the [female] body: a compilation

an ongoing education in embodiment through physiology, sociology, and theology/ethics/moral and spiritual depths

Apr 04, 2024

Listening through The Unsettling Of America a year or two ago gave me some lightbulb moments. Especially pertaining to how modernity’s treatment of land fertility echos how we treat women and their bodies. I think he’s on to something:

“Let me outline briefly as I can what seem to me the characteristics of these opposite kinds of mind. I conceive a strip-miner to be a model exploiter, and as a model nurturer I take the old-fashioned idea or ideal of a farmer. The exploiter is a specialist, an expert; the nurturer is not. The standard of the exploiter is efficiency; the standard of the nurturer is care. The exploiter's goal is money, profit; the nurturer's goal is health — his land's health, his own, his family's, his community's, his country's. Whereas the exploiter asks of a piece of land only how much and how quickly it can be made to produce, the nurturer asks a question that is much more complex and difficult: What is its carrying capacity? (That is: How much can be taken from it without diminishing it? What can it produce dependably for an indefinite time?) The exploiter wishes to earn as much as possible by as little work as possible; the nurturer expects, certainly, to have a decent living from his work, but his characteristic wish is to work as well as possible. The competence of the exploiter is in organization; that of the nurturer is in order — a human order, that is, that accommodates itself both to other order and to mystery. The exploiter typically serves an institution or organization; the nurturer serves land, household, community, place. The exploiter thinks in terms of numbers, quantities, "hard facts"; the nurturer in terms of character, condition, quality, kind.”
― Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture

What follows is by no means an exhaustive list (and it will be an ongoing, running one meant to be referred to at leisure). It is simply an effort to compile many previously shared links, as these topics often come up… yet I am always scrambling to compile or find what has stood out to me as worthy of sharing over the course of this newsletter. I’m still living and learning and will add to this accordingly.

The articles and essays are ones that have been so impactful that many of them simply came to mind, from the depths of memory, as I put this together. That’s the wonderful thing abut deliberately choosing writing to share on a weekly basis. Some piece may have been a wonderful read from that week, but also… I might never forget it.

Below, I have especially tried to categorize the reading into 1) physiology, 2) sociology, and 3) theology, ethics.

One beautiful realization throughout the several years of creating this newsletter is the fact that all knowledge is interconnected, and female embodiment and the world are more intertwined than we often realize. The lines blur yet they’re worth considering together… and that’s kind of the point of this whole endeavor at Life Considered. So, these categories surrounding female embodiment exist more to serve you in finding general trains of thought—rather than defining hard-and-fast boxed labels to complex topics. :)

And finally, because this is the internet: Sharing something is not 100% endorsement of every word and all that jazz. Read, learn, and synthesize wide knowledge, folks!

I hope there’s something of value for everyone here.

Most links have been shared in the regular newsletter. If it has an asterisks I haven’t properly gotten to or explored yet, but am familiar enough that I know it would be worthwhile for someone in the meantime.

books

physiology

Taking Charge Of Your Fertility* — Toni Weschler — More a systematic reference book than one I’ve read cover-to-cover.
The Garden Of Fertility* — Katie Singer
This Is Your Brain On Birth Control — Sarah Hill — I want to scream much of this from the rooftops.
The Fifth Vital Sign — Lisa Hendrickson-Jack — Helpful in many ways. Practical, and expands on some topics from Toni Weschler’s book.
In The Flo — Alisa Vitti — A little woo-woo-y in some parts, but the general idea of cycle-syncing and such is not entirely weird at all.
What's Going On In My Body?* — Elisabeth Raith-Paula — The companion book to the Guiding Star Cycle Show Workshop.
The Happy Girl's Guide To Being Whole* — Teresa Kenney — Especially helpful for girls and young women.
Mom Genes — Abigail Tucker — Fascinating stuff about the science behind maternal impulses.
Ina May's Guide To Childbirth — Ina May Gaskin — Quite good. Pair with this wonderful panel Serena Sigillito was part of.

sociology

The Rights Of Women — Erika Bachiochi — Even if it takes you a few months (as it did for me) it’s worth it. A favorite book of 2022.
The Genesis Of Gender — Abigail Favale — Brilliant and somehow not overbearing, but incredibly readable.
Rethinking Sex — Christine Emba — Somewhat lame and obvious conclusions, but it raises the bar from the floor to… slightly above the floor.
Cheap Sex — Mark Regnerus — My husband had him as a sociology professor at UT Austin. Depressing but realistic, and full of insightful data.
The Case Against The Sexual Revolution* —
Louise Perry
— The woman with the most soothing voice writes about the most intensely sensitive topics.
Feminism Against Progress —
Mary Harrington
— I’ll read everything she writes, sensible and level-headed as she is.
Invisible Women* — Caroline Criado Perez
Wholistic Feminism* — Leah Jacobson — Founder of the Guiding Star Project. We have an actual copy on our bookshelf, waiting to be read.
Mothers, Children, And The Body Politic —
Nadya Williams
Family Unfriendly — Timothy Carney — Reviews from myself and others.
Hannah's Children — Catherine Pakaluk — Should honestly be bundled and read together with Carney’s book above. Each fills in gaps and illumines answers the other doesn’t get to. Thoughts.
Natality: Toward A Philosophy Of Birth — Jennifer Banks — Reviews here and here, with a roundtable here.

theology, ethics, moral & spiritual depths

Women, Sex, and the Church — Erika Bachiochi — A beautiful primer on Catholic teaching and why and how it matters, but I would heartily recommend it to women of any Christian background (or even those without!)
Study Guide To Humanae Vitae* —
Emily Stimpson Chapman
— “It is an important topic to discuss and a great resource in understanding why the Church so strongly guides us towards honoring our dignity within intimate relationships and God's very hand in procreation.”
Maternal Body — Carrie Frederick Frost — h/t
Elizabeth Burtman
, because this was certainly intriguing.
The Language Of Your Body* — Christina Valenzuela — It “delves deep into this and other groundbreaking questions, using the wisdom of saints like Hildegard von Bingen, Pope John Paul II and Thomas Aquinas to explore this unique, fundamental aspect of God's design for female bodies.”
Theology Of The Womb* — Christy Vidrine Bauman — “Yet I am a woman, and there are parts of my body… that are telling a story about God that I have never learned or understood.”
Flourishing In Your Cycle* and The Sex Talk You Never Had* — Phylicia Masonheimer — “Though I still face some of these symptoms, I’ve learned much about my body’s design and how to support it each month. What’s more, I learned how to walk through my monthly cycle spiritually.”
Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter To Our Faith —
Matthew Lee Anderson
— Listened on audio a few years ago. Definitely helpful.
Begotten Or Made? — Oliver O’Donovan — This is an updated edition with an introduction by
Matthew Lee Anderson
(which is worth the price of admission). Here’s a helpful discussion on the book.
Theology Of The Body For Beginners — Christopher West — At time too conversational in tone and corney in delivery, but one I had been meaning to read.
Theology Of The Body In Simple Language — Pope John Paul II — A succinct version of his original text with no funny business added. Quite helpful.
These Beautiful Bones* —
Emily Stimpson Chapman
— She’s won me over with her essays, and this book of hers looks excellent.
What It Means To Be Human — O. Carter Snead — Here’s a conversation he had with Leah Libresco Sargeant on its themes of dignity and dependence.
Motherhood: A Confession — Natalie Carnes — Found via this review years ago and listened on audio during my second pregnancy, often to and from prenatal appointments in the dark. Honestly a most beloved book, and due for a re-read.

articles, essays

watching, listening

interviews, panels, talks, courses

The Dignity Of The Sexed Body and Toward A New Feminism: Healing The Sex Wars —
Erika Bachiochi
, Abigail Favale,
Leah Libresco Sargeant
— These are a couple years apart, but the former is how I was introduced to Favale and Bachiochi’s work, and the latter was quite interesting as a continuation or “sequel” of sorts. I could listen to (and read) these three all day.
Reappropriating Feminism, Maternity, And The Woman’s Role — Jordan Peterson with
Mary Harrington
— This won’t contain anything too revolutionary if you’re already familiar with her writing, and especially her book. But a fun introduction to her thought and work, nonetheless, which is in the same vein as
Louise Perry
(for one example of many, here they are on a panel together.) These two have fascinated many with their secular reasoning toward many of the same age-old conclusions as Christians and those of other religious faiths—returning to stabilizing norms and natural law foundations of anthropology. I appreciated these thoughts on how we can’t stop there, but rather are in desperate need of divine grace to live the moral life of limits in sexuality, monogamous marriage, etc.
The Problem With Modern Feminism | Abortion, The Feminine Genius, Motherhood & Mary —
Emily Hawkins
, Into The Truth
What Every Woman Should Know About Her Body — Katie Vidmar + Finding The Ideal Birth Experience —
Rachael Killackey
, Tammy Masut,
Serena Sigillito
, Dr. John Bruchalski at The Guiding Star Project’s 2025 conference.
The Female Body And A Culture of Life — Melissa Moschella at this 2025 conference.
Cultivating Catholic Feminism* — Abigail Favale’s brainchild.
Toward A Protestant Theology Of The Body* — Recordings from the 2023 conference.

podcasts

Managing Your Fertility — Bridget Busacker — Her hub of info was originally one of my gateways into many other things. I binged everything she had released a while back, and really appreciated it. The Method Conservation Series from 2022 was fantastic for hearing from various instructors themselves, giving an idea of what each entails, the people it might be best for, pros and cons, etc. Though I’ve only listened to a few episodes from those last two podcasts below, I’ve become familiar enough with their work to vouch for their wisdom and expertise in their respective fields.
Natural Womanhood —
Grace Emily Stark
& Cassondra Moriarty
Woven Well —
Caitlin Estes
Charting Toward Intimacy (of Vines In Full Bloom) — Ellen Holloway
FAbM Base — Mary Bruno &
Total W(h)ine

organizations

FACTS About Fertility — “FACTS is a group of physicians, healthcare professionals and educators working together to provide information about natural or fertility awareness based methods of family planning with the medical community.”
Natural Womanhood — “The magazine of fertility awareness and women’s health.” — Their online resource for parent / daughter education is called Period Genius. You can find more information here.
FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management) — They provide “a complete solution for women’s reproductive health backed by decades of research. At FEMM, empowering women to understand the critical role of hormones in the management of their health is at the heart of our mission.”
Fertility Science Institute — “An online institute that provides support through every stage of fertility by providing scientifically-based training and resources to empower everyone throughout a lifetime of fertility.”
Saint Paul VI Institute + FertilityCare Centers Of America — NaPro (Natural Reproductive) Technology — This is “a fertility care based medical approach, addressing a wide range of women’s health issues. By identifying and cooperating with the menstrual and fertility cycles, NaPro aims to correct conditions, maintain natural human function, and preserve procreative potential. NaPro is the first women’s health science to network family planning with reproductive and gynecologic health, unlike common artificial and suppressive approaches.”
By Its Fruit — A hub for information on Natural Reproductive Technology and Restorative Medicine, etc.
Guiding Star Project — “We remove the fear by equipping women through education, healthcare solutions, and community to embrace fertility, childbirth, breastfeeding, and motherhood.” — Their educational workshop for girls 9-12 is called the Cycle Show. You can find more information here.
Ethics & Public Policy Center — They have published a series of papers and policy proposals from various contributors and specialists in their field, Treating Infertility: The New Frontier of Reproductive Medicine.
Converging Roads — St. John Paul II Foundation — “…a regional conference series offering continuing education for health care professionals that equips them to practice the highest ethical and medical standards of their profession.”
Theology Of The Body Institute — “By charting a path to an authentic sexual redemption, the Theology of the Body serves as the antidote to the culture of death and the foundation of the culture of life. The Theology of the Body Institute envisions a world filled with men and women who freely embrace their dignity created in the image and likeness of God. Only from this foundation can an authentic culture of life and a civilization of love take root and flourish.”
The Humanum Institute —
Kerri Christopher
— “Serving the wider evangelising mission of the Church, our work is designed to help overcome an often reductive anthropology which prevents an openness to the truth of human dignity and purpose. Through engaging with contemporary questions and challenges, we enable clients to learn and teach how the Christian vision of the person is not only true, but liberating.”
Fairer Disputations — “Our mission is to advance a new vision of feminism, one that is grounded in the basic fact that sex is real. Although the authors we feature do not all agree on every issue, they each make important contributions to the debate over how society should, in justice, accommodate the reality of sexual difference.”

additional resources, help

Find A Fertility Awareness Class Or Instructor — Natural Womanhood
Find A Medical Provider, Clinician, Or Educator (trained in NaPro Technology / Restorative Reproductive Medicine) — Natural Womanhood
Woven Natural Fertility Care —
Caitlin Estes
RoseFem —
Leanne Jarvis
Managing Your Fertility — Bridget Busacker
Vines In Full Bloom (of Charting Toward Intimacy) — Ellen Holloway
FAbM Base — Mary Bruno &
Total W(h)ine
Lumina Health Services — Mairead Suthoff
Pearl & Thistle — Christina Valenzuela — Includes a variety of educational books and courses for all ages and stages.
Elevate Coaching — Katie Vidmar — Meeting unplanned pregnancy upstream.
9 Facts About NaPro For Those Struggling With Infertility — Naomi Whittaker MD, OBGYN
Ethics & Public Policy Center — They’ve published a series of papers and policy proposals from various contributors and specialists in their field, Treating Infertility: The New Frontier of Reproductive Medicine.
By Its Fruit — A hub for information on Natural Reproductive Technology and Restorative Medicine, etc.

miscarriage, loss

Lost Gifts — by Brittany Lee Allen — This book “laments the grief of miscarriage, discovers God's gifts in spite of loss, and remembers our Good Shepherd, who weeps with those who weep.”
Held and Ours — by Abbey Wedgeworth, Eric M. Schumacher — For men and women processing miscarriage or other pregnancy loss, using the aid of Scripture.
The Quiet Grief Of Miscarriage — Julie Schwietert Collazo, U.S. Catholic
Red Bird Ministries — “An organization that systematically guides individuals and couples through the complexity and trauma that happens with the loss of a child through miscarriage and stillbirth or as an infant, child, adolescent, or adult.”
Woven Well (
Caitlin Estes
)
- Miscarriage Guide — In this resource list.
- Podcasts — Common Causes Of Miscarriage & What To Expect Before & During Miscarriage & Twelve12 Ministries (Infertility/Loss) & Preventing Miscarriage by Optimizing Thyroid with Functional Med/NaPro Technology
- Articles — Why Is Miscarriage Shrouded In Silence? & Can I Prevent Miscarriage?
Natural Womanhood — Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss archives
Why I'll Always Send Flowers For A Miscarriage —
Grace Emily Stark
, Verily

educating young ones

Here are a few noteworthy resources—consolidated from the bigger list—that would be especially helpful for parents wanting to teach their children (particularly girls) how to understand their bodies.

Period Genius — from Natural Womanhood — This organization has a high regard for physiologically accurate information, the dignity of the person, and age-appropriate knowledge. This is “not a sex-ed course but a body literacy/puberty education program, where the emphasis is upon fostering the parent/child relationship (so kids will see their parents as the best source for trusted info on these and other sensitive topics).”
Pearl & Thistle — from Christina Valenzuela — Includes a variety of educational books and courses for all ages and stages, including body literacy/puberty education for girls.
The Gift Of Her Body — from Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio
Cycle Show — from Guiding Star Project — A body literacy/puberty education workshop for girls aged 9-12. This organization has a network of holistically pro-life women’s health centers.
What's Going On In My Body? — from Elisabeth Raith-Paula — The companion book to the Guiding Star Cycle Show Workshop.
The Happy Girl's Guide To Being Whole — from Teresa Kenney — A book that covers a good amount for older girls, or really any woman who needs a good starting place. Edited by Leah Jacobson, founder of the Guiding Star Project.
Sex Ed For Sane People — from
Laura E. Wolfe
— An in-depth educational curriculum for older children, from an Orthodox perspective.

a gadget

Tempdrop — It’s great for temperature-taking. You can use it with any method that uses the temperature biomarker (like Sympto-Thermal), and I personally put the temps into the FEMM app. (I don’t love that both require an app on a smartphone, though.) That’s an affiliate link.