Femammal

Kimberly Sharpe, who has practiced as a postpartum doula, explains the role of a doula in pregnancy, delivery, and after delivery, and discusses others forms of women-centric birthing care a mother may receive. She shares these resources: In the Flo, by Alisa Vitti The Business of Being Born Pacific Birth Collective DONA International Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Rachel Bergin. Rachel is a middle-grade science teacher in Nashville, Tennessee. In her freetime, she is also a contra dance caller who is particulary adept at calling family-friendly dances as well as techno/pop dances. In this episode, she shares the story of how she and her husband became foster parents, with all of the joys and challenges that the role of a foster mom brings.Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Christina Valenzuela, who is the owner and creative director of Pearl & Thistle, LLC, where she offers a unique blend of theology and science to bring better body literacy to Catholics. She has been a certified instructor in the Boston Cross Check™ method of Natural Family Planning since 2013. Her latest book, The Language of Your Body: Embracing God's Design for Your Cycle, is scheduled for release with OSV in 2024. In this conversation, she shares information from her Perimenopause Prep: Navigating NFP with Shifting Fertility resource, and reflects on the transitions she is getting ready to navigate as she approaches perimenopause. She also shares these resources:https://fertilityscienceinstitute.org/directory/https://readyourbody.com/educators-directory/https://www.larabriden.com/hormone-repair-manual/https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/perimenopause-prep-navigating-nfp-with-shifting-fertilityContact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Meli Barber, who works in the field of family social services in Indianapolis. She holds a Master's of Social Work degree and a Master's of Arts in Theology degree. She shares the story of her marriage to her wife, Carli, and the professional transition out of Catholic parish ministry she had to make to prioritize her relationship. She also reflects on the ways in which her imagination for what her family could be expanded after coming out in college and after marriage equality was federally recognized in the United States. She shares this resource for LGBTQ+ Catholics and allies: Dignity USA https://www.dignityusa.org/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Mia McCarthy. Having navigated a long journey to parenthood, Mia is a proud mother of one who works in the area of sustainability. Having spent many years working focused on social justice issues, both professionally and personally, Mia is currently running in local elections in Ireland hoping to bring her knowledge and experience to ensure equitable access to the infrastructure needed to ensure a connected liveable community for residents. In this conversation, Mia shares about her journey to parenthood, which included several rounds of IVF and ultimately included surrogacy. For another perspective on surrogacy, she shares this information about a new short documentary from Netflix, entitled "Two Mothers," by filmakers Anna Rodgers and Zlata Filipovic (not available in all countries): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CRxJAgIYtY https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/two-mothers-netflix-documentary-irish-films-790944 Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Amy Houghtaling is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and has spent most of her career working with people struggling with homelessness. She now holds the position that she believes will do more good in the world than any job she’s ever had: she is a stay at home mom to her son and daughter, biological siblings adopted as embryos. In this episode, she shares about the process she went through to adopt six embryos and attempt to give birth to each of them. She reflects on how she grew into her motherhood and developed a deep sense of connection to all six embryos through this challenging process. And she's offered to be in touch with anyone considering embryo adoption who would like to connect with her personally—you can do that by emailing femammalpodcast@gmail.com, and I will make sure your message reaches Amy. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Catie Eichhorn. Catie and her husband, who have been married for over a decade, are not raising any children, a decision which was impacted by Catie's endometriosis diagnosis. She shared the story of her struggle with endometriosis in the first season, so if you missed that episode, be sure to check it out. Catie has worked as an engineer, a nonprofit business manager, and currently a full time professor of business. She does have two fur kids that keep her on her toes. In this episode, Catie reflects on how she was able to reframe her image of family, and how she intentionally builds community and finds joy in her connections within extended family, her friends, and her church. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Jessica Mannen Kimmet reflects on her battle with postpartum depression, how it impacted her family and her choices, and how she got to a healthier place. She recently published the book, Groaning in Labor, Growing in Hope: Scripture Reflections for the Hard Days of Early Motherhood, in which she draws from her own experience of postpartum depression to help women find spiritual resources to accompany them through similar experiences. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

This season, we are listening to women share their stories of how they formed their families, especially when health factors or medical issues impacted their decisions. Women's health matters for its own sake. At the same time, for many women, health issues not only impact their own quality of life but also their paths to forming families, and many women have wanted to share those stories here, too. For our purposes, “forming families” means the creation of any home-life that generates safety, belonging, connection, and joy, and it doesn't exclusively mean becoming a parent and raising children. I hope you will listen to each story this season with a sense of curiosity and compassion. And if you're going through something in your life right now where you're not in a place to listen to stories like these, I hope that you find compassion and support for what you're going through, and you can return to this podcast when you're ready. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

In this episode, I wrap up Season 3 by reflecting on how we can reduce shame by building empathy, and how telling our stories and listening to the stories of others is a tool to do just that. I share more about my own story, and look ahead to January when Femammal will return for Season 4. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Jessie. Jessie's pronouns are she and they; Jessie is a public librarian from KY who identifies as neurodivergent and as having a disability. In this interview, we dive into the ways in which Jessie's experience of neurodivergence and disability are also impacted by gender and hormones, creating a Venn diagram of overlapping challenges and symptoms. Jessie reflects on childhood memories and professional adult experiences to understand the ways in which our society is not set up to embrace the diversity of experiences like hers. Finally, they share how they are advocating to meet their needs and the path they are taking to get the medical interventions and professional accommodations they need to flourish. Jessie would like to share these resources: What is PMDD: https://mevpmdd.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001915211-PMDD-and-PME Me v PMDD app: https://mevpmdd.com/ RAADS-R test: https://embrace-autism.com/raads-r/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Rae Thompson is a certified functional medicine health coach based in Louisville, Kentucky. Her battles with hypothyroidism and osteoporosis led her to search out the underlying causes of her health issues, rather than just medicating her symptoms. She believes that our bodies were meant to heal themselves given the right environment to do so, and I use my unique experience and skills to assist clients in setting realistic goals, providing educational and emotional support, while promoting self-management, accountability and compliance. In this episode, she shares about her thyroid issues, and how they eventually led her to functional medicine, which has improved her quality of life and has even become a second career at Indwelling Health. I really appreciate her reflections on the ways in which functional medicine practitioners can come alongside mainstream western medicine to enhance the level of healthcare that patients receive. She shares these resources: Rae's practice is Indwelling Health: https://www.indwellinghealth.com/ Dr. Mark Hyman: https://drhyman.com/ Bobby Approved App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bobby-approved-food-scanner/id1571725006 Function Health Platform: https://www.functionhealth.com/ Abundant Health Family Care: https://www.abundanthealthfc.com/?fbclid=IwAR0qed53qCAqPCN8rbzKM2FAmGbkIA8HtddbWNXwrO889IntMwKM7MkHWYQ Radiant Integrative Health: https://www.healthbyradiant.com/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Holly Cooper is mother to two young men, and wife to a man she considers to be a saint. She loves to be outside, especially gardening, and finds the outdoors therapeutic. She has survived breast cancer, and now she has been battling Parkinson's Disease. While Parkinson's Disease is half as prevalent in women than men, women often experience a more rapid escalation in symptoms and a higher fatality rate from Parkinson's. In this episode, Holly shares the interventions that have most improved her quality of life, especially boxing practice and deep brain stimulation. She takes a resilient attitude of hope and persistence to her diagnosis and has found meaning in connecting with other Parkinson's patients, especially through boxing. She shares this resource from Norton Healthcare: https://nortonhealthcare.com/services-and-conditions/neurosciences/patient-resources/parkinsons-disease-support/#:~:text=The%20Norton%20Neuroscience%20Institute%20Cressman,disease%20and%20related%20movement%20disorders. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

R.S. Hurley uses her experience of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity to advocate on behalf of others with that diagnosis. MCS disproportionately affects women. Ms. Hurley authored a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity guide for HUD housing, a resource to help people secure their rights and accommodations when living in housing funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development But You Look Good booklet https://invisibledisabilities.org/shop/ida-store/invisible-disabilities-book and "Choose Friendships over Fragrances" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu0_wP5hxyo 2009 CDC Policy Limits https://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/pdf/CDC-2009-Indoor-Environmental-Quality-internal-policy542.pdf Amputated Lives by Alison Johnson http://www.alisonjohnsonmcs.com/ http://chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org including Ms. Hurley's own guide https://annmccampbellmd.com/ https://www.drsteinemann.com Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Pania Elmsley lives in the South Gippsland region of Australia, which is Boonwurrung country. She grew up in Melbourne, she belongs to the Maori people of New Zealand, and she travelled the world as a flight attendant. She teaches the Maori language online, and in this conversation, which we recorded in-person onsite in Wonthaggi, Victoria, she shares her insights into meeting our physical and emotional needs while travelling and encountering new cultures with confidence. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Dr. Tracy Kemble, who works in the abuse and trauma recovery space, and she herself is a survivor of narcissistic abuse. Her book, the Narc-tion-ary, helps survivors make sense of their experiences by naming the complex dynamics of narcissistic abuse. It includes over 350 words and terms, as well as a self-assessment for anyone questioning their own experience. In this episode, she shares her insights into how trauma fuels both narcissists and the people they victimize, and speaks to the centrality of self-love and self-respect for recovery. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Michele Mateus, who is an entrepreneur and a mother. She founded Mateus Studios, an award-winning portrait studio based in Vancouver, which seeks to help women feel alive and free through a radical celebration of self, especially in boudoir photography and editorial inspired portraits that have a chic artistic vibe. In this episode, she shares her experience of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, and the path she has chosen to create greater wellness in her life even with this chronic auto-immune condition. She brings her expansive sense of purpose and possibility to this conversation. She shares these resources: National Multiple Sclerosis Society: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/ MS Canada: https://mscanada.ca/ Vancouver MS Clinic: https://www.ms.ubc.ca/ Dr. Gabor Maté: https://drgabormate.com/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Amy Anthony, who is one of America’s most influential aromatherapists, and is currently the New York State representative for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and has her private practice called NYC Aromatica which includes one-on-one customized aromatherapy sessions, online class offerings, corporate consulting and article writing. She is host of the Essential Aromatica podcast, while also tending her own aromatic garden on the North Fork of Long Island where she distills her unique products. She recently offered an immersive experience at the Museum of Sex in New York about the positive impact essential oils can have on sensuality and our sense of smell; and how they work to connect the body and mind in sexual experiences to create greater intimacy and joy. In this episode, she shares her journey from the corporate world to becoming an aromatherapist, and the health benefits she has experienced from her practice. She also gives us insight into incorporating the benefits of aromatherapy into our lives to address health issues and cultivate greater mindfulness. Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Gretchen Addison is a running coach and fitness instructor in southwest Virginia through her business, Run 4 the Hills Coaching. Her passion is helping others to live fit and healthy lives in a way that is sustainable for them. She loves to talk about women's health topics with anyone and everyone, because it affects everyone in some way, and women especially need to know more about how their bodies work so that they can advocate better for themselves. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her horse, hiking, cooking, and reading. In this conversation, she shares her story of experiencing extreme pain and heavy bleeding during her menstruation for over two decades, until she finally got a prescription for a medication that relieves those symptoms significantly. Some of the tools that contributed to her treatment included the Creighton Model of cycle tracking, and a certified NaPro physician who was able to think beyond birth control to find a more targeted treatment. She shares these resources: Pearl and Thistle by Christina Valenzuela: https://pearlandthistle.com/ Femammal Episode: "Energy and Mood Throughout the Menstrual Cycle" with Christina Valenzuela: https://femammal.buzzsprout.com/1996844/11156748-energy-and-mood-throughout-the-menstrual-cycle NaPro Technology: https://naprotechnology.com/ Creighton Model: https://creightonmodel.com/ FAbM Base with Emily Frase and Mary Bruno https://fabmbase.org/about-fabm-base/the-founders/ Ashwood Fertility Care https://www.ashwoodfertilitycare.com/ Lysteda information from the National Institutes of Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183964/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan

Today's guest is Tara Galeano, who is an author and a certified sex therapist who has worked with women and couples for over two decades to get their sexy back. She knows that there is pleasure in the body, beyond our wildest dreams, and everyone can access it. In her book Rediscovering My Body Tara teaches readers how to show up for pleasure. Through reconnecting with her body, Tara was able to understand what was right and pleasurable for her, how best to proceed from this wisdom, and most importantly, how to teach these valuable lessons to others so that they too can transform their lives and reclaim their sensuality. Tara offers unique couple’s retreats, and ceremonial, sensual journeys that open doors to new experiences and communication with oneself and partners. In this episode, Tara reflects on sexual trauma and healing. She shares the story of her own healing journey after experiencing sexual violence, and she shares her wisdom about reconnecting with our bodies and with pleasure. Sexual violence is a widespread occurrence and the trauma it causes is real. While this conversation is not graphic and it does not discuss specific acts of violence, people who have experienced trauma may still find it triggering. If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please call the national crisis Lifeline at 988 to receive the help and support you deserve. You can find Tara's work at: https://rediscoveringmybody.com/ You can find information about Dr. David Berceli's Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises at: https://traumaprevention.com/about-dr-david-berceli/ You can find information about Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, at: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/ Contact Femammal: Femammal Podcast If you have feedback or want to be a future guest, please get in touch! Logo design: copyright Darragh Hannan