VulvaVaginaCervix

Ashlee

VulvaVaginaCervix is a lifestyle podcast centering reproductive health, wellness and the real life experiences of people who have a Vulva, Vagina and Cervix. In order to love ourselves, we have got to know who we are!! This includes our bodies! So, we’ll talk… let’s have a great conversation… let’s share… let’s learn from each other and grow!! Safe, unfiltered conversations about our bodies, our health, our choices… our stories. Get in here!!

  1. 09/09/2025

    Gestational Diabetes... baby, it's okay. I promise.

    Hey y'all!! Quick disclaimer: this is not medical advice. You can find all of this information yourself in a textbook, from your care practitioner and on the internet. Here, we're talking about it though. What is Gestational Diabetes? When — different question — do you want to screen? (Accepting the risks of undiagnosed gestational diabetes.) If you screen positive, will you do the diagnostic test? How — using a 50 gram glucose load (Fresh Test, jelly beans, meal, glucola), continuous glucose monitor, or finger prick for 2 weeks.        One hour screening and        Three hour test - Lab - fasted.... take 100g glucose load... tested every hour for three hours. Must pass two of the tests for the amount of glucose that should have cleared your bloodstream in that one hour. Foods to help and foods that hurt - not about blame and eating too much sugar… unexpected foods like oats, bread, pasta. Focus on low glycemic index foods. What does this mean for you and your pregnancy? Birth Complications: Prolonger labor, Hemorrhage, Birth injury, Shoulder dystocia, 3rd and 4th degree tearing. Other complications:Stillbirth,Pre-eclampsia,Hypertension,Polyhydramnios, Preterm birth. — not necessarily a dietary condition though as Lily Nichols wrote in Real Food for Pregnancy, “blood sugar is highly responsive to lifestyle changes.” — “carbohydrate intolerance in pregnancy.” Management        Early nutrition conversation        Great focus on fiber first and protein to fill yourself…        High protein breakfast and add healthy fat — is going to be your best friend!! — rather than filling on simple carbs like breads and pasta.        Eating more than 3 meals a day… some of us wait and will only eat when we’re really hungry and then we binge. I’m encouraging you to eat every two hours… it will also help with your indigestion.        Exercise - I love a 30 minute walk after a meal — 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back. Sleep - hopefully 9 hours each night — naps... whenever you like. Reducing stress (get help with other children, cooking cleaning, therapy, laughing and fun activities). Working with a nutritionist. Working with a maternal fetal medicine specialist.  Vitamin & Nutrient deficiency - Vitamin D, Magnesium  Daily kick counts in the 3rd trimester. Thanks for listening!  xoxoxox, Ashlee'

    39 min
  2. 08/12/2025

    I'm Bleeding but You're Mad

    Tips for Healthier Menstruation In American society, we have normalized painful periods. Normalizing discomfort over HEALTHY MENSTRUATION. It's not normal -- it's common. And we're are working to arrive at healthy. In this week's episode, I share a quick Reddit AITA, discuss some of the below discomforts of menstruation, and what can help. Recommended Read: The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack  Some Red Flags:  Longer days of  bleedingSleepiness & fatigue Mood SwingsBloating and constipation HeadacheBreast tendernessNausea and vomiting Pain: abdomen, lower back, assholeChanges in sleepChanges in appetiteWeight gain AcneIrritability and anxietyPMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) -- trouble concentrating, feeling overwhelmed, easily irritated, falling into a "just before your period specific" depression - suicidal ideation, reduced interest in interacting with othersSome Kindnesses Just for Us: Allow yourself to slow down - GO TO SLEEPWarm feet, warm wombGive in to your food cravings after you have had a meal Bananas the week before menstruationMenstrual discs, underwear, cups, organic sanitary products - avoid toxic tampons and padsSexual intercourse and self pleasureIncrease oral magnesium - consider magnesium cream and epsom salt bathsGood to the bathroom… consistently after ovulation - increased fiber, watching water, bananas, liquid fiber, castor oil on the abdomenRed raspberry leaf teaElixOil of oregano and Black seed oilWild yam creamMovement throughout the month - give yourself grace before menstruation… please take it easyGet your *Go into yourself* care basket together… food (real meals), snacks, feel good blanket or stuffy, great show to watch, pet or loved oneWe got this boo!  xoxoxox, Ashlee'

    42 min
  3. 07/24/2025

    A Million Thing We Wish We Knew Sooner

    A million things you didn’t learn in school - a few notes from me and the ladies on TikTok. Low impact exercises plus high fiber plus great protein REST and Sleep - 9-10 hours necessary, take a nap in needed. Medical Gaslighting Listen to your intuition Stop feeling bad for being a women Magnesium every night increases sleep quality and reducing bloating around the time of menstruation Prenatals are the only vitamin combination that are actually made for women… taking them even when you're not pregnant can be great! The male body and the female body are not the same Depression… Anxiety… ADHD… PMS… PMDD… they look similar - THEY ARE DIFFERENT AND HAVE DIFFERENT TREATMENTS. Humming regulates our nervous system  Chocolate__Yoga says “I learned this a while back but we’re quite literally designed and meant to be pampered and taken care of / catered to, while on our periods. It’s an extremely spiritual and sacred time. We’re meant to relax and unwind completely.”  “Being celibate. That’s all I’m gonna say” - hahahahaha Learn to say "NO," and stop apologizing Sit in the sun right when you wake up.  Your body will reject a toxic partner before you even realize it consciously. Your nervous system tells you when a person is bad for you. ~ “Postpartum depression is more than feeling sad. It’s paranoia. It’s rage. It’s ’being suicidal.’ It’s uncontrollable weeping. It’s so much more than just “sad.” Lymphatic drainage — jumping in the morning — 20 jumping jacks or just jumping up and down 100 times Suppressing your emotions causes issues in your health Preserving your fertility - The Fifth Vital Sign, Taking Charge of Your Fertility "I drink a lot less alcohol and I feel a lot better" "Abortions are safe… no long term physical or mental health issues" Eating properly - you need more calories to stay in shape… eating less disrupts your hormones… PROGESTERONE Antibiotics inhibit birth control from working properly… the birth control bleed is not a period - Everything Below the Waist Stress and strong emotional responses can make you sick Live according to your menstrual cycle CRAVINGS ARE OKAY — I do not believe in food rewards… If you want it, eat.  xoxoxox, Ash

    31 min
  4. 07/19/2025

    Reframing Sexual Intercourse Education

    Today, we're chatting about sexual intercourse education - a communication with yourself, partner, or many partners. It took me some time to become comfortable with the topic... and then I came to realize - not all babies are made in missionary position! It would be great for more birth workers coming to terms with the fact that our clients are here because they engaged in sexual intercourse. We must educate ourselves in order to educate, encourage and respect our clients. We chat about the value in having appropriate sexual exploration and sexual intercourse education. One said benefit is that you are BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF and your own body!  We discuss SEXUAL EXPLORATION - Curiosity (age appropriate), exploring yourself and your own sexual curiosity vs sexual explorations. Education can remove some of the shame and fear in Christian American society around sexual intercourse. There is a l ack of education around sexuality, sexual intercourse, anatomy, age appropriateness. This lack of education can be dangerous for us. Religious abstinence only education is always optimal. It steals from SOMEONE — LGBTQIA+ individuals, people who are not pleased with their partner’s performance or views on sexual intercourse, the shame some individuals carry into marriage because of this teaching. It can be steals from a potentially fulfilling intimate life. We should also teach about relationships. Speak frankly about what marriage looks and can feel like. Let's learn about red flags and understand what we're getting ourselves into when we decide we can to engage in a casual sexual intercourse relationship. It starts with knowing yourself. Have a look at your own genitals… your breasts… menstruation… changes in puberty… changes in day-to-day life. I feel like we talk about the facts and do not explore the feelings. Some of these physical changes come with feelings. Hormonal changes come with feelings. WHAT DO THESE HORMONE CHANGES FEEL LIKE AND ADDRESS THEM. Knowing what YOUR healthy is much more important: your scent, color, ridges, vaginal fluid, cleaning yourself, shaving/waxing… different situations and times of the month - during menstruation, arousal, after menstruation, during ovulation. We have got to be familiar with our bodies during these stages apart from and apart of sexual interaction. Many do not know that the labia minora and vagina lubricate, the clitoris swells, the vagina lengthens, and the cervix softens and becomes more sensitive during arousal. Well... How can we reframe sexual intercourse education?  Sexual exploration and Sexual intercourse education — a sexual conversation… sometimes you’re communicating with yourself and sometimes the communication is with another person. There are various stages of sexual intercourse education… kid appropriate education, preteen and newly teen education, heading to college and adult education. Educating of the potential situations Like: who is involved? what happens... potentially? when to have sexual intercourse for the first time... age... person... relationship... and the concept of virginity? for what reason you want to engage in sexual intercourse? Let's talk about contraception, pregnancy, STIs and safty. What about comfort with your partner? And do I have to have an orgasm? You've got to answer that for yourself. And lastly, we discuss looking for love in sexual intercourse. Agreeing to a non committal interaction and the settling. Let's shape the sexual intercourse conversation into one of communication and relationship. One that can serve you. Book recommendations I: The Girl Guide by Marawa Ibrahim II: PussyPedia by Zoe Mendelson, Maria Conejo and the Founders of PussyPedia.net III: Sex Plus by Laci Green

    55 min

About

VulvaVaginaCervix is a lifestyle podcast centering reproductive health, wellness and the real life experiences of people who have a Vulva, Vagina and Cervix. In order to love ourselves, we have got to know who we are!! This includes our bodies! So, we’ll talk… let’s have a great conversation… let’s share… let’s learn from each other and grow!! Safe, unfiltered conversations about our bodies, our health, our choices… our stories. Get in here!!