Doing It Different cover logo

003: The Fertility Awareness Method and Why It’s My Natural Birth Control of Choice with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack author of The Fifth Vital Sign

1h 0m · Doing It Different · 16 Jun 07:01

What if you could have unprotected sex the majority of the month, without worry, and without having to be on hormonal birth control?

Sound too good to be true? Well, you might be surprised to find out that more and more women are taking control of their fertility without hormonal or potentially invasive methods of contraception.

The reality is that many women are looking for alternatives to hormonal birth control. And, with the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), you can take back control of your fertility.

Reproductive health practitioner Lisa Hendrickson-Jack explains what FAM is, who it’s for, how it works, how it’s backed by science, and what it looks like on a daily basis.

We talk about what you really need to know about cervical fluid, how you can use FAM to get pregnant, or prevent pregnancy, and how you can get your partner onboard with FAM.

Fertility awareness can be incredibly empowering, whether you’re trying to get pregnant or not.

I’ve been using the FAM for about 3 years now and love the relationship with my body it’s provided me. I can’t imagine preventing pregnancy any other way.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

  • 2:38 Lisa’s first experience with birth control and why she decided to stop taking it
  • 5:43 How the narrative around fertility shapes our approach to birth control
  • 7:42 What is the fertility awareness method (FAM) and how does it work?
  • 9:00 Busting one of the myths around FAM and revealing the scientific truths around pregnancy
  • 12:40 What it actually looks like to use the fertility awareness method
  • 18:08 Pros and cons of tracking your fertility yourself
  • 21:52 Why most women start exploring FAM
  • 25:25 How cervical fluid changes throughout your cycle
  • 30:42 The connection between cervical fluid and fertility
  • 36:32 What cervical fluid does and how it helps with getting pregnant
  • 41:39 Changing your perspective on the “gross factor” of cervical fluid
  • 43:09 The best thing to teach teenage girls about cervical fluid
  • 44:48 Being empowered by knowing your baseline - what’s normal and what’s not
  • 46:51 Tips for people interested in using FAM to prevent pregnancy
  • 50:35 Tips for women using FAM and trying to conceive
  • 54:27 How to get your partner onboard with FAM
  • 57:35 Recommendations for non-toxic lubes

Links and Resources:

  • FertilityFriday.com
  • Lisa’s podcast - Fertility Friday
  • Lisa’s Book: The Fifth Vital Sign
  • Book: Taking Charge of Your Fertility (Tony Weschler)
  • Lisa’s online course
  • Daysy Fertility Tracker
  • Carly’s Experience Using Daysy

Guest Bio:

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack talks about vaginas a lot! She's a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health.

In her new book The Fifth Vital Sign, Lisa debunks the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children, by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to fertility awareness and menstrual cycle optimization.

She hosts the Fertility Friday Podcast, a weekly radio show devoted to helping women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between menstrual cycle health, fertility, and overall health. With well over a million downloads, Fertility Friday is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness, and menstrual cycle health, connecting women around the world with their cycles and their fertility -- something our education systems have consistently failed to do.

When she's not researching, writing, and interviewing health professionals, you'll find her spending time with her husband and her two sons. To learn more, visit fertilityfriday.com and thefifthvitalsignbook.com.

The episode 003: The Fertility Awareness Method and Why It’s My Natural Birth Control of Choice with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack author of The Fifth Vital Sign from the podcast Doing It Different has a duration of 1:00:58. It was first published 16 Jun 07:01. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

More episodes from Doing It Different

145: Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum: Body, Mind, and Soul with Tracey Grant from @wholedailylife

A holistic approach to preparing for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Get insights into one woman’s thoughts as she prepares her body, mind and life to welcome a new member to her family. 

Guest: Tracey Grant

Highlights 

  • 2:08 Preparing mentally for pregnancy

  • 15:13 Deciding between a home birth and hospital birth

  • 39:35 Prepping for postpartum diet and the first 40 days approach 

  • 47:59 Recommendations for people considering getting pregnant

 

Resources We Mention: 

  • Book: Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols

Related Episodes: 

  • Podcast 113: From City To Homestead: Creating A Small Farm From Scratch, Fulfillments of Growing Your Own Food, and Resources For Beginners with Tracey Grant of @wholedailylife

Health Resources

  • Healing Hashimoto’s Course

  • Thyroid Lab Guide + Tracker (free) 

  • Recommended Non-Toxic Products

Connect With Carly:

  • CarlyJohnsonBrawner.com

  • Instagram: @carlyjohnsonbrawner

Sponsors:

  • Organifi (Use code Carly for 20% off)

Complete Show Notes Here

144: Body Image, Societal Expectations, Stress - Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and How to Get Your Missing Period Back with Dani Sheriff of The HA Society

This episode explores the delicate balance between our body's needs and societal expectations in a discussion on hypothalamic amenorrhea. 

My guest shares her personal story to help others and shed light on the struggles of body image, the pressures we face, and the importance of building a harmonious relationship with ourselves.

Guest: Dani Sheriff

Highlights 

  • 2:27 What is hypothalamic amenorrhea

  • 13:06 The healing protocol for getting a period back 

  • 18:02 Why reverse dieting doesn’t work for hypothalamic amenorrhea

  • 25:33 What is the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)

  • 32:01 The difference between PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhea

  • 36:02 What does a healthy period look like using FAM

Resources We Mention: 

  • The HA Society

Related Episodes: 

  • Podcast 028: What A Normal Period Actually Looks Like And How To Fix Yours with Nicole Jardim of Fix Your Period

  • Podcast 065: The Super Powers of Cervical Fluid & Non-Hormonal Birth Control with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

Health Resources

  • Healing Hashimoto’s Course

  • Thyroid Lab Guide + Tracker (free) 

  • Recommended Non-Toxic Products

Connect With Carly:

  • CarlyJohnsonBrawner.com

  • Instagram: @carlyjohnsonbrawner

Sponsors:

  • Organifi (Use code Carly for 20% off)

Complete Show Notes Here

 

WTF is EMF Exposure? How To Have a Healthy, Safe, Secure and Balanced Relationship with Digital Technology

What are the effects of EMF exposure on your health and the health of your loved ones?

This episode dives into the science behind EMF, explains why it's particularly harmful to children, and gives practical tips for reducing exposure. This conversation was a game-changer for me and I hope for you too!

Guest: August Brice

Highlights 

  • 3:00 What is EMF

  • 13:01 Why kids are more sensitive to EMF

  • 20:17 Should you turn off your wifi to reduce EMF exposure?

  • 25:33 How to protect yourself from EMFs 

 

Resources We Mention: 

  • Tech Wellness

Related Episodes: 

  • Podcast 074: Creating A Non-Toxic Home: From EMFs to Interior Design with Ashley Spanovich of Awakening Spaces

  • Podcast 127: Is Your Environment Poisoning Your Body? Common Sources of Toxin Exposure, How to Create a Non-Toxic Home and the Truth about Regulatory Measures in the US with Laura Adler

  • Podcast 101: A Toxicologist’s View On Our Modern World: How to Protect Yourself and Family From Toxin Exposure with Dr. Yvonne Burkhart

 

Health Resources

  • Healing Hashimoto’s Course

  • Thyroid Lab Guide + Tracker (free) 

  • Recommended Non-Toxic Products

Connect With Carly:

  • CarlyJohnsonBrawner.com

  • Instagram: @carlyjohnsonbrawner

Sponsors:

  • Organifi (Use code Carly for 20% off)

Complete Show Notes Here

 

142: Tips to Transform Your Relationship: Agreements, Collaboration, Conflict, Healing & Growth with Will and Krista Vanderveer

This couple's unique approach to agreements and conflict resolution can transform your relationship and change the world. 

Will and Krista Vanderveer are a couple who inspire with their impactful tools and pursuit of a partnership that brings out the best in each other while making a difference in the world. In this episode, we delve into their story, exploring how they navigate conflict and deepen their connection through shared values and a shared purpose.

 

Guest: Will and Krista Vanderveer

 

Highlights 

  • 10:00 Thinking in terms of what’s best for us, instead of what’s best for me

  • 15:15 Building a relationship around agreements and collaboration

  • 22:19 Patterns in conflict and resolution 

  • 28:04 Healing your ourselves & individual growth within relationships

  • 36:46 Tools to keep a relationship on track with thoughtful moments 

 

Resources We Mention: 

  • The Art of We 

Related Episodes: 

  • Podcast 110: A Relationship Coach Marriage (part 1): The Hard Conversations, Prioritizing Sex, Fighting with Intention, and Upleveling with Alexa and Jordan Bowditch of Sex and Love, Co.

  • Podcast 091: The Art of Love: Why Unconditional Love is A Fallacy, How To Meet Your Partner’s Needs, and Relationship Experiments with Andrew Drish and Libby Lia

  • Podcast 079: UPLEVEL Your Partnership Today: 5 Relationship Tools From Love, Sex, and Marriage Experts I Trust

 

Health Resources

  • Healing Hashimoto’s Course

  • Thyroid Lab Guide + Tracker (free) 

  • Recommended Non-Toxic Products

Connect With Carly:

  • CarlyJohnsonBrawner.com

  • Instagram: @carlyjohnsonbrawner

Sponsors:

  • Organifi (Use code Carly for 20% off)

Complete Show Notes Here

 

141: OUR Truths about Parenting Q&A: Fatigue, Recovery, Creative Outings, Travel, Contact Napping, and Our Relationship with Austin Brawner, my husband

My personal mission is to share my truths about parenting and what my experience has been. 

And it’s largely been a positive experience me, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But - in a time when parenting and becoming a mom is often sugar-coated by society and we only hear the “adorable” moments it’s important to me to be real. 

In this episode, I’m answering your questions about what parenting has been like for me, as honestly as I can. 

Guest: Austin Brawner (my husband)

Highlights 

  • 4:20 Getting past the wall of fatigue when you have a newborn 

  • 6:25 Tips for recovering from a c-section

  • 7:45 Getting creative with activities to do with a newborn 

  • 15:09 Challenges of prioritizing time with your partner while also parenting together 

  • 19:47 Transitioning back to work after having a kid 

  • 24:42 How to build travel into your life as a family with kids 

  • 27:09 Positives and challenges with contact napping

  • 41:52 Our stroller set up 

 

Related Episodes: 

  • Podcast 120: My FOURTH TRIMESTER: healing my body, taking care of baby, dividing responsibilities with my husband, breastfeeding, and more

  • Podcast: 105: Third Trimester: Physical Changes and Symptoms of My Pregnancy, Babymoon + Baby Shower, Postpartum Plan, Gratitude for The Midwifery Model, and Prepping for Birth with Austin Brawner (my husband)

  • Podcast 094: Second Trimester: Birth Classes, Advocating & Second Opinions, Body Image Surprises, Relationship Conflict, and The Hard Parts of the Journey

  • Podcast 086: First Trimester: Finding a Midwife, Testing Options, Lots of Naps, Anxieties & Mental Health 

  • Podcast 085: I’M PREGNANT: How We Prepped, Pre-Conception Tests and Detox, Our Mindset When Things Didn’t Go As Planned, and Low Progesterone

 

Health Resources

  • Healing Hashimoto’s Course

  • Thyroid Lab Guide + Tracker (free) 

  • Recommended Non-Toxic Products

Connect With Carly:

  • CarlyJohnsonBrawner.com

  • Instagram: @carlyjohnsonbrawner

Sponsors:

  • Organifi (Use code Carly for 20% off)

Complete Show Notes Here

 

Every Podcast » Doing It Different » 003: The Fertility Awareness Method and Why It’s My Natural Birth Control of Choice with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack author of The Fifth Vital Sign