught so little about something that happens every single month for decades of our lives?

In this episode, Eloise Drane sits down with fertility awareness educator and author Lisa Hendrickson-Jack to unpack one of the most overlooked truths in women’s health: the menstrual cycle is not just about getting pregnant. It is a vital sign.

From heavy periods and birth control prescriptions in her teens to becoming a pioneer in fertility awareness education and podcasting, Lisa shares how charting her cycle transformed her understanding of her body and ultimately her career.

This conversation goes far beyond basic sex education. It breaks down what is actually happening during your cycle, how ovulation impacts overall health, what hormonal birth control really does to the body, and why so many women feel confused or dismissed when something feels “off.”

“Your menstrual cycle is not an inconvenience. It’s information.” - Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

Guest Bio

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified fertility awareness educator, host of the Fertility Friday podcast, and author of The Fifth Vital Sign and Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lily Nichols, RDN). Lisa has been charting her cycle since age 18 and was one of the first voices to bring fertility awareness education to the podcast space in 2014. Today her work focuses on educating women directly and training health practitioners to use the menstrual cycle as a diagnostic and health tool.

This episode is for any woman who wants to understand her cycle more deeply whether she’s on hormonal birth control, recently come off it, or simply trying to make sense of what her body is doing every month.

What You’ll Learn

• What it really means when we say “the menstrual cycle is a vital sign”

• What’s happening hormonally from your period to ovulation to the luteal phase

• Why the 28-day cycle myth is misleading and what is actually normal

• How cervical fluid works, and why most of us were never taught about it

• The key role ovulation plays in bone density, mood, and long-term health

• How hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation and what that means for your body

Episode Resources

Fertility Friday Podcast fertilityfriday.com

The Fifth Vital Sign fertilityfriday.com/book

Real Food for Fertility (free first chapter) realfoodforfertility.com Lisa on Instagram @fertilityfriday

Related Episodes

Ep 129: Acupuncture for Fertility: Supporting Hormones, Cycles & IVF Success 

Ep 126: What Your OBGYN Isn’t Telling You

This episode is part of our Between Seasons series, where we’re bringing back some of the most-loved and most-needed conversations from the Fertility Café archive while we work on our next full season.

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