Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery for Women's Health Professionals · Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, FAE, HRHP

The Truth About Cycle Changes In Perimenopause | FAMM Research Series

·27 min·2 clips

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack reveals a free guide with five key steps to improve egg quality for women's health professionals.

This episode of Fertility Friday examines new research re-evaluating historical data on natural menstrual cycles in perimenopause. Host Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, a fertility awareness educator, focuses on a pivotal mid-20th century study. She values this research for its insights into reproductive physiology without hormonal contraceptive influence. The discussion centers on a paper Hendrickson-Jack frequently references, which she calls the "Trailer Study." This research collected menstrual cycle data from women during the 1940s and 1950s. A key feature is that the data predates the 1960 introduction of the birth control pill. The study provides a large dataset of what the host terms "virgin cycles." These records capture natural hormonal fluctuations absent pharmaceutical intervention. Hendrickson-Jack has drawn from this data in her books, *The Fifth Vital Sign* and *Real Food for Fertility*. She also incorporates it into her Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) practitioner training program. The host finds the study's historical timing uniquely valuable for observing authentic cycle changes. She suggests this data offers a clearer baseline of perimenopausal transitions than modern studies can. The analysis aims to distinguish normal aging patterns from effects of synthetic hormones. A surprising element is the sheer volume of pre-pill cycle information available. The re-examined paper prompts a reconsideration of established narratives about menstrual health. The tone is educational and analytical, grounded in Hendrickson-Jack's expertise. The style is conversational but dense with specific research references. Women's health professionals and students of fertility awareness will find this episode most relevant. Listeners seeking general wellness tips or personal stories might find it too academically focused.

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