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  2. 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

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

Jun 16, 2020

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: 

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.