Fertility Awareness Project

A summer bonus! Take a peek behind the curtain, and life before Fertility Awareness Project. How did a season of burnout as a social worker led Nat to FAM? We're sharing a recording of an interview that a past Cycle Love client, Nicole did with Nat. Nicole had me on her podcast our conversation was so good, we wanted to share it here! Nicole did her research, and came through with some hard hitting questions. This episode covers:

• Nat's story, how she found FAM, and her connection to social work
• Social media influencers shaping the narrative around hormonal birth control 
• The polarized narrative around hormonal birth control and FAM
• Who can use FAM? 
• What if I have irregular cycles, or currently am on hormonal birth control?
• What do I have to do to follow FAM?
• How do I start?
• How much does FAM cost?
• How can I involve my partner? 

Or how Nat accidentally became the poster child for FAM misinformation on Tiktok. In this episode she talks candidly about reading her own words in a pretty popular magazine piece, and the problem with these types of articles. Delving into the difference between wellness influencers telling people to ditch the pill and FAM educators who devote their lives to sharing evidence based information about the cycle. 

She also talks about how FAM is not for everyone, and how we need to talk about the pros and cons of both hormonal birth control AND fertility awareness. 

In this episode, Nat shares her personal experience with fertility awareness and discusses the benefits and considerations of this method. 

Fertility awareness isn’t hard, but you need to be all in to see results. And because you put your mind, heart and soul into learning and mastering a method of FAM, it’s even more rewarding to interpret your body’s signs and confirm ovulation, to use your body as your birth control.

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Finding yourself out of your charting habit? Listen to this episode to get back into charting/leveling up your charting if you’ve been at it for a while. With every skill, there are ebbs and flows, and FAM is no exception. This episode dives into:

• learning a new method, refreshing on your old method, working with an educator
• elements of good charting - keeping an accurate + consistent record
• perfecting the method you use
• going through your custom data lines/refreshing
• being realistic - how to chart only what you need to chart
• when it's okay to shortcut chart
• how to create reminders for yourself
• and reconnecting with your initial goals for charting

Why is Nat using Natural Cycles? It’s all part of a grand experiment. In this episode, Nat compares her symptothermal and Billings chart to the Natural Cycles algorithm. How effective is Natural Cycles, and how does it compare to a FABM? We also talk about:

• The fallacy that tech is smarter than us
• Long cycles and predicted ovulation in period tracking apps
• The psychology behind the seamless “FDA approved” design
• Red days and calculation rules in long cycles
• Outsourcing our sense of security to tech
• And replacing the feeling of safety on the pill with an app

Oura, Ava, Tempdrop, Apple Watch, BBRing, Fitbit... There are SO many temp wearables on the market, how do you choose? Are they even accurate for fertility charting? The queen of in depth resources and research, Jessie Brebner, answers all of your questions about wearables. We also chat candidly about postpartum, and Jessie's experience charting through the return of fertility,

Jessie Brebner of Fertility Charting is a passionate advocate for Fertility Awareness as a gateway to improved health, body literacy and reproductive empowerment. She is a certified Symptothermal Method Instructor for both natural birth control, natural conception and health tracking. She is also the creator of Fertility Charting Journals. Jessie is passionate about the power of social media for communicating menstrual cycle health concepts. She also regularly blogs on menstrual cycles, fertility charting, journaling, natural contraception/conception and more. Find Jessie on Instagram @fertilitycharting.

Brand new to fertility awareness, or in need of a refresher? In this episode, we break down:

• What fertility awareness is and how it works
• Is FAM too good to be true?
• What the fertile window is and how we track it, breaking down cervical mucus and LH testing
• Who fertility awareness is for
• What methods of fertility awareness exist
• Why learning about your physiology and hormones is the most empowering thing you can do.

Share this episode with a friend who wants to learn more about tracking their cycles for birth control!

Be a fly on the wall while Tami Stroud and Nat Daudet have an in depth meeting reviewing and planning Fertility Knowledge Collective! Listen to the processes they go through to review their program for Fertility Awareness Educators, reflecting on what went well and what improvements they want to make. If you’ve ever wondered what goes into planning every aspect of a course or program, you won’t want to miss this episode! 

In this episode, Nat discusses the often taboo topic of money, and shares her new system for budgeting finances in both her business and personal life. Inspired by the Profit First method, Nat breaks down the importance of prioritizing profit to ensure long-term sustainability in your biz. She shares tips for making "out of sight, out of mind" work in your favour, and how to set aside expenses and taxes using the envelope method. If you're a new business owner, Nat recommends using the Profit First system as a roadmap for budgeting your finances. Tune in to learn how to make talking about money a more comfortable and fun experience.

Sometimes you need to reevaluate what you’re doing for your hormone health, ask yourself what's working, and what is no longer working. In this episode, Nat checks in after 3 months of having more regular cycles, and why she thinks things are improving. She talks about her experience getting DUTCH test results, and strategies she's implemented to reduce stress. She talks about her experience with PCOS, and the cult of wellness - how when you’re doing something to support your cycles, it can create more stress than it’s worth. 

What's your pleasure? In this solo episode, Nathalie Daudet reviews the new Netflix docuseries Principles of Pleasure, and talks about how FAM can open the door to better understanding your sexuality.   

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

What preconceived beliefs do you have about natural family planning and the Catholic community? Jamie Murphy joins Nathalie Daudet on this episode of the podcast and busts pesky myths and misconceptions related to NFP and its place in the Catholic community.  Also covered in this podcast is the importance of acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of each FAM method in order to find the right fit for you, regardless of spiritual beliefs. 

Ready to dive deep into all things pregnancy release care and learn more about the interconnectedness of all things FAM, nature, and spirituality? In this episode of the podcast, Samantha Zipporah shares her profound and unique insight in regards to her work as a fertility awareness educator, her pregnancy release program, and her view of fertility awareness and its deep connection to nature.  

Looking to balance your hormones, reduce period pain, and restore your cycle regularity? One piece of the hormone balance puzzle is restoring your minerals! Amanda Montalvo of Hormone Healing RD shares her take on hormone balance and what we need to remember on our health journey when seeking symptom-free cycles. 

In this solo episode, Nat talks candidly about her experience with her cycle over the last 9 months. It's a fine balance between control and taking action, challenging the narrative of the perfect 28-day cycle while still seeking support for hormone imbalance. She talks about why it's been hard to open up on social media, how she's planning on addressing her long cycle, and the mindset she's taking as she navigates PCOS. If you have ever had a long cycle, or if you've been frustrated with your FAM chart not 'looking' like you wanted it to, you won't want to miss this episode!

Are you clear on your fertility intentions? Have they shifted throughout your charting journey? In this episode Tami Stroud and Nathalie Daudet talk about charting following infertility, choosing a FAM instructor in line with your personal values, fertility intentions and how they can shift over time, and how cross referencing biomarkers from various fertility awareness methods can help or hurt your charting practice depending on how you use them.  This episode is packed with Tami's rich life experience as a FAM educator and mother of a large family leading an unconventional and happy life!

In this solo episode, Nat reviews he Business of Birth Control documentary and offers her ~opinions~ as a FAM educator. She also dives into her experience taking the Billings Ovulation Method teacher training, who Billings is right for and why the method has been SUCH a game-changer. 

Thanks for being here for season 3 of the podcast! 

Save 12% on any Tempdrop package with code NATD.

How do we as facilitators create intentional, sacred online spaces that foster connection? How do we embrace all of the facets of ovulation, both the sparkly ones and the shadowy ones? What are some of the differences between menstrual cycle awareness and fertility awareness? In this conversation, Nat interviews Claire Baker, a a sought-after period coach, author and speaker.