The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour

Ep. 26- Understanding Your Body as a Living System

In this episode, Ashley sits down with licensed midwife Tesa Lubans to explore a revolutionary way of understanding the female body — not as something broken or in need of fixing, but as a living, intelligent system. They dive into biological literacy, ovarian intelligence, fertility beyond pregnancy, mothering, and how stress, environment, and systemic disconnection impact women’s health. This conversation challenges conventional narratives around hormones, infertility, postpartum healing, and aging. Key Topics: * The Language of Living Systems TM * Biological literacy vs. hormone hacking * Ovarian communication and egg intelligence * Fertility as a whole-body expression * The impact of stress and environment on hormones * Hysterectomy and system disconnection Key Takeaway: Your symptoms are not failures — they are communication. Resources & Support: We shared some names and studies with you in this podcast here they are.Cait Scudder-themillionairemother [https://www.instagram.com/themillionairemother/?hl=en] Julia Bond- iamjuliabond [https://www.instagram.com/iamjuliabond/?hl=en#]Jamie Sea - Currency Academy https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx0659 [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx0659] https://stemcell.ucsf.edu/news/why-does-female-fertility-decline-so-fast-the-key-is-the-ovary [https://stemcell.ucsf.edu/news/why-does-female-fertility-decline-so-fast-the-key-is-the-ovary] As always thank you so much for listening. You can learn more about Tesa and her work on IG @sacredasamother [https://www.instagram.com/sacredasamother/?hl=en] or connect through email at Tesa@sacredasamother.co Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thehippiemartha]⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley. *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

Ep. 25- I thought it was Peri...it wasn't that simple

At 35, I thought my body was breaking. Irregular cycles, low energy, hormone symptoms—it felt like everything was pointing to perimenopause. But what I discovered changed not only my health… but the entire way I understand the body. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey—from confusion and mislabeling to clarity through cycle tracking and root-cause healing. In this episode, we cover: * The symptoms that made me think I was in perimenopause * What was actually going on (thyroid, gut, blood sugar, burnout + more) * How birth control impacted my cycle and hormones * What fertility awareness and cycle charting revealed * Why testing without context can lead to more confusion * The exact shifts I made to support my body * What it really means to heal vs. “fix” hormones Resources & Support: Want to understand your cycle and symptoms on a deeper level? ✨ 3-Month 1:1 Mentorship ✨ Personalized support for hormone health, cycle tracking, and root-cause healing Next Episode: In Part 3, we’re diving into HRT, birth control, and how to actually make informed decisions about your care. As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thehippiemartha]⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley. *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

Ep. 24 Is It Really Perimenopause?

You’re in your 30s or 40s, something feels off… and suddenly the internet is telling you it’s perimenopause. But is it? In this episode, we’re breaking down what perimenopause actually is—and just as importantly, what it isn’t. Because while your symptoms are real, the label you’ve been given might not be the full picture. This is the start of a powerful series designed to help you move from confusion to clarity when it comes to your hormones, your cycle, and your body. Ashley covers: * What perimenopause really is (in simple, clear terms) * Why symptoms are often mislabeled as “just hormones” * The difference between perimenopause, menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency * Common root causes that can mimic perimenopause * Why one hormone test doesn’t give you the full picture * How to begin understanding your body through patterns—not guesses * A powerful mindset shift: from “what’s wrong with me?” to “what is my body asking for?” Your body isn’t broken—and perimenopause isn’t something to fear. It’s something to understand. Resources & Support: Philosophy shared Jane Hardwicke Collins https://janehardwickecollings.com/honouring-rites-of-passage-in-a-womans-life/ [https://janehardwickecollings.com/honouring-rites-of-passage-in-a-womans-life/] If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding your body, I offer:✨ 3-Month 1:1 Hormone Restoration Mentorship (limited spots available)✨ A la carte care from pre-recorded workshops [https://www.thehippiemartha.com/courses/peri-menopause-101-2/] to one off consults. Reach out to learn more @ ⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Next Episode:In Part 2, I’m sharing my personal story—what I thought was hormone chaos, what was actually going on, and what changed everything. As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thehippiemartha]⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley. *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

Ep. 23 Hands-Off Birth, Advocacy & The Reality No One Talks About

*Trigger warnings include obstetric violence, PTSD, birth trauma, and injuries. In today’s episode, we’re diving into an important and often overlooked conversation around birth, obstetric violence, and women’s autonomy in the delivery room. As a former labor and delivery nurse and birth assistant with over 11 years of experience, I’m sharing what I’ve witnessed inside both hospital births and physiological, hands-off births—and why this matters for your experience. In this episode, we cover: * What obstetric violence is and how it shows up during childbirth * The difference between medicalized birth vs. physiological birth * How non-consented care and unnecessary interventions impact women * Why “healthy mom, healthy baby” is not the full picture * The link between birth experiences and postpartum depression, trauma, and PTSD * How to advocate for yourself during labor and delivery * Questions to ask your provider to support a more natural, hands-off birth Whether you’re currently pregnant, planning for pregnancy, or simply want to better understand your body and your options—this episode will help you feel more informed, confident, and empowered. ✨ Book a FREE discovery call through my website. Because this work doesn’t start in labor— it starts with education. Links to resources shared on this show: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2776520/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2776520/] https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/obstetric-violence-and-mistreatment-and-violence-against-women-in-reproductive-health-services/ [https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/obstetric-violence-and-mistreatment-and-violence-against-women-in-reproductive-health-services/] My resource library [https://www.thehippiemartha.com/fertility-awareness-info/] As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thehippiemartha]⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley. *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

Ep. 22- Why Blood Sugar Matters for Your Cycle: Protein, Hormones & Ovulation Explained

**Trigger warning we talk about disordered eating, anorexia, and orthorexia. If these topics are triggering for you please take care and skip this episode. In this follow-up episode of The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, Ashley sits down again with Kenzie Jo from @kenziejofitness for a deeper conversation about nutrition, blood sugar, and understanding the female cycle. This episode moves beyond fitness culture and into the everyday foundations of hormone health — how we fuel our bodies, regulate blood sugar, and build a relationship with food that supports ovulation and overall wellbeing. In This Episode We Discuss * Why protein and fiber are foundational for hormone health * Blood sugar regulation and its impact on ovulation and PMS * Food fear, diet culture, disordered eating, and nervous system stress * Viewing food as nutrients and information for the body * Birth control vs. a true ovulatory cycle * Why ovulation is a vital sign for overall health * Sympto-thermal vs. sympto-hormonal fertility awareness methods * A deeper look at the phases of the female cycle If you’re ready to understand your cycle, reconnect with your body, start moving more, or learn fertility awareness in a sustainable way, private consults and charting support is available. Be sure to give Kenzie Jo a follow on IG ⁠@kenziejofitness⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/kenziejofitness] or connect with her @ ⁠www.hellokenziejo.com⁠ [www.hellokenziejo.com] As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thehippiemartha]⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠ [www.thehippiemartha.com] Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley. *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.