Megan is FertilityCare Practitioner. FertilityCare Practitioners are fertility awareness educators who are trained in the Creighton model of fertility awareness. In today’s show, Megan and I dive into about NaPro Technology and the role that it can play in restoring fertility. We also talk about the Creighton model of fertility awareness, which is a mucus only method, and we delve into cervical mucus and why mucus is central to this model of fertility awareness charting.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• What is different about the Creighton method of fertility awareness charting?
• What is NaPro Technology?
• How do FertilityCare Practitioners and NaPro Doctors work together to interpret a woman's charts and address any cycle irregularities?
• How is the Creighton model effective, especially considering that it is a mucus-only method of charting?
• Continuous mucus and limited mucus cycles
• How does mucus production shift around ovulation?
• When might observing temperature not actually be helpful?
• Is all mucus fertile? How do you tell when you are fertile?
• How do models like Creighton and Justisse classify "sticky" and "tacky" mucus?
• Why there aren't only 3 kinds of mucus (i.e. sticky, creamy, egg white)
• What your cervical mucus could be telling you about your cervical health
• What does a healthy menstrual cycle look like?
• The process of coming off the pill and charting your cycles
• Are NaPro Doctors "medical" or are they "holistic"?
• How is the approach that NaPro Doctors take differently to mainstream physicians?

Connect with Megan

You can connect with Megan on her website and on Facebook

Resources mentioned

• Restore FertilityCare | Megan Faller
• Restore FertilityCare Webinar | Megan Faller
• FFP 031 | Using Fertility Awareness Charting to Treat Infertility Naturally | NaPro Technology | Dr. Danielle Miller
• FFP 063 | Lady-Comp & Daysy - Using Tech with Fertility Awareness | Holly Grigg-Spall

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and broadcaster on faith and spirituality from Oxford UK who has written several books including Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings which we will be talking about today! He has spent 18 years in radio and has been featured in numerous TV and radio programs, and he speaks at numerous conferences and events internationally.

In today’s show, we talk about Sheridan’s book Resurrection Year which chronicles the 10-year fertility journey that he and his wife went through, after which they did not conceive or adopt. We talk about broken dreams, and what happens on the other side when you don't get the outcome you were hoping for.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• Sheridan shares the story of he and his wife's 10-year fertility journey
• How they were able to move on and find peace, although there was no baby at the end of their journey
• How Sheridan and his wife were able to maintain their relationship in the face of their fertility struggles
• Advice for couples struggling with infertility who ultimately wish to preserve their relationship
• The different ways that men and women experience fertility struggles, and why men tend to "give up" first
• The blow that infertility can have on men and their sense of masculinity
• The Australian adoption process
• How to manage the well-meaning comments and suggestions from friends and family
• How to support friends and family who are struggling with fertility challenges
• What is a resurrection year?
• What are some ways we can create a fresh start and create a resurrection year in our own lives?

Connect with Sheridan

You can connect with Sheridan on his website

Resources mentioned

• Sheridan Voysey
• Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings (book) | Sheridan Voysey

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Julie is a medically trained healthcare practitioner with skills in multiple disciplines. Julie is a classically trained Oriental medicine physician. She earned her acupuncture degree from the Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences located in Nelson, British Columbia. She has additional qualifications from the CHEK Institute in musculoskeletal assessment and pathology correction. She also specializes in Tissue and Mineral Analysis, which is a noninvasive multipurpose medical test used to assess metabolism, cellular energy, stress response, endocrine and immune function, and heavy metal toxicity levels.

In today’s show, Julie and I talk about copper toxicity and how it relates to the Copper-T IUD as well as the birth control pill.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• The connection between copper toxicity and the copper IUD
• What is copper toxicity or excess copper and what causes it?
• The relationship between the birth control pill and copper toxicity
• What are the symptoms of copper toxicity?
• What are some of the other sources of copper that contribute to copper toxicity?
• The connection between estrogen levels and serum copper levels
• The relationship between copper, zinc, and thyroid function
• The role of hair analysis in diagnosing copper toxicity and other mineral imbalances
• Addressing nutrient deficiencies through diet and proper supplementation

Connect with Julie

You can connect with Julie on her website

Resources mentioned

• Health Elite | Julie Casper LAc.
• Nutritional Balancing | Copper Toxicity | Julie Casper LAc.
• Nutritional Balancing | Getting Started

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Angela is an internationally recognized nutrition and health expert on PCOS. She was recently named one of the Top 10 incredible RDs making a difference by Today’s Dietitian. She is the author of The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, The PCOS Workbook and The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook. Angela is the owner of the PCOS Nutrition Center where she provides nutritional counseling to women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

And in today’s show, we talk about the connection between eating disorders and PCOS, and how to recover and regain fertility after struggling with an eating disorder.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• What are the different types of eating disorders?
• What is the connection between PCOS and eating disorders?
• Why having PCOS actually increases the risk of having an eating disorder
• The complexity of managing the suggested dietary restrictions and/or changes associated with PCOS while recovering from an eating disorder
• How does disordered eating impact a woman's menstrual cycle and her fertility?
• How can a woman overcome the emotional aspects underlying her eating disorder?
• Can she do it alone, or should she seek support?
• How long does the recovery process take?
• How do women address the negative body image they have developed alongside the eating disorder?
• Dealing with the physical body changes that happen during pregnancy
• How does the media influence our ideas about what an "ideal body" looks like?
• How to support a friend or a loved one who has an eating disorder

Connect with Angela

You can connect with Angela on her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Resources mentioned

• PCOS Nutrition Centre | Angela Grassi

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Clare is the founder of Fertility Massage Therapy. Fertility Massage Therapy combines massage and emotional healing to enhance successful conception using techniques such as abdominal sacral massage, pulsing reflexology, and guided visualizations.  After qualifying as a holistic massage therapist in the United Kingdom, Clare became one of the few qualified therapists, in abdominal sacral massage (fertility massage). She continued to train in numerous bodywork styles before studying naturopathy and the Billings Ovulation Method in Australia, which provided her a deeper understanding of women’s health.

In today's show, we talk about the benefits of Fertility Massage Therapy, and how this type of work can help women to connect to their bodies and their femininity. Clare incorporates naturopathy and the Billings Ovulation Method into her practice, and we delve into how applying these modalities help women to not only improve their menstrual health and fertility but also to connect with their bodies in a powerful and meaningful way.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• Why are so many women so deeply disconnected from their bodies, particularly their womb and their reproductive organs?
• What impact does Fertility Massage Therapy have on women experiencing fertility challenges?
• How women view our reproductive organs as separate from our "selves" and why this matters for women throughout our lives
• What does a healthy menstrual cycle look like?
• How does the position of a woman's uterus impact her menstrual cycle?
• How does sitting for long periods of time impact the position of and blood circulation to the uterus?
• Why might you want to think twice about doing strenuous and hard physical training around menstruation
• Why is it important to connect to your body's wisdom around menstruation and slow down a bit instead of "pushing through the pain"?
• The seasons of the menstrual cycle, and how understanding them can impact how you view your cycle and help you to structure your commitments accordingly
• How to time sex to increase your chances of conceiving a girl versus a boy
• How hormonal birth control impacts your ability to produce cervical mucus

Connect with Clare

You can connect with Clare on her website, and via email.

Resources mentioned

• Fertility Massage Therapy | Clare Blake
• FFP 044 | Taking Charge of Your Fertility | Fertility Awareness Method | Toni Weschler
• FFP 033 | Why Having Healthy Menstrual Cycles is Important for All Women | Night Lighting & Cycle Regulation | Electromagnetic Radiation | Katie Singer
• FFP 070 | Healing, Illness, Fertility & Pregnancy | Getting to the Root Cause | Dr. Thomas Cowan

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 Sirc of (The Nock)