My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju

Waiting to Be “Dying Enough” for Pregnancy Care: Georgia Scientist Avery Davis Bell (with AIA) | Episode 18

In collaboration with Abortion in America [https://abortioninamerica.org/], our latest episode of My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju features Avery Davis Bell, a Georgia mother and genetics researcher who was forced to wait for emergency abortion care until complications were life-threatening. Avery was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke—a medical emergency that made her pregnancy nonviable and placed her at risk for severe blood loss and sepsis. Even though her doctors knew she needed a D&E (Dilation and Evacuation) procedure, Georgia’s abortion ban created delays while providers determined whether her condition was “serious enough” to legally qualify her for care. Avery had every advantage: early prenatal care, expert medical knowledge, access to a major hospital system, and a strong support network.  Her story raises an urgent question: if someone with those resources struggle to receive timely emergency care, what happens to patients facing greater barriers to access? “It’s like insult to injury in the worst possible way,” Avery says.  Mini and Avery discuss: * How abortion bans interfere with emergency pregnancy care * Why abortion ban “exceptions” are designed to fail in real-world medical emergencies * What it means when doctors are forced to wait until patients become “sick enough” to receive treatment * How Georgia’s maternal health crisis is worsening under abortion bans * Why storytelling, organizing, and state elections matter in the fight for reproductive freedom Episode recorded on March 8, 2026 Thanks for listening! Make sure you hit the subscribe button to get notified when new episodes drop, and share this episode with a friend. Explore more episode resources at reproforall.org/podEP18 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Abortion Provider Renee Chelian on 50 Years of Protecting Patients, Fighting for Access | Episode 17

Abortion clinics have long been targets of coordinated blockades, harassment, and violence.  This reality has never stopped Rene Chelian, an abortion provider and advocate who has spent decades caring for patients and fighting for access. In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Renee, Founder and CEO of Northland Family Planning Centers, to talk about what it takes to deliver care, protect patients and staff, and defend abortion access in the face of escalating threats.  With nearly 50 years on the front lines, Renee has lived through the full scope of anti-abortion extremism and helped advocate for the federal protections of patients seeking abortion care—the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.  This episode is about resilience and the ongoing fight to protect abortion rights for everybody. Renee continues that work through Reclaim, an initiative focused on restoring dignity, confidence, and public support for abortion and reproductive rights through advocacy and education. Protecting abortion access requires all of us—providers, advocates, and communities—willing to stay in the fight.  Episode recorded on April 8, 2026.  Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP17  Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

She’s Kind of a Big Deal: NY AG Letitia James on Defending Abortion, Taking on Trump | Episode 16

What does it take to fight back—and win? In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with New York Attorney General Leticia James to break down the critical role of attorneys general in protecting reproductive freedom in this moment. From defending abortion providers under attack, to taking on the Trump administration’s overreach, AG James is at the center of the legal fight to protect our rights—and she’s winning. Democratic attorneys general like her are taking on Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders—and they have an 80% win rate. Mini and AG James get into: * How shield laws protect providers and patients across state lines * Why Republicans’ “leave it to the states” argument is a lie—anti-abortion extremists are trying to criminalize abortion care nationwide * What’s really at stake when emergency care is being denied—people are suffering and dying as a result of abortion bans * What abortion access actually means: it’s not just about legal access, but also access to information and actual care * Why attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care are part of the same playbook to take away other freedoms * How Democratic AGs are coordinating across states—meeting weekly—to defend rights, democracy, and reproductive freedom Mini and AG James make one thing clear: the old rules don’t apply anymore. Even in a moment that can feel overwhelming, there are leaders fighting back—and winning. But protecting our freedom will take all of us: organizing, voting, and paying attention to the races that decide whether our rights are protected, or stripped away. Episode recorded in New Orleans on April 10, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP16 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Why are Lawmakers Legislating Medicine? Dr. Jamila Perritt on the Harm of Abortion Bans - Episode 15

Anti-abortion extremists are going after every single person involved in accessing abortion care—from patients to their doctors.  Abortion bans make it impossible for doctors to take care of their patients with the dignity and autonomy we deserve. When you deny people access to abortion care, women and pregnant people die.  In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with OB-GYN and President of Physicians for Reproductive Health Dr. Jamila Perritt to discuss how abortion bans and restrictions harm patients and providers, and what’s really at stake when elected officials try to interfere with medical decisions.  Episode recorded in DC on March 25, 2026.  Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP14  Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ or Text POD to 59791.  By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help.   Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Americans Support Abortion. It’s Time We Acted Like It. Jessica Valenti on Today’s Fight - Episode 14

Abortion is a winning issue. Abortion bans are not. So why are some people on the left still treating reproductive freedom as if it’s negotiable? And how did a small number of anti-abortion extremists manage to chip away at our rights? In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with journalist, author, and “Abortion, Every Day” founder Jessica Valenti to break down the current landscape of the fight for reproductive freedom: the attacks on medication abortion, the rise of manosphere and culture war politics, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and how we set the record straight—across media, in classrooms, and within our own coalition. They dig into what voters actually believe: the majority support freedom, privacy, bodily autonomy, and the right to make personal decisions without government interference. Abortion rights are a fundamental freedom issue. And if Democrats can’t turn the anger people feel right now into lasting policy change, that’s not just a political failure—it’s a moral one. Episode recorded in San Francisco on March 5, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP14 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.