I was on a Podcast! Fertility Friday: Cycle Charting as Primary Care — A Midwife's Perspective

Harriet Thorn
3 days ago
4 min read

Introduction

Last month, I had the honour of being invited onto the Fertility Friday Podcast by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack — one of the most respected voices in the world of fertility awareness and menstrual health education. Episode 623 aired on 24 April 2026, and the conversation went in directions I genuinely didn't expect.

We talked about cycle charting as primary care — not just as a tool for avoiding or achieving pregnancy, but as a clinical lens through which midwives or other women's health professionals can support women across their entire reproductive lives. And we talked about why, despite being primary caregivers for women from their first period to menopause, most midwives receive almost no training in fertility awareness.

That gap is what led me to FAMM. And now, to this podcast.

🎙️ Listen to Episode 623 here → Fertility Friday — Cycle Charting as Primary Care: A Midwife's Perspective

My story — the short version

I had my first period at 15. Heavy, painful, and completely unexplained — despite being top of my biology class. That just shows you how women's health is ignored, even in schools.

By 17, I was on hormonal contraception. It helped with the bleeding and the pain, but over time, my moods were really getting impacted. The anxiety was getting worse and worse, cycling every 28 days like clockwork. I eventually realised — okay, this is coming every 28 days. There's a new round of anxiety coming. That's when I knew I needed to get off the pill.

How I found charting

I trained as a midwife in the UK. And in my entire midwifery training, there was one whole page on the combined pill, a whole page on the progesterone pill, sections on Depo-Provera and coils — and then just a quick capture of a chart, a few lines. That was it.

That half page was actually the one that really captured me. I thought — wow. We don't need all the other stuff. This is data that we can actually collect about our bodies.

I started charting after removing my copper coil. Within a few months of avoiding, my husband and I decided to try for a baby — and bingo.

Cycle charting as primary care — what that actually means

The chart is the report card. It tells you how healthy you are — and if not, what you can do to improve your health holistically. That is just such a key skill to have as a midwife.

Midwives are really well known for prenatal care, birth, postnatal care, breastfeeding. But actually, we are the primary caregivers in women's health — from the first period all the way to menopause. Cycle charting is not a niche add-on. It belongs at the heart of midwifery practice.

I see it every day. Women finish their postnatal care and the question of contraception comes up. Some go straight back to the pill without having been counselled at all. Some want something they don't have to think about — and that's fine. Contraception is like a pair of shoes. Not every shoe fits everyone. But for those who are interested in charting — postpartum, to avoid, to conceive, or simply to understand their cycles better — I want to be equipped to support them properly.

What FAMM brought to my practice

What FAMM has really brought to me is structure. The intake process, the step-by-step approach, being able to go back to your notes at session five and ask — where are we going? That has enriched my practice enormously.

I've also learned so much about nutrition and women's health. What is discussed culturally and socially about food is not necessarily what is healthy and favourable for fertility — and the research backs that up.

And it has opened me up to a different kind of care — online consultations, clients I would never have reached through my standard midwifery practice.

My vision for my work is really to empower women. In prenatal care, in postnatal care, and now, cycle after cycle, year after year.

A note on research

One thing that came up in the podcast — and something I feel strongly about — is research literacy.

Research is conducted by first asking a question, then generating a systematic search, sorting through papers by title and abstract before reading the full text. It is time and money restricted. The researcher needs to stay focused and structured — they cannot read every line of every paper, and they certainly cannot follow every interesting thread that appears along the way. Details that seem minor to the researcher can turn out to be fundamental for someone else reading the same paper. That is why reading the full text matters.

Practitioners and healthcare professionals could afford to be a little more thorough in how they engage with research — but again, time and money restrict this group too. What I would say is this : if you are going to make claims based on research, at least read the whole paper. Because sometimes the most significant finding for your practice doesn't even make it into the abstract.

Evidence-based practice has three arms. There's the research. There's the practitioner's experience. And then there's the client — her experience, her life, her situation. Research is not black or white. Having all three things knit together is what gives you proper, high quality care.

Do you think FAMM could be right for you?

If you're a midwife, nurse, doula, nutritionist or any women's health professional — and your clients are already asking you about their cycles — just do it. The programme gives you a research-backed and comprehensive understanding and perspective to support your clients with confidence.

Here's where to start :

🌿 Explore the FAMM programme → FAMM Landing Page

💌 Hear directly from Lisa → Personal message from Lisa

🎥 Watch the free information session replays → FAMM Information Sessions

Disclosure : the links above are affiliate links. I only recommend programmes I have personally completed and wholeheartedly believe in.

Based in the Romont and Bulle area?

My primary practice remains home-visit midwifery — prenatal, postnatal, breastfeeding and birth preparation. Everything you need is at harrietsagefemme.com.

For cycle health, fertility awareness and hormonal wellbeing — watch this space at embracemycycle.com and comprendremoncycle.ch.