11 JUN 2020 · On today's episode, I was so pleased to speak with Valentina Milanova, the founder of Daye, the women's healthcare brand. We had a wide ranging discussion talking about period pain, the role of CBD and the endocannabinoid system, female entrepreneurship and of course, Valentina shared her own period story. Valentina shared the story of getting her period at just 9 years old. Listen to hear why she hid her period for a year and what happened when she told her father. The gender pain gap is a very real issue and Valentina talked about the debilitating cramps she used to experience, which caused her to miss school and have difficulty concentrating. Valentina talks about what inspired her to start her company, Daye. She says that the idea that menstruation could be made easier was always in the back of her mind. She came up with resistance but persevered, making the first tampons herself on a 3D printer and injecting the CBD extract with a syringe. Valentina talks about the benefits of CBD and the effects it’s had on her period pain. She says it’s made a massive impact on her productivity and her happiness levels and says that she no longer dreads her period. Finally, we had an interesting discussion about female entrepreneurship. Valentina says that you need to be comfortable making a fool of yourself and making mistakes. She says that imposter syndrome keeps you humble. I agree! et in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Valentina: Website: https://www.yourdaye.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/meetdaye Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/meetdaye Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetdaye

28 MAY 2020 · On today’s episode of Period Story podcast, I spoke with Elaine dela Cruz, the co-founder of Project 23, a culture and performance consultancy. Elaine and I had a great conversation about teaching her daughters about periods, how culture affected how she learnt about periods and sex and of course, her first period. Elaine shares the memory of getting her period during a much anticipated family vacation and how she cringed at the way her mum and aunties were discussing it. Elaine talks about how culture likely affected the way she learned about sex and period, saying that her family was not one to talk about these things. She says that she learned from this experience and it made her want to be more informed for the conversation with her daughters. We talk about being laissez-faire about periods in your 20s, the change that can happen after childbirth and what happens when you ovulate. Listen to hear what happens when Elaine decides to have the first conversation about periods with her daughters and why she had to have a re-do! She says these conversations made her more open about her period. Elaine says it’s so important for us to have uncomfortable conversations and if we push the conversation and push through the discomfort, we’ll get to the other side and learn and connect in a different way. I completely agree! Get in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Elaine: Website: https://www.project23works.com

21 MAY 2020 · On today’s episode of Period Story podcast, I’m very happy to share a very candid conversation with Katy Lindemann, the founder of Uber Barrens Club. Katy is a writer and patient advocate in addition to her day job as a digital strategist. Katy shared her journey through infertility and pregnancy loss, what she learned about her body, her inspiration for Uber Barrens Club and of course, the story of her first period. Katy talks about reading the fabulous Judy Bloom book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret? as a period rite of passage. She also shares the moment at the school gate that prompted her mum to make sure she understood the birds and bees 😄 Katy says that she went on the pill because she wanted to control her period and talks about what prompted her to eventually come off the pill and get diagnosed with lean PCOS. We had a very candid discussion about what this diagnosis meant for her fertility journey at the time, what happened next and why Katy wishes she had paid more attention to her menstrual cycles when she was younger. Katy says that she started Uber Barrens Club because she only ever saw one narrative of infertility, after people have been successful. She says that she wanted to write a different story and take back the word barren, reclaim it and make this silent sisterhood more visible. Katy says that you don’t have to do this alone. She believes we should reach out, read up, learn about our bodies and not be afraid to ask questions. I love that! Get in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Katy: Website: https://uberbarrens.club/ Share Your Story: https://uberbarrens.club/share Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/uberbarrensclub Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/uberbarrensclub

14 MAY 2020 · On today's episode of Period Story podcast, I had the pleasure of sharing a wonderful conversation I had with Estelle Bingham last week. Estelle is a healer and psychic, as well as a former travel presenter for Lonely Planet. Estelle and I had a wonderful conversation (her words gave me chills at one point!) about intuition, the importance of boundaries, what manifestation actually is, connecting with the cycles of the moon and of course, the story of Estelle’s first period. Estelle says that she was very excited for her first period. She talks about the two truths that many of us continue to hold about menstruation: the internal excitement of being part of something bigger and general negativity that society gives menstruation, calling it ‘the curse’. Estelle says it’s so important that we understand our menstrual cycle so that we can recognise and listen to the internal workings of who we are. She says this part of us gets really demonised and that we need to be kind and find a way to come back to ourselves. Estelle talked about her experience as a travel presenter and how she felt her period never got into the way or held her back when she was doing things like trekking up K2, climbing down the Karijini Gorges in Australia or speaking to Kenyan tribes. She says it was really empowering not to feel like she had to worry about her period. Listen to hear Estelle talk about how to notice the connection between our menstrual cycle and the moon cycle. She says that we start to notice how we can feel during full moons and where we’re at in our menstrual cycle. She talks about the effects last Thursday’s super moon in Scorpio may have had on some of us. I asked Estelle about manifestation, this word I see thrown around a lot and she broke it down in a practical way, saying that you can put things out there, but you also have to show up to those things everyday and do the work. Estelle says that we should choose to listen to ourselves, gently and lovingly so that we are able to love ourselves more and come home to ourselves. I love that! Get in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Estelle: Website: http://www.estellebingham.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estelle.bingham

7 MAY 2020 · On today's episode of Period Story podcast, I’m so pleased to share my conversation with Amy Peake, the founder of the charity Loving Humanity, which she founded in 2014 with the aim of helping women in war zones by alleviating the health problems associated with a lack of good quality and affordable menstrual pads. Since then, her work has helped to restore dignity and create social uplift for thousands of women in some of the most war-ravaged parts of the world. And crucially, allowed thousands of menstruating girls who would not normally have access to school to receive an education. Amy and I had a wonderful conversation about the cultural impact of menstruation, disposable vs reusable menstrual pads, how Amy has been educating herself about her menstrual cycle and hormones and of course, Amy also shared the story of her first period. Amy shares what made her decide to come off the pill and the changes she’s seen in her body. She says having a period without any pain was a revelation! Amy talks about the importance of menstrual health education and awareness and the impact this is having on her 3 daughters and also how this extends to Loving Humanity. We talked about Amy’s charity Loving Humanity and the powerful work it is doing in Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe to make and distribute menstrual pads and nappies to women and girls. Amy shares the story of what inspired her to start this charity and shares some of ways the charity has been able to empower women through employment, menstrual health education and support. We had a very candid discussion about the impact access to menstrual pads can have on girls and their ability to stay in education. Amy also talked about disposable vs reusable menstrual pads and how access to water and lack of privacy makes reusables mostly a non-starter. Amy says that she feels passionate about what she does because she wants women and girls to rise up and realise their power 💪🏽 Get in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Amy: Website: http://lovinghumanity.org.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loving_humanity Twitter: https://twitter.com/Loving_Humanity Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LovingHumanityUK

30 APR 2020 · On today's episode of Period Story podcast, I was so pleased to speak with Mandy Manners. Mandy is a mindset and recovery coach who coaches women to harness their decision to go sober, to pivot from surviving to thriving in all areas of their lives. She's also a co-founder of Love Sober, a hub for one to one coaching, workshops and community, and hosts The Love Sober podcast with Kate Baily. Mandy and I had a wonderful conversation about the impact of alcohol on women, the role the menstrual cycle plays in alcohol addiction, and of course, Mandy also shared the story of her first period. Mandy shared the moment in her thirties when she felt she really learned about her period and the effect this change had on her. Mandy talked candidly about the impact going sober had on her period and menstrual cycle. She also shared fascinating research around the points in our menstrual cycle where we will potentially be more triggered to drink alcohol. Have a listen to hear Mandy talk through an insightful example of a woman who planned her alcohol recovery treatment around her menstrual cycle. Mandy talks about the steps women who are struggling with their alcohol consumption can take to get a better sense of control. She says that support and community is so important, as well as having an open mind about changing their habits and I completely agree! Get in touch Tweet and IG: @periodstorypod Email periodstorypod@gmail.com Show notes and transcripts can be found at http://www.periodstorypod.com Get in touch with Mandy: Website: https://www.lovesober.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandy.lovesober.coach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovesoberpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/lovesoberpod