Your Body on Birth Control
(and the importance of choice)

with herbalist + fertility awareness educator Gabrielle Claire Jansen

Download on Apple | Download on Spotify | Download on Google Podcasts

One of the most empowering things in life is choice. 

Choice allows us to tune into our values and decide what's right for us at any given time. 

Birth control is one of many areas of our lives that we are fortunate enough to have many options, whether we're talking the pill, shots, IUD's, condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, herbal contraceptive allies, vasectomies, fertility awareness, and more!

So many choices. And honestly, most of us don't even know about all of them. 

One of the most common forms of contraception prescribed and used worldwide is "the pill" (the birth control pill). 

And that's what herbalist and fertility awareness educator Gabrielle Claire Jansen shares all about on this week's podcast. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how the birth control pill actually works
• why ovulation is important for our overall health 
• a bit on the history of "the pill" 
• how the pill actually doesn't resolve underlying symptoms
• when and why you might want to choose the pill
• why pill shaming is NOT helpful
• nutrients you can support yourself with if you're on the pill
• ways to support yourself when you're transitioning off the pill

Resources Gabrielle mentioned in the podcast:

• Documentary film: The Business of Birth Control
• Research: Center for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research
• Book: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
• Book: Sweetening the Pill by Holly Grigg-Spall
• Book: Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson Jack
• Book: Hormone Intelligence by Aviva Romm
• Fertility Awareness Project: @fertilityawarenessproject
• Fertility Friday: @fertilityfriday
• Reproductive Health Clinic in Bangor, Maine: Mabel Wadsworth Center

And if you want to learn more from Gabrielle herself, check out the links below!

Connect with Gabrielle:

Gabrielle is an Australian herbalist and fertility educator out of mid-coast Maine. Helping folks connect with their cycling bodies is her game. 

• Visit her website: Gabrielle Claire Jansen
  
  

• Check out her blog post on the pill: 'Panacea: The pill can't regulate your cycle'
  
  

• Find her on IG: @gabrielleclairejansen
  
  

• Email: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

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