This is the sixth episode of my Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I share the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Aarathi. Aarathi was a member of my previous Fertility Friday Group Program, who has been trying to conceive for quite some time. After a failed attempt at IVF Aarathi sought a more natural route which is what lead her to discover the podcast. She wanted to be part of this series hoping that her story may give hope and/or inspiration to others.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

In this special episode, I celebrate my 2nd "Podcastiversary" (Podcast Anniversary)!

I have learned so much from my experiences working with clients and getting to know you better and it has made a huge impact on me. So, in honor of this milestone, I decided to do a solo episode this week and share with you my top ten biggest takeaways after two years of podcasting and producing over 100 episodes.

If you're new to this show, or to fertility awareness, this is a great episode with lots resources and is a perfect starting point.

To all of my listeners, thank you so much for making 2016 such an amazing year and I'm incredibly excited to see where 2017 will take all of us!

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

This is the fifth episode in my new Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I share the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Sarah. Sarah was a member of my previous Fertility Friday Group Program and wanted to be part of this series hoping that her story of using hormonal contraceptives and eventually conceiving using holistic approaches may give hope and/or inspiration to others. I'm very honored to be joined on this call by my mentor, and previous guest, Rose Yewchuck. Rose is a Justisse Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner (HRHP) and Justisse HRHP Educator. You can connect with Rose on her website.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

This is the fourth episode in my new Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I share the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Amelia. Amelia was a member of my previous Fertility Friday Group Program and wanted to be part of this series hoping that her story of struggling with multiple miscarriages and low Progesterone may give hope and/or inspiration to others.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

Dr. Fiona McCulloch ND, the founder, and owner of White Lotus Integrative Medicine has worked with thousands of people seeking better health over the past 15 years of her practice. She is committed to health education and advocacy, empowering her patients with the most current information on health topics and natural medicine therapies with a warm, empathic approach.

In today’s show, we talk about Dr. Fiona’s new book “8 Steps to Reverse your PCOS” which she just released in September 2016! We also talk about the connection between PCOS, inflammation, gut health & thyroid conditions!

Dr. Fiona joined us on a previous episode: episode 45 where we talked about the autoimmune disease as it relates to fertility, thyroid health, and MTHFR gene mutation.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

This is the third episode in my new Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I will be sharing the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Aisha. Aisha is an experienced charter who has been charting her cycles for the past 4 years. Aisha reached out to me because she wanted to learn the Justisse Charting system in particular. She wanted to gain a better understanding of her mucus & learn how to use the Fertility Awareness Method for birth control in her pre-ovulatory phase as well as the post-ovulatory phase.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Dr. Dixon is a graduate of the McGill University’s School of Medicine. Her initial postgraduate training was at the University of Toronto, in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her passion for reproductive medicine continued during her postgraduate training, where she specialized in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Vermont.  Dr. Dixon is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. She also speaks both nationally and internationally at conferences in her field of  Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Dixon recently at the grand opening of her new clinic, Anova Fertility & Reproductive Health.

In today’s show, we talk about the impact of aging infertility, the reality of IVF, and future of fertility treatments!

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

Vicki Braun is a master fertility awareness consultant, trained and certified in four different methods of NFP; she is also a certified GAPS practitioner.  She has a Bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry and a Master's Degree in microbiology.  She writes and speaks on NFP, balancing hormones and healing the gut.  She has taught NFP for over thirty years and has consulted with thousands of women.  She combines NFP and her knowledge of hormonal imbalances with a focus on gut health in order to help people restore hormonal balance through diet and lifestyle changes.

In today's show, we talk about cervical mucus and why it's central to the fertility awareness method. We also talk about the connection between gut health, diet, and fertility.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

This is the second episode in my new Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I will be sharing the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Carolina, who is a member of my most recent Fertility Friday Group Program! We delve into her history of contraceptive use, her fertility challenges, as well as her recent transition from a vegetarian diet to now incorporating meat products.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Nora Pope is a retired naturopathic doctor and Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner with a private practice in Toronto from 2002-19. She is a graduate of the NaPro Technology Medical Consultant Auditor Program and has been presenting continuing education programs to healthcare professionals since 2004. For more information on her courses, please visit: www.fertilityCE.com.

In today’s episode, Nora and I talk about using a woman’s menstrual cycle chart as a diagnostic tool both from a medical perspective and from a Naturopathic perspective. We focus on assessing a woman’s hormonal levels and supporting them in a way that aligns with her menstrual cycle. We also focus on progesterone levels specifically. How to test for progesterone, what your levels should be, how to know if your levels are low, and what to do about it if they are.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

This is the first episode in my new Fertility Awareness Reality Series! I will be sharing the work that I do with clients "on air" with you in these special episodes where I am hosting live mini-sessions with women who I have worked with.

In today's episode, I interview Teri, who is a member of my most recent Fertility Friday Group Program! We delve into her history of contraceptive use, as well as how her menstrual cycles have changed over time. We also delve into her recent PCOS diagnosis, how this is showing up on her charts, and what she can do to begin addressing these issues through dietary and lifestyle changes.

Make sure to head over to my Group Programs page to find out more about my upcoming January 2017 group programs and how you can apply to be a part of it! You'll want to apply early as there are a limited number of participants I can accept into each group.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Dr. Naylor is a board-certified family physician, focused on preventive medicine and nutrition. As an osteopathic physician, she treats patients with a whole-person approach and has training in treating the body with hands-on techniques, called osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). She became especially interested in fertility during the end of her residency training when she herself stopped hormonal contraception in an effort to get pregnant and didn't get a period. Almost 2 years later, she continues her journey to naturally regain a healthy menstrual cycle and reflects on how western medicine addresses (or doesn't address) this common issue.

I’m excited to talk with  Dr. Naylor about how physicians are trained regarding hormonal contraceptives, and what her experience was like with fertility challenges since coming off the pill herself.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

Lily is a researcher, speaker, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition and a unique specialty in gestational diabetes. As a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Pilates Instructor, she is the first to advocate for a nutrient-dense, lower carb diet for managing gestational diabetes. Her book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes, (and an online course of the same name), has helped thousands of women have healthy babies - and most without the need for blood sugar-lowering medication. What’s now been dubbed her “Real Food Approach” is currently being used in several research studies.

Lily joined us on 2 previous episodes: episode 16 where we talked all about gestational diabetes and episode 25 where we talked about exercise during pregnancy!

I’m excited to have Lily back on the show to talk about PCOS, and how to manage PCOS through diet and lifestyle changes!

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

Molly is an American homebirth midwife, reproductive health advocate, and educator, specializing in supporting pregnancy loss and abortion. She works with a full spectrum of reproductive experiences and supports individuals and families in finding the best options for themselves, including traditional, home- and plant-based alternatives.

She teaches workshops on a variety of subjects within alternative reproductive healthcare aiming to provide empowered support for our complicated and fluid reproductive lives. She has taught hundreds of people the art and science of alternative fertility management, honoring its roots, and exploring its potential to change the way we relate to our bodies, our fertility, and our bleeding. She also loves catching babies and supporting birthing and postpartum families.

In today’s show, we talk about abortion, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and menstrual extraction. We talk about the role midwifery care plays in helping women to manage these devastating life events. Please keep in mind that in today's episode we are talking about extremely difficult and sensitive topics. If you have experienced pregnancy loss of any kind this episode may be triggering for you.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

Jessica is the Founder and CEO of the Integrative Women's Health Institute and is passionate about caring for and empowering women who struggle with women’s and pelvic health conditions. She is equally passionate about educating and supporting clinicians in confidently and safely using integrative tools to transform women's pelvic healthcare.

Having over a decade of experience as a women’s and pelvic physical therapist plus owning a private women’s health clinical nutrition and coaching practice gives her a unique perspective on the integrative, conservative options for pelvic pain management.

Jessica was educated at the University of Virginia, Emory University, The Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and Duke Integrative Medicine.  She is currently a doctoral student in clinical nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health

In today’s show, we talk about pelvic health, what causes pelvic pain and inflammation and how to address these issues from a functional medicine perspective.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

After nearly 2 years of this podcasting journey, I'm still going strong, and I wanted to celebrate my 100th episode by creating a special compilation! In this episode, I have strung together a number of clips from numerous different episodes. I have had the incredible privilege of interviewing over 100 amazing guests who have shared their knowledge, experience, and wisdom for all of us to benefit from.

I had such a hard time narrowing down which episodes to pull from that I ended up with a 2 part series!  I created these episodes as a thank you to my amazing listeners and guests, so I hope you enjoy episode 100! Click here to listen to part 1!

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Sponsored By

This episode is sponsored by Circle + Bloom! Click here to receive 20% off Circle + Bloom products! Make sure to use discount code: FertilityFriday at checkout!

After nearly 2 years of this podcasting journey I'm still going strong, and I wanted to celebrate my 100th episode by creating a special compilation! In this episode I have strung together a number of clips from numerous different episodes. I have had the incredible privilege of interviewing over 100 amazing guests who have shared their knowledge, experience and wisdom for all of us to benefit from.

I had such a hard time narrowing down which episodes to pull from that I ended up with a 2 part series!  I created these episodes as a thank you to my amazing listeners and guests, so I hope you enjoy episode 100! Click here to listen to part 2.

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Kelsey is a Registered Dietitian who quickly learned in her program that she wasn’t being taught what dieticians should really be teaching their patients. She decided to study functional medicine, open her own practice, and pursue her dream of working with clients who really care about themselves, who want to invest in their health and receive support along their health journey.

In today’s show, Kelsey and I talk about Adrenal health, HPA axis dysregulation, and how this can impact fertility. I’ve had a number of questions from listeners about adrenal fatigue and HPA axis dysregulation because of the impact it can have on a woman’s fertility hormones!

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

After getting such a positive response from episode 95 with Dr. Susan Rako, I decided to release a bonus episode to answer one of the most common questions that I get which is how do I boost my cervical mucus production! In today's episode, I share some important information about cervical health as well as practical ways to boost cervical mucus production and improve cervical health naturally.

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Mary is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner and acupuncturist who has been in practice for over 20 years. The vast majority of her patients have struggled with gynecological disorders, fertility challenges, and pregnancy-related issues.

She is the author of Pathways to Pregnancy: Personal Stories and Practical Advice for Your Fertility Journey, and she is the founder & CEO of ALIVE Holistic Health Clinic located in downtown Toronto.  Mary’s personal experience with fertility challenges has fostered compassion and a deep respect for the families who come to her for help. Mary has seen the many faces that infertility presents, and the equally diverse pathways to pregnancy presented by conventional and complementary medicine. It is her greatest hope that by she can bring a renewed sense of possibility to infertility sufferers, and deepen their understanding of this widespread condition to the public consciousness.

In today's episode, we talk about issues that interfere with pregnancy and cause fertility challenges. We also talk about the challenge for patients who have received a diagnosis of infertility. We delve into the practical ways women can move forward with hope in the face of receiving such a daunting diagnosis.

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Dr. Rako has been a psychiatrist in private practice in the Boston area for more than thirty-five years. She both trained and taught at Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts Mental Health Center, a teaching hospital in the Department of Psychiatry. She has become a pioneering expert on women’s reproductive health. She is the author of several books including “The Blessings of the Curse: No More Periods?” and “The Hormone of Desire: The Truth About Testosterone, Sexuality, and Menopause”.

In today’s episode, we talk about menstrual suppression, and the idea that periods are optional, and suppressing them medically has a no broader impact on our bodies outside.

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Lierre is a writer, small farmer, and radical feminist activist. She is the author of six books, including The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability, which has been called “the most important ecological book of this generation.” She is the coauthor,
with Derrick Jensen and Aric McBay, of Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet. She’s also been arrested six times.

In today’s show, we delve into the topic of veganism and the impact it can have on fertility. We also tackle the idea that veganism is going to save the world, and eating meat is going to destroy it.

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Hethir is the founder of Natural-Fertility-Info.com. She wants to live in a world where work is play, traveling to new places is the norm, and growing vegetables is foolproof. As a Natural Fertility Specialist, Hethir and her team have helped thousands of couples to get pregnant using natural fertility therapies and lifestyle changes. When she’s not working on herbal formulas or obsessing over research, you can find her in the field playing beekeeper, experimenting with waffle recipes in the kitchen, or playing with her son Tobias and spending time in the woods. Natural-Fertility-Info.com has helped couples prepare for healthy conception for over 7 years, connecting with over 900,000 visitors a month.

In today’s episode, we talk about the importance of preconception nutrition, nutrition for fertility and pregnancy, and we also talk about using herbs and supplementation to improve fertility naturally.

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Emily is a trained birth and postpartum doula, midwife assistant, birth control doula, placenta encapsulation specialist, and holds a degree in counseling and mentoring. She has been working with newborns and families since age seven and her goal is to be able to take women's hands during puberty and walk with them through every stage of reproductive health. She has been tracking her cycle for the past 3 years!

Kelsey is a labor and delivery registered nurse in New York City. She pursued a nursing career in inpatient obstetrics and is certified as a lactation counselor (CLC) and childbirth educator. She’s also interested in documenting women’s stories. She completed a 12-week certification in filmmaking at New York Film Academy.

In today's episode, we talk about Kelsey & Emily's recent trip across the United States! Kelsey and Emily recently took a 3-month tour of the States where they offered free reproductive health classes in over 60 locations. They funded their trip through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and I can’t wait to hear more about their travels!

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

With the launch of my Fertility Boost Group Program in full swing, I decided to release a special bonus episode to share my experience of learning fertility awareness in a group environment and share the top 3 benefits of learning fertility awareness surrounded by women who are doing the same thing.

I was recently interviewed by a woman who is writing a book about female reproductive health, and one of the questions she asked me really stood out to me. She asked if fertility awareness is so straightforward and simple to learn, why would anyone need the help of an educator, and how could it possibly take 2 years of intensive training to learn to teach it? I thought about it and recognized that there are so many misconceptions about fertility awareness starting with the idea that since fertility awareness helps women to connect with their cycles and femininity in a natural way, that it should somehow be intuitive or "natural" to learn. I address this idea and many others in today's episode!

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic