The Longest Shortest Time

Anna North spent years reporting on reproductive health — so she was surprised when her doctor suggested a birth control method she’d never heard of. In this episode, Anna shares why she chose to end her potential for having kids while giving birth to one… and who else might want to consider this little-known procedure. … Recommended from the archive #71 A Childless Man Gets a C-Section … Articles by Anna North (Vox) • The cancer-reducing birth control method you might not have heard of [https://vox.com/health/2024/4/17/24132112/period-mental-health-depression-anxiety-menstruation] • What science is just starting to understand about periods [https://vox.com/health/2024/4/17/24132112/period-mental-health-depression-anxiety-menstruation] • The failed promise of egg freezing [https://vox.com/health/24141538/egg-freezing-cost-age-ivf-fertility-pregnancy] • Anna’s newsletter: Kids Today [https://vox.com/pages/kids-today-newsletter-policy-childhood-policy-culture] … Novels by Anna North (using our links supports the show!) • Outlawed [https://bookshop.org/a/111927/9781635578249] • Bog Queen [https://bookshop.org/a/111927/9781635579666] … Sponsors (using our links supports the show!) • Blueland: 15% off your first order at blueland.com/longshort [http://blueland.com/longshort] • Blissy: 60 nights risk-free + 30% off at blissy.com/longshortpod [http://blissy.com/longshortpod] with code LONGSHORTPOD … Join LST+ [https://longestshortesttime.supportingcast.fm] for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram [https://instagram.com/longestshortesttime/] Website: longestshortesttime.com [http://longestshortesttime.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Xyla Foxlin started flying as a teenager. By her twenties, she was piloting her own plane and building another from scratch. But when a private health crisis went public, she wound up in a battle with the FAA that could ground her for good. … Recommendations from the archive • #51 Real Teens, Fake Babies … Suicide and Crisis Lifeline • If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, dial 988 … More about Xyla • Xyla’s YouTube channel [https://youtube.com/c/xylafoxlin] • Xyla’s IUD video [https://youtube.com/watch?v=oxzR2Sm72_o] • Xyla’s FAA video [:%20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj0H8oVS7qg] … More on pilots and mental health • Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Health [https://nytimes.com/2025/03/18/magazine/airline-pilot-mental-health.html], The New York Times • It’s Time to Act on Pilots’ Mental Health [https://scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-act-on-pilots-mental-health/], Scientific American • FAA Should Not Require Pilots to Disclose Talk Therapy, Panel Says [https://reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/panel-says-faa-should-end-mandate-pilots-disclose-talk-therapy-sessions-2024-04-01/], Reuters … The Pilot Mental Health Campaign The Pilot Mental Health Campaign offers resources for pilots struggling with mental health issues and is advocating for two bipartisan bills in congress. Learn more here [https://pmhc.org]. … Sponsors (using our links supports the show!) • Blissy: 60 nights risk free + 30% off at blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD [http://blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD] with code LONGSHORTPOD … Join LST+ [https://longestshortesttime.supportingcast.fm] for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram [https://instagram.com/longestshortesttime/] Website: longestshortesttime.com [http://longestshortesttime.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

This week, we’re bringing you something special: an episode from Add to Cart, a show we love hosted by Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak. You might remember Kulap when she was a guest on our show [https://longestshortesttime.com/episode-204-breaking-cycles-and-chairs-with-kulap-vilaysack/] back in 2018, where she bravely unpacked her childhood trauma and shared how it led to her documentary film. Add to Cart is a witty, subversive take on consumerism. Each week, Kulap and SuChin have candid (and often TMI) conversations about what they’re adding to or removing from their carts—whether it’s products, people, trends, or philosophies. Together, they explore what we’re buying into and what it reveals about who we are.  In this episode, they’re joined by author and journalist Vicky Nguyen for the very first Auntie Book Club of the year, diving into her powerful memoir Boat Baby. Vicky talks about going from boat refugee to national TV and why the R is for refuse in her household. To hear more episodes of Add to Cart, follow the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/atcfd [https://lemonada.lnk.to/atcfd] … Kulap’s LST episode #204 Breaking Cycles (and Chairs!) with Kulap Vilaysack … Join LST+ [https://longestshortesttime.supportingcast.fm] for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram [https://instagram.com/longestshortesttime/] Website: longestshortesttime.com [http://longestshortesttime.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Ashley Parker has covered some of the biggest political events of our time — but for years she’s been obsessed with a very different type of story: birth stories. In this episode, Ashley opens up about her own experiences with childbirth and pregnancy, raising three girls, and a mistake she made as a teenager involving a camera… and boobs. If you follow her work, this is a side of Ashley Parker you’ve never heard before! … Recommendations from the archive #73 Love Yurts … Episode resources • Ashley’s Atlantic essay about miscarriage [https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/04/miscarriage-and-motherhood/682256/?gift=oTrP9KBycQ_LJ6YdZ8j_kyqy4a57wtoic_JJrF8tZj4&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share] (gift link expires 5/12/25) • Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support [https://nationalshare.org] • March of Dimes [https://marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/miscarriage-loss-and-grief] • The Miscarriage Association [https://miscarriageassociation.org.uk] … Sponsors (using our links supports the show!) • Blueland: 15% off your first order at blueland.com/longshort [http://blueland.com/longshort] … Join LST+ [https://longestshortesttime.supportingcast.fm] for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram [https://instagram.com/longestshortesttime/] Website: longestshortesttime.com [http://longestshortesttime.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Ali Yarrow thought her childbirth experience would be hers to guide. Instead, she found it was guided by the American obstetrics system — a model that was designed by men. Ali documented what she uncovered in her eye-opening book, Birth Control [Ali%20Yarrow%20thought%20her%20childbirth%20experience%20would%20be%20hers%20to%20guide.%20Instead,%20she%20found%20it%20was%20guided%20by%20American%20the%20obstetrics%20system%20%E2%80%94%20a%20model%20that%20was%20designed%20by%20men.%20Ali%20documented%20what%20she%20uncovered%20in%20her%20eye-opening%20book,%20Birth%20Control,%20and%20joins%20us%20to%20share%20what%20she%20learned%20about%20maternal%20care%20in%20the%20U.S.,%20how%20we%20got%20here,%20and%20how%20to%20advocate%20for%20ourselves%20in%20a%20system%20stacked%20against%20both%20patients%20and%20providers.%20*When%20you%20use%20our%20affilate%20links%20to%20purchase%20books,%20we%20earn%20a%20commission,%20which%20helps%20support%20our%20work!%20%E2%80%A6%20Recommendations%20from%20the%20archive%20%E2%80%A2%20#27%20Rewriting%20Your%20Birth%20Story%20%E2%80%A2%20#28%20The%20Missing%20Chapter%20to%20Ina%20May%E2%80%99s%20Guide%20%E2%80%A2%20#218%20Ina%20May%E2%80%99s%20Guide,%20Completely%20Revised%20and%20Updated%20%E2%80%A6%20Doula%20Resources%20Doulas%20often%20lead%20to%20better%20birth%20outcomes.%20Find%20one%20in%20your%20area%20through%20DONA%20International.%20%20Doula%20Training%20If%20you%E2%80%99re%20a%20birth%20partner,%20you%20can%20train%20to%20be%20a%20doula%20yourself!%20%E2%80%A2%20DONA%20birth%20doula%20certification%20training%20%E2%80%A2%20CAPPA%20birth%20doula%20certification%20training%20%E2%80%A2%20MaternityWise%20Institute%20birth%20doula%20certification%20training%20%20Low-Cost/No-Cost%20Doula%20Services%20Many%20cities%20have%20low/no-cost%20doula%20programs%20for%20low-income%20individuals.%20Contact%20local%20birthing%20centers,%20hospitals,%20and%20state%20health%20departments%20for%20more%20info.%20Below%20are%20some%20examples.%20%E2%80%A2%20NYC%E2%80%99s%20Citywide%20Doula%20Initiative%20%E2%80%A2%20HealthConnect%20One%20community%20based%20doula%20services%20%E2%80%A2%20Community%20Doula%20Network%20(DC%20Area)%20%E2%80%A2%20Happy%20Mama%20Healthy%20Baby%20Alliance%20(LA%20Area)%20%E2%80%A6%20Sponsors%20(using%20our%20links%20supports%20the%20show!)%20%E2%80%A2%20Blissy:%2060%20nights%20risk-free%20plus%2030%%20off%20at%20blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD%20with%20code%20LONGSHORTPOD%20%E2%80%A2%20Alloy:%20$20%20off%20your%20first%20order%20at%20myalloy.com/LONGSHORT%20with%20code%20LONGSHORT%20%E2%80%A6%20Join%20LST+%20for%20community%20and%20access%20to%20You%20Know%20What,%20another%20show%20in%20the%20Longest%20Shortest%20universe!%20Follow%20us%20on%20Instagram%20Website:%20longestshortesttime.com], and joins us to share what she learned about maternal care in the U.S., how we got here, and how to advocate for ourselves in a system stacked against both patients and providers. *When you use our affilate links to purchase books, we earn a commission, which helps support our work! … Recommendations from the archive • #27 Rewriting Your Birth Story • #28 The Missing Chapter to Ina May’s Guide • #218 Ina May’s Guide, Completely Revised and Updated … Doula Resources Doulas often lead to better birth outcomes. Find one in your area through DONA International [https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula-2/find-a-doula/]. Doula Training If you’re a birth partner, you can train to be a doula yourself! • DONA birth doula certification training [https://www.dona.org/become-a-doula/birth-doula-certification/] • CAPPA birth doula certification training [https://cappa.net/training-certification/certified-labor-doula-cld/] • MaternityWise Institute birth doula certification training [https://www.maternitywise.com/labor-doula-program] Low-Cost/No-Cost Doula Services Many cities have low/no-cost doula programs for low-income individuals. Contact local birthing centers, hospitals, and state health departments for more info. Below are some examples. • NYC’s Citywide Doula Initiative [https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/citywide-doula-initiative.page] • HealthConnect One community based doula services [https://healthconnectone.org/our-work/community-based-doulas/] • Community Doula Network [https://communitydoulanetwork.com/] (DC Area) • Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance [https://motherbabysupport.net/] (LA Area) … Sponsors (using our links supports the show!) • Blissy: 60 nights risk-free plus 30% off at blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD [https://blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD] with code LONGSHORTPOD • Alloy: $20 off your first order at myalloy.com/LONGSHORT [https://www.myalloy.com/LONGSHORT] with code LONGSHORT … Join LST+ [https://longestshortesttime.supportingcast.fm/] for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram [https://instagram.com/longestshortesttime/] Website: longestshortesttime.com [http://longestshortesttime.com/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]