Empower yourself when tracking your cycle Rachel Eyre Dutton aka the Period Whisperer Part II

This is part II of the Mindful Soul Center Podcast's interview with Rachel Dutton (Rachel Eyre) We speak about charting from the basics to more involved charting and how knowing your body can change your life. Rachel is clearly passionate about her work. There is so much information for both men and women. Women, you can get to know your body better and men, you can gain some insights into women’s cycles and both partners fertility.

If you haven't listened to part one, be sure to go back and learn even more about women's health.

Women's Womb Health Rachel Eyre Dutton Interview On The Mindful Soul Center Podcast - Part I

The power of charting and tracking your menstrual cycle with Rachel Dutton (Eyre)

Mentioned in this podcast interview:

Follow and/or get in touch with Rachel:

• https://thehealthywomb.com

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/thehealthywomb/

• https://www.facebook.com/thehealthywomb/

• https://instagram.com/thehealthywomb/

​Get the recommended books:

TRANSCRIPT

​00:09          [music].

00:09          Welcome to the mindful soul center podcast. My name is Amy Adams. I'm your host and the broadcaster. In this episode of the mindful soul center podcast, I interviewed wellness experts. Rachel Eyre Dutton in today's episode is part two of the interview. If you haven't listened to part one, be sure to bookmark it or download it and listen to it later. Today's episode digs deep into charting and how it can empower you and really how you can use this information to change your life. We also discussed deppression, choosing a doctor and working with someone that's appropriate for you.

01:05          [music]

01:06          let's get started. We begin this part of the interview discussing stress and the direct impact that it has on the menstrual cycle.

01:17          What happens depends on whether you've ovulated or not in that cycle, so well, we'll start with if you have ovulated, because that's the quick ones. If you have ovulated during your luteal phase, that's the phase between ovulation and your next period, or the phase in which you might be pregnant. If you get stressed and it has to be said. It's either a long period of stress or significant events. So it might be you've got a really big exam that impacts your job in some way. Um, it happened to me a few years ago, unfortunately when my mom rang me up at five o'clock in the morning in tears, absolutely distraught because her cat had just been hit by a car, um, and she was about a hundred miles away from me. There was nothing I could do to get right get to. Um, and when this happens, you're, I personally think, you know, you brought, your body hasn't, well, it's recognized as not safe, keep you pregnant, so it just finishes off cycle.

02:19          Um, there's also, when you're stressed, your cortisol ramps up so there's less base hormone pregnanilone available to make progesterone, which can also sort of terminate that cycle. So if soft ovulation, you tend to get a very short luteal phase. If it's more chronic, it's more of an acute event. Intense. Your Period starts. Um, and you won't start cycling until your body feels as safe and can reset itself. Oh, that's really interesting. If you haven't yet ovulated. And your body's trying to ovulate. It tends to sort of knock that off. And I see it a lot in people's charts. Um, when your body's preparing to ovulate you start seeing an increase of production cervical fluid in When you feel a bit more moist downstairs, um, and this should be like a peak around ovulation, then it sort of cuts up and then your cuts off from your dry and some women will get this peek and then it'll drop off and then they'll get another peak again. You'll say, Oh, what happened then? And they're like, Oh, I had sit an exam or I got, I got some bad news, or I had stay a few really late days at work because it's year end and this is happening. Or being at some of the stressful event in that life.

03:34          Do we sync up with other people's cycles? Is the lunar cycle something we dig into all of these different topics.

03:46          I've got a few friends that live like out in the wild, no electricity. Um, couple of them live on boats. They don't live near each other. But a lot of them, because they have no artificial light or dark near them, they, Oh, swear that they've synced up with the moon. There is no evidence that shows that happens nowadays. There's Lunarception, which, um, is a way of trying to sort of regulate your cycle and in some cases trying to make yourself ovulate around the full moon. I have had clients that swear it works, whether it's a placebo, Oh no, I don't know. But you know, having a nightlight on is way less harmful than pumping your body full of drugs and things, um, with, with the whole women's syncing up their cycles. You know, studies have shown that that doesn't happen. But again, I've got lots of people that will say to me, um, I'm seeing that with my housemates.

04:49          I think that with my mum when I was living with her so well, there's no sort of data to back it up. I think it can happen. I think what is more, um, likely to be going on is that if you think about how we go in and out a phase, I mean to sync up with the moon, we'd have to have the perfect 29.5 day cycle. That's stays exactly 29.5 days to think about with your friends, you'd have to have the exact same, you know, 28 day cycle, 26 days I feel tied to two days. Um, I think we probably go through phases where backs of lines up a bit more and then someone else goes slightly out of phase and then a year later maybe going back in and maybe three years later and it could be that we're looking for that coincidence. But yeah, the key thing is regardless of all that there is no, you should be cycling with the following.

05:44          There is no, you should be. I see people talking about white moon periods and ovulation and red moon periods and ovulation. Yes. If you're using lunarception as ways to try and regulate your cycle, you might want to be focusing on ovulation related activities around the full moon. But it's not, that's the case, what it should be. Your body is its own innate being it's doing its own thing. You have a healthy cycle. If you know you, you're following what's going on. So, in your ovulatory phase, you're being more open, you're more creative, you're more sociable during your luteal phase. You're not getting PMS, you're more focused, you're more analytical, you're very intuitive. If your body's doing the right things at the right time. So you will cycle and you're working with what your body is telling you that is far more important than the moon, your friend or whatever else is going on.

06:39          I do want to talk about menopause a little bit, but before we even talk about that, I want to talk about something about after menopause with the, after menopause. Um, like my body. I mean this is my own experience and I dunno if I'm crazy or if this is real. I seem to have, even though I don't go through the full periods cycles anymore, I still do feel like I go through like a cycle. I mean I don't have the same like PMs symptoms and I don't have the actual flow of a period, but my body seems to kind of swell up a few days and then it kind of gets back to normal. Or is that common do you think? Or have you ever heard of that? So I'm gonna stop. I'm not I menopause postmenopause expert that I have heard of that happening.

07:31          It seems to happen to most people you do still have estrogen happening in your body and cells in particular produce a type of estrogen. Um, I've come across so many women saying they're still experiencing cycles after menopause. So whether it's some, uh, mechanisms in- built and it stays, or maybe it is the influence of the moon or the body - a lot of people talk about muscle memory. You know, your body still has memory of your lymphatic system swelling up at certain times. I'm like it used to, I'm not sure what, which of those, but I have had so many women say, and of course we still do have hormonal imbalances during that time that just a lot easier to deal with when you're still cycling because you can see what's happening with them. It's hard to, to sort of look at them and find them post-menopause. So you know, those are still happening then it totally makes sense that a woman will still go through cycles.

08:32          What their cycles look like could vary from woman to woman. That's interesting for me. I mean menopause was like a nightmare but it was quick. It was just a couple of years. You know, like some people I've heard go through like very long periods of time where they really, some women have 10, 15 years of perimenopause and then the menopause itself is actually only a day. But yeah, I've heard, yeah. It's because why it's important to fix things whilst you're cycling if you can. So I think yoga saved me actually. It was, I think my hormones were really messed up and I think, um, well I know they were messed up, but I think I'm not a scientist or anything but uh, and the way the like nervous system that's just linked with everything and it has something to do with our hormones to like regulating them. And that I think is like fascinating because, um, I didn't even really learn about that until after I started practicing yoga again.

09:32          I'd practice like years and years before and then I quit it. And then, um, and then after like menopause was just such a nightmare. I was like, I have to do something. And I started it and it was really, it took a long, it took a while, but I used to have like headaches and terrible symptoms and very bad things. And then once I started doing yoga regularly, even though it would like knock me out and I'd be tired for a while, I started to not have headaches anymore and things just started to get better. No more like crazy swings or anything. And it kinda just now it just felt like a normal person. Again that just didn't have a period....I'm glad to hear that

10:14          I think if we always have some kind of physical activity and do, whether it's yoga or even something else, I think it's definitely going to help and make our transitions to whatever going from childbirth to you know, menopause, all of it I think is gonna make a big difference in our wellbeing, it definitely has an effect on on that. And we are designed to move not to sit in a chair for eight hours solid each day. Right? Yeah. It's not what our bodies were designed to do. Charting though for people who would like how would somebody go about doing that? Could they go on your website and find something? that'll teach them? There are hundreds of resources. So it depends what level of charting you want to do. So I've got a free cycle chart tool kit on my website. You can go on download and that's like most basic level, which is making note of what day you are in your cycle being the first day of your period is day one.

11:17          And then you can just start with the real basics. Do you have a period or not? And how do you feel each day? Okay. And even at this, it sounds really basic, but the number of people who didn't know they have PMs until they look at four of those basic charts, Oh, Oh I hate my partner at the same time each month. It's always three days. before my period starts, maybe I have PMS um, or start noticing when they have their energy spikes. Or libido spikes then They're like, is that in relation and I'm like yeah, yes, that's the whole point of ovulation. That's great. And usually even at the basic level, they start connecting what's happening with their body and it's really wonderful to see that sort of relationship they have with themselves. So by that thing. And then you can start adding things in more and more.

12:11          So you can start charting wether you have cervical fluid, but it shows when your body's trying to ovulate. You can add in basal body temperature, which shows that you have definitely ovulated or if you're ill you can, some people like to add in the moon phase to see where they are in comparison to the moon phase. You can also try cervical position. This is not what we recommend people do on their own if they using it too. Avoid pregnancy. Um, but you can track what the cervix is doing, whether it's open, closed, hard, soft up or down. Um, women who do track that can feel for cysts and things. And um, I've had quite a few people now say to me once they started charting their cervical fluids and they, they knew what was normal for them. Cause we, we each have our own pattern.

13:00          I know a lot of textbooks say is the set that we will have all our normal and what's, what's the more for us. Um, and they've had things happen, sort of look a bit weird or it smells different or it looks different or is different texts are and they can feel certain textures when they, they feel that their cervix they've gone to their doctor and they've discovered abnormal cells, really early, but they've managed to get rid of those abnormal cells with lifestyle interventions like destress and looking after themselves eating properly, um, gone back and had to repeat and the abnormal cells have gone. So it's really amazing. And then the full symptothermal method, which is when you track your cervical fluids and whether you're spotting, whether you have a period when you put some basal body temperature that is very evidence based and the studies show that if you're dealing with a teacher such as myself or anyone else, whose qualified.

13:52          In that method. It's, I do see some movement in the numbers but it's 99.2% Effective to 99.8% effective when done properly. If you compare that to the pill, which is 98% effective if taken properly and condoms, which is 97% effective and you can use it to choose to avoid pregnancy or to get pregnant because the number of people who are trying the wrong point in their cycle is quite surprising. And also, and this is what I really love about it, you can tell so much that is going on with hormones, with information, with stress, without having to time blood tests or pay for expensive tests or you know, trying to get to the doctors, get the tests, you can start seeing things in the cyc..., In the cycle charts and they can start working on the things that could be causing that and every few months you start seeing improvements.

14:49          So it might be that the temperatures are improved at a certain phase or phases lengthening to or shortened to the length that looks right for them. [inaudible] that's amazing though. Really just being in touch with your body and knowing about it to be like a preventative, not just for pregnancy but for like the whole, with the abnormal cells and everything. I find that completely fascinating. Amazing what you can see from them and even if you're just doing like the high level, how am I feeling? The number people have said it's improved their relationships cause they know they're more combative or argumentative at certain times. So they're going to make an effort not to go down that route and wait until they're in this sort of clear period. And they can express themselves more clearly and there are times when we do communicate better and you can actually optimize your life around your cycles.

15:44          Like if you've got a presentation to do or you've got a first date, you want to do that and you're follicular phase phase leading up to ovulation. If you want to negotiate a pay raise, you're going to be much better communicator when you're ovulating. That's when you want to ask, wow, that's a, that's amazing. This, gosh, I wish I knew all this stuff back then. I know it's just, Oh, I think we're so lucky to have cycles. I know people, I hate having menstrual cycle, but there are so many, we've got a window into what's happening it with our health with our fertility um, what's ha, you know, what we can work with to achieve so much more. And yet it feels like people are blind to it. Yeah. I just think it kind lost somewhere along the way.

16:39          [music].

16:39          There's no avoiding getting personal when you're talking about periods and womb health

16:48          uh, every single month when I would have my cycle, I actually would like feel like the exact precise, like second when it would start. The only way I can kind of describe it, it's almost like when something goes like pop, is that common? Is that, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Your whole mindset suddenly dropped off in particular progesterone. So some, some women suddenly feel literally like the energy levels literally plummet and within minutes that, Oh, I need to go. Yeah, totally. Some people, yeah, they feel physically, Oh yeah. My period's about to start and it does. Um, I also know people as well who just know that they're pregnant. It'll just hit them like, Oh I'm pregnant and they're right. And I've had loads of clients who, well tell me, I know I'm operating right now and we can be a 15 minute process, but you can, there is actually a lymph node that's all up in the leg so you can sort of feel to happen.

17:51          It's not bang on a hundred percent of the time. You feel that lymph node come up by definitely ovulating. But you'd need to ultrasound it to be sure but you know, matches up with the, the child that they're not yet. I'm ovulating, I know I am. It might be that their libido suddenly kicks in. Yeah. But there are definitely a large number of women that are really aware. Um, I tend to know like a day ahead. I'm like, okay, I can feel things changing. It's going to start with today or tomorrow. That's the wonderful thing about charting as well cause you can, if you got regular cycle we can can kind of guess when you're gonna start.

18:32          Right. I used to do that sometimes, but then I would get lazy when I was doing it. Like back in the day I didn't have an app or I didn't have any like downloads. I don't use an app. I still use paper charts. Oh, do you? Okay. Yeah, I prefer it because I can use my own descriptions. I don't know. I think it's really amazing. I think it's so great. I would encourage everyone now and whoever is listening to this to chart chart away. I love it. If it's basic level, it's just mind blowing how much information you can get. I think really being in touch with your body is so important. I had phases in my life where sometimes I was really aware of things, especially I think around the time where I was deciding whether or not I was going to have kids or not.

19:20          That was kind of like a more important part for me to kind of like know what was going on and think about it and if I was going to do it, if I wasn't going to do it. There were chunks of time on either side of that. It wasn't really like aware of all of the nuances that you can know from doing that. I think that's amazing. Like I can do that talk to you all night. So much information and you're so interesting. Like it's just so fascinating to me. I love talking about periods. That's why you're the period whisperer.

19:56          In the next segment of the interview we discuss natural health and finding the appropriate person to work with in the medical field. I embrace all of the, like oils and herbs and things like that. For me. That's how I've been living my life for many years. Like I, when something is wrong with me, I go to, you know what we call like the naturist here. And um, I go there and I'm like, Hey, I have this problem. And they're like, Oh, drink this tea or you know, and I mean, and if I go to the pharmacy and I said, I have a headache, they'll give me, you know, ibuprofen or something. Right. But so, but they're the same way. So, even though they're not like pharmacies can go there. And I've learned a about that usually almost always my rem... The remedies work I guess. So I was saying is do you feel like that some of the kind of more standard health system type of doctors that they're open to that or is there still kind of like a closed viewpoint of like it's just this way? It really varies from

21:08          doctor, doctor, I, I, I've come across some that they're right. Everyone else is wrong. They won't even listen to another doctor. I've got clients who have said the same thing. It's their way or the highway. You've got a problem, you have to go on pill or whatever medication. That's it. Full stop. You don't have any further discussion rights or anything. Um, I've also come across doctors who, are, open minded and I've come across these in my personal experiences as well. Um, I've even had nurses, midwives and doctors contact me to ask me, you know, what is this charting thing? Can you point me to resources? Can you point me to the evidence that shows it works? Which is great. I've even had, yeah, I turned up my own doctor what worked well for women's checks I have PTOS is my underlying condition, but it's been symptom free since I learned everything.

22:04          I've been in PO, um, for having met in my life and you know, she was like, how do you know it's under control? I was like, well I've got my blood sugar level charts here. This is my chart. And she'd not seen a symptothermal chart, she was really interested and she was like, talk me through this. So I was explaining, you know, the basics. And so as you can see here, I ovulate regularly. I have regular 29 day cycles. I have a good length luteal phase is consistently 13, 14 days long. My blood sugar levels are stable. I don't have acne anymore. Um, you know, I'm not losing anymore or up here or gaining down here. So I could show her that cause I massage externally as well. I know where mine sits. So when I had to have my, um, smear tests, or papsmear you call them over there.

22:48          And because of the body literacy, it was so much less painful cause I was like, okay, I know I've got high cervix that you need the external speculum. By the way, I'm slightly retroverted and she's to the left and she was in and out including putting in the speculum and taking out and I think between six and eight seconds and she got the sample. I didn't feel it. Wow. I was in no pain afterwards. That was a really open doctor. She said, this is amazing. I did not know that. You know, I've never had anyone connect all the dots, but it's obvious when you think about it and if anyone's listening who's thinking, well it's not my doctor. You can shop around for best doctor in the UK, you still have the right for a second opinion. You might have to travel to a different surgery, you might have to ask to see another doctor, but it really is worth going round and finding one who will listen to you, who will give you the time. I know some people have to travel in the States because they can't find one within the network or whatever. I think

23:46          it's the time for us all to advocate for better health care for us, and I'm find a doctor that will listen to you because eventually the ones who don't listen to people, and the more we listen to our bodies and we're like, okay, they're giving me something and it's, it's not working, so I'm going to see someone else. They're going to find people avoid seeing them unless it's really really urgent. And so, yeah, but there's also like this kind of weird thing going on in the United States with women's healthcare and they're trying to not allow people to have contraception and they're attacking planned Parenthood and

24:21          all of these as politicians in the UK saying the same thing here as well. Yeah. I just don't get it. Why can't everybody just be happy and take care of themselves? I'm like basic rights! Yeah. I thought it was rather telling. There was something like, uh, there's, there was a picture that went viral. I can't remember how many. It was like a group of white men. Ah, Oh, older men. More my senior signing legislation or women's health, reproductive health. I just had seen something like that. There was not one woman present and not even anybody from other ethnicities or anything. How would they representative of the people that signing the bill on the part of? Yeah. Yeah. That's a whole, well, gosh, the whole politics is, but I don't even understand why women's health is,

25:16          is part of politics that I can't even, I can't even wrap my head around that one.

25:20          Politics are another discussion and too much of a heated topic, but I will re iterate that. I don't think a bunch of old men who don't have wombs should be worried about our wombs.

25:42          Thank you so much for joining me today. I know that everybody who's listening is going to learn so much. I learned so much. I feel so much more informed now and I wish I would have known this 20 years ago or 30 years ago.

25:57          I wish someone would've told you thirty years ago

26:01          Yeah. But the work that you're doing I think is just amazing. So thank you so much for really spending time and talking to me and the whole, and everyone who's listening about all of these issues. So do you want to just, uh, leave your, uh, tell everyone your website or anywhere else that they can find you?

26:20          Yeah, it's pretty easy. Everything's the healthy womb.com or my social media handles are at the healthy womb. Um, I've got a Facebook group. I've got a ton of free resources in the group and on my website. All, linked with women's health. Um, I've got a very extensive blog which answers my people's questions, so yeah, feel free to dig in.

26:44          Okay. And so I will put all of that information in the show notes and thank you so much, Rachel. I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me.

26:56          [music]

27:04          thank you for joining me today in the second part of the interview with Rachel, also known as the period whisperer. If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends and please leave a review until next time.

27:59          [music].

MUSIC

Music in this episode includes:
​​​God Fury by Anno Dominii Beats
Birds by Silent Partner
The cast of Pods by Doug Maxwell

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