What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility
MENSTRUATION ISN'T JUST ABOUT HAVING BABIESYour menstrual cycle is a vital sign, just like your pulse, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure. And it provides you with essential information about your health.
The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles and Optimize Your Fertility
brings together over 1,000 meticulously researched scientific references in a textbook-quality guide to understanding your menstrual cycle. In this book you'll learn:
What a normal cycle looks like; The best way to chart your cycle and increase your fertility awareness; How best to manage critical aspects of your health, including better sleep, exercise and a healthier diet; Natural methods for managing period pain and PMS; How to successfully avoid pregnancy without the pill; and How to plan ahead if you do want to get pregnant.
The Fifth Vital Sign aims to better connect women with their menstrual cycles, to break the myth that ovulation is only important when you're ready to have a baby. READ THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR HEALTH AND FERTILITYWhether children are a part of your future plans or not, your health matters. Start learning more now, and take control of your health. ABOUT THE AUTHORLisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner. She teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and overall health monitoring. In her work, Lisa draws heavily from the current scientific literature and presents an evidence-based approach to fertility awareness and menstrual cycle optimization.
What a normal cycle looks like; The best way to chart your cycle and increase your fertility awareness; How best to manage critical aspects of your health, including better sleep, exercise and a healthier diet; Natural methods for managing period pain and PMS; How to successfully avoid pregnancy without the pill; and How to plan ahead if you do want to get pregnant.
The Fifth Vital Sign aims to better connect women with their menstrual cycles, to break the myth that ovulation is only important when you're ready to have a baby. READ THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR HEALTH AND FERTILITYWhether children are a part of your future plans or not, your health matters. Start learning more now, and take control of your health. ABOUT THE AUTHORLisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner. She teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and overall health monitoring. In her work, Lisa draws heavily from the current scientific literature and presents an evidence-based approach to fertility awareness and menstrual cycle optimization.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
608 people are currently reading
4933 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
January 20, 2020
As a medical doctor with a postgraduate qualification in women’s health I found this an interesting read. There were certainly lots of things I learned from it that will be helpful - for me and my patients - with regards to the fertility awareness method, eg detailed info on how to evaluate your cervical mucous.
However I’m not sure I could really recommend it to people due to the amount of pseudoscience - I sat there in disbelief when I got to the part about vaginal steaming! Many of the studies she quotes, though interesting, had very small sample sizes and I’m just not convinced on her ability to evaluate research quality. There were multiple recommendations she made where there are large, high quality studies suggesting otherwise.
Though I agree that women often need more information about the pros and cons of the pill before starting it; I also agree with other reviewers who have said that vilifying it, as she does, is not the way to go about things either. FAM is a great method for certain, highly-motivated individuals, but it is far from accessible to the masses. She throws around scary-sounding figures like “the pill triples your risk of blood clots” without the necessary context - in this case, that we are still talking about a less than 0.1% risk.
However I’m not sure I could really recommend it to people due to the amount of pseudoscience - I sat there in disbelief when I got to the part about vaginal steaming! Many of the studies she quotes, though interesting, had very small sample sizes and I’m just not convinced on her ability to evaluate research quality. There were multiple recommendations she made where there are large, high quality studies suggesting otherwise.
Though I agree that women often need more information about the pros and cons of the pill before starting it; I also agree with other reviewers who have said that vilifying it, as she does, is not the way to go about things either. FAM is a great method for certain, highly-motivated individuals, but it is far from accessible to the masses. She throws around scary-sounding figures like “the pill triples your risk of blood clots” without the necessary context - in this case, that we are still talking about a less than 0.1% risk.
May 2, 2022
This text doesn't actually teach you how to chart. I enjoyed the chapters on coming off hormonal contraceptives and what to expect, other than that it did not really add to my knowledge base. If you want to learn how to chart, read Natural and Safe by ReplyOBGYN. If you want to learn about supplements for your cycle, read the Period Repair Manual.
The nutritional advice is also questionable. There is big problem right now in the fertility awareness communities right now where Vegan and Vegetarian diets are seen as unhealthy.
The small sample sizes and fearmongering is also a big issue.
The nutritional advice is also questionable. There is big problem right now in the fertility awareness communities right now where Vegan and Vegetarian diets are seen as unhealthy.
The small sample sizes and fearmongering is also a big issue.
December 20, 2023
Succinct, practical, and full of all the good, hard science about restoring and maintaining true health as seen in a healthy monthly cycle. (A connection your average OBGYN may not give a rip about, as they hand you a prescription to simply shut down your reproductive system... something that is accomplishing neither.)
The pros:
She does a great job giving a whole picture of what the menstrual cycles does, how it changes and responds to overall health, the importance of normal ovulation, the ills of hormonal contraception for your whole person, gives an overview of fertility awareness methods, covers common reproductive diseases and syndromes, and goes into what we can do as far as diet, supplementation and lifestyle factors to positively improve our overall health. And specifically the various menstrual cycle issues that affect so many women to varying degrees. We are whole people and I'm glad there are more people raising awareness of the health of women's bodies - so that we don't get stuck with one-trick providers who can't or won't do anything but prescribe you the pill for everything under the sun. Our bodies deserve to be treated with respect, and made as healthy and whole as possible. If you have symptoms that are routinely dismissed or covered up by medical providers, instead of offered real solutions to heal root causes... I highly recommend this book as a starting place.
The cons:
The subtitle is a little bit of a turn-off, especially since reproductive health is an indicator of overall health for women, and not just women who are looking to "optimize their fertility". I thought that could have been worded better. Any woman of childbearing age needs adequate information that supports a menstrual cycle indicative of the well-being of the body. She's also a secular voice in this space of fertility awareness, which we need and I appreciate, so just be mindful that she's not here to give you any sexual / reproductive ethics or a theology of the body a la Pope John Paul II. (Since there's a lot of overlap --in fact a huge Venn Diagram-- of shades of the religious and health-conscious in this camp.) Also, some of her lifestyle / health suggestions toward the end are... a bit out there and more anecdotal rather than evidence-based.
This books seemed to me like a more succinct version of the OG book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, and a great companion to This Is Your Brain On Birth Control by Sarah Hill.
Lastly, men need this info, too. It affects so much of the lived experience of women around you. So if you care about a woman... are married to one... or hope to be married to one... information like this is for you, too! We need to do away with the prevailing ignorance of how women's bodies work, and help them toward wholeness.
The pros:
She does a great job giving a whole picture of what the menstrual cycles does, how it changes and responds to overall health, the importance of normal ovulation, the ills of hormonal contraception for your whole person, gives an overview of fertility awareness methods, covers common reproductive diseases and syndromes, and goes into what we can do as far as diet, supplementation and lifestyle factors to positively improve our overall health. And specifically the various menstrual cycle issues that affect so many women to varying degrees. We are whole people and I'm glad there are more people raising awareness of the health of women's bodies - so that we don't get stuck with one-trick providers who can't or won't do anything but prescribe you the pill for everything under the sun. Our bodies deserve to be treated with respect, and made as healthy and whole as possible. If you have symptoms that are routinely dismissed or covered up by medical providers, instead of offered real solutions to heal root causes... I highly recommend this book as a starting place.
The cons:
The subtitle is a little bit of a turn-off, especially since reproductive health is an indicator of overall health for women, and not just women who are looking to "optimize their fertility". I thought that could have been worded better. Any woman of childbearing age needs adequate information that supports a menstrual cycle indicative of the well-being of the body. She's also a secular voice in this space of fertility awareness, which we need and I appreciate, so just be mindful that she's not here to give you any sexual / reproductive ethics or a theology of the body a la Pope John Paul II. (Since there's a lot of overlap --in fact a huge Venn Diagram-- of shades of the religious and health-conscious in this camp.) Also, some of her lifestyle / health suggestions toward the end are... a bit out there and more anecdotal rather than evidence-based.
This books seemed to me like a more succinct version of the OG book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, and a great companion to This Is Your Brain On Birth Control by Sarah Hill.
Lastly, men need this info, too. It affects so much of the lived experience of women around you. So if you care about a woman... are married to one... or hope to be married to one... information like this is for you, too! We need to do away with the prevailing ignorance of how women's bodies work, and help them toward wholeness.
August 4, 2021
Given that there is no "I abandoned this book" tag, I am writing this review with slightly less than 2 hours to go on the audiobook. This is more than 75% of the way through the book, and I think I've suffered long enough to make it count.
The first 20 to 30 percent of the book is a very straightforward description of one's monthly cycle. It contains slightly more information than what I remember from middle and high school health class. I don't really have any complaints about that part, and indeed, I thought the rest of the book would keep the same tone and purpose: Here are the facts you could benefit from knowing about yourself, in case you missed them or need a refresher.
This is where the book stopped serving any purpose to me, though.
From here, the remaining chapters of the book become a guide for how best to document your cycle, a manifesto against hormonal birth control, and a pastiche of alternative medicine clichés.
I started doing double-takes when the author (who is also the audiobook narrator) began mispronouncing certain medical terms such as oocyte and menarche. I can maybe give her the benefit of the doubt, knowing that sometimes various words are pronounced differently in Canada (where she is from) compared to the US or UK, but this was just the beginning.
By the midpoint of the book, the author begins making claims about menstruation's literal ability to teach us lessons about the meaning of life. Our periods are speaking to us, you see. Charting your cycle is not just a way to determine your fertile days, but also a way to determine whether you're fulfilling your dreams! Should you go back to school? Should you quit your job? Are your relationships fulfilling? Your period can literally-for-real teach you these things.
I thought that my period was just a matter of endometrial lining... you know, like the first 20 to 30 percent of the book had already said.
If your period's message to you happens to be "hey, there's a bunch of endometrial lining growing on the outside your uterus and it probably shouldn't be there" or "it looks like there are quite a few cysts in here," you should still avoid HCs (hormonal contraceptives) to manage your symptoms and pain because they are still very, very bad.
The final straw, though, was vaginal steaming.
I'd slogged through the anti-contraception manifesto. I'd listened to a spiel about avoiding all seed oils, such as soy and peanut oil ("industrial waste products"!) but also embracing castor seed oil (ancient wisdom! pour it on a towel, put the towel on your lower abdomen, and meditate!). I winced through the beginnings of a discussion of acupuncture as a "proven" treatment for period pain and how our chi flows through certain organs best at certain parts of the day. (Is chi the sixth vital sign, then?)
But after all that, the author hits you with the vaginal steaming routine, and I simply had to nope out.
I honestly wish she'd opened with this, cards on the table, so that I could have stayed away from the quackery without having to worry whether Audible would refuse to give me my credit back for having listened too far into the book.
What is vaginal steaming? Exactly what it sounds like. Boil some water and then sit over it, preferably with some random herbs in it, and preferably in an overpriced chair that Gwyneth Paltrow would be happy to sell you. In fact, Gwyneth Paltrow was mentioned by name here for her role in raising awareness of this healing ancient wisdom wonder-treatment that removes toxins and "residues" that, I assure you, you do not have.
Your vagina is just fine, and so are you.
If, like me, you picked up this book not knowing it would turn into gonzo Goop propaganda by the end, let me save you and your BS detector some time. Walk away. You can learn about your menstrual cycle and chart it to your heart's content without spending time or money on this book.
The first 20 to 30 percent of the book is a very straightforward description of one's monthly cycle. It contains slightly more information than what I remember from middle and high school health class. I don't really have any complaints about that part, and indeed, I thought the rest of the book would keep the same tone and purpose: Here are the facts you could benefit from knowing about yourself, in case you missed them or need a refresher.
This is where the book stopped serving any purpose to me, though.
From here, the remaining chapters of the book become a guide for how best to document your cycle, a manifesto against hormonal birth control, and a pastiche of alternative medicine clichés.
I started doing double-takes when the author (who is also the audiobook narrator) began mispronouncing certain medical terms such as oocyte and menarche. I can maybe give her the benefit of the doubt, knowing that sometimes various words are pronounced differently in Canada (where she is from) compared to the US or UK, but this was just the beginning.
By the midpoint of the book, the author begins making claims about menstruation's literal ability to teach us lessons about the meaning of life. Our periods are speaking to us, you see. Charting your cycle is not just a way to determine your fertile days, but also a way to determine whether you're fulfilling your dreams! Should you go back to school? Should you quit your job? Are your relationships fulfilling? Your period can literally-for-real teach you these things.
I thought that my period was just a matter of endometrial lining... you know, like the first 20 to 30 percent of the book had already said.
If your period's message to you happens to be "hey, there's a bunch of endometrial lining growing on the outside your uterus and it probably shouldn't be there" or "it looks like there are quite a few cysts in here," you should still avoid HCs (hormonal contraceptives) to manage your symptoms and pain because they are still very, very bad.
The final straw, though, was vaginal steaming.
I'd slogged through the anti-contraception manifesto. I'd listened to a spiel about avoiding all seed oils, such as soy and peanut oil ("industrial waste products"!) but also embracing castor seed oil (ancient wisdom! pour it on a towel, put the towel on your lower abdomen, and meditate!). I winced through the beginnings of a discussion of acupuncture as a "proven" treatment for period pain and how our chi flows through certain organs best at certain parts of the day. (Is chi the sixth vital sign, then?)
But after all that, the author hits you with the vaginal steaming routine, and I simply had to nope out.
I honestly wish she'd opened with this, cards on the table, so that I could have stayed away from the quackery without having to worry whether Audible would refuse to give me my credit back for having listened too far into the book.
What is vaginal steaming? Exactly what it sounds like. Boil some water and then sit over it, preferably with some random herbs in it, and preferably in an overpriced chair that Gwyneth Paltrow would be happy to sell you. In fact, Gwyneth Paltrow was mentioned by name here for her role in raising awareness of this healing ancient wisdom wonder-treatment that removes toxins and "residues" that, I assure you, you do not have.
Your vagina is just fine, and so are you.
If, like me, you picked up this book not knowing it would turn into gonzo Goop propaganda by the end, let me save you and your BS detector some time. Walk away. You can learn about your menstrual cycle and chart it to your heart's content without spending time or money on this book.
September 1, 2019
Really conflicted on what to actually rate this book, because the first half I would give a 5/5, and the other half I'd give a 2/5. The first half of the book talks about the impacts of hormonal birth control on the body (long and short term), a brief history of the pill, how the patriarchal society thinks its okay to suppress normal female bodily functions, how your cycle impacts your life, mood, energy levels depending on where you are in your cycle, and so much more. The first half was super valuable and eye-opening. For any person that has a menstrual cycle to read, regardless of if they want children or not. This is her point - that the menstrual cycle needs to be paid attention to and tracked to keep in touch with your overall health, fertility aside. It's the "fifth vital sign" that your body is functioning properly.
On the other hand, the (relatively large) section on nutrition and lifestyle was absolutely abysmal. She is so myopic with focusing on the right nutrients to fix cycle issues, that she completely disregards what's beneficial as part of an overall diet. Many times her suggestions are just plain wrong, or are specifically focused on people with certain fertility issues (yet she doesn't mention that, she acts as if you need to exercise very little and eat liver 5 times a week regardless of if you're already healthy or not).
She completely lost me when she suggested to stop eating oatmeal and bananas for breakfast and instead eat bacon, eggs, and avocado. Bacon and eggs are KNOWN carcinogens and not part of any healthy diet, and that trio together is basically just a bomb of fat. She mentions many times that you need cholesterol, and that you can *only* get it via animal foods - not true. You can get "bad" cholesterol from animal foods, and you can get "good" cholesterol from plant-based foods, which then allows your body to manufacture the types you supposedly can only get from animal based foods. I've eaten a 100% plant-based diet for the past 5 years, just had my cholesterol levels checked, and I'm within the normal range of healthy cholesterol. I could go on, I think you get the idea. Lots of misinformation here, or at least only one side of things. She seems to suggest that you can only fix your menstrual cycle through eating an abundance of eggs, bacon, full fat dairy, liver, and fish, never mind how that diet is going to ruin the rest of your body.
Finally, the book doesn't teach you how to chart your cycles. It gives some overview, but there's not even one chapter on the basics. I'd recommend someone to read the first 10 chapters of this book and then read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, a true classic and thorough guide to charting your cycles.
On the other hand, the (relatively large) section on nutrition and lifestyle was absolutely abysmal. She is so myopic with focusing on the right nutrients to fix cycle issues, that she completely disregards what's beneficial as part of an overall diet. Many times her suggestions are just plain wrong, or are specifically focused on people with certain fertility issues (yet she doesn't mention that, she acts as if you need to exercise very little and eat liver 5 times a week regardless of if you're already healthy or not).
She completely lost me when she suggested to stop eating oatmeal and bananas for breakfast and instead eat bacon, eggs, and avocado. Bacon and eggs are KNOWN carcinogens and not part of any healthy diet, and that trio together is basically just a bomb of fat. She mentions many times that you need cholesterol, and that you can *only* get it via animal foods - not true. You can get "bad" cholesterol from animal foods, and you can get "good" cholesterol from plant-based foods, which then allows your body to manufacture the types you supposedly can only get from animal based foods. I've eaten a 100% plant-based diet for the past 5 years, just had my cholesterol levels checked, and I'm within the normal range of healthy cholesterol. I could go on, I think you get the idea. Lots of misinformation here, or at least only one side of things. She seems to suggest that you can only fix your menstrual cycle through eating an abundance of eggs, bacon, full fat dairy, liver, and fish, never mind how that diet is going to ruin the rest of your body.
Finally, the book doesn't teach you how to chart your cycles. It gives some overview, but there's not even one chapter on the basics. I'd recommend someone to read the first 10 chapters of this book and then read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, a true classic and thorough guide to charting your cycles.
December 5, 2020
The title of this book does the content a disservice because it is not just for women who are trying to get pregnant. This is the information that should be taught in sex ed and I wish I had known from puberty onward. This book made me angry in the same way that reading Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men did. Women are conditioned to view the normal as abnormal (ie. periods and discharge are gross) and the abnormal as normal (ex. painful periods are normal) and the medical community is conditioned to prescribe medication as a solution to most female issues.
I feel torn on what to rate the book because although the information that I found valuable was life changing - there was a lot of pseudo-sciencey and subjective information too. The first five chapters or so get five stars and the rest, three.
I feel torn on what to rate the book because although the information that I found valuable was life changing - there was a lot of pseudo-sciencey and subjective information too. The first five chapters or so get five stars and the rest, three.
December 16, 2020
Read with a grain of salt
Great resource for improving fertility and body awareness literacy. However, I am skeptical about the ‘causation’ conclusions drawn from many of the studies presented in this book. If you actually read the references, many of the studies have small sample sizes and conclude that further, larger studies are required to validate the initial findings. Furthermore, while I understand that hormonal contraceptives (HC) may have negative side effectives as outlined in this book, I feel that by villainizing HC, she is isolating and stigmatizing people who may not have the freedom or means to use non-hormonal. Furthermore, it is dangerous to overestimate the efficacy and ease of ‘perfect use’ of barrier and withdrawal methods, especially for people who will be very negatively impacted by unintentional pregnancy.
Great resource for improving fertility and body awareness literacy. However, I am skeptical about the ‘causation’ conclusions drawn from many of the studies presented in this book. If you actually read the references, many of the studies have small sample sizes and conclude that further, larger studies are required to validate the initial findings. Furthermore, while I understand that hormonal contraceptives (HC) may have negative side effectives as outlined in this book, I feel that by villainizing HC, she is isolating and stigmatizing people who may not have the freedom or means to use non-hormonal. Furthermore, it is dangerous to overestimate the efficacy and ease of ‘perfect use’ of barrier and withdrawal methods, especially for people who will be very negatively impacted by unintentional pregnancy.
July 4, 2022
I have read WomanCode and The Period Repair Manual that are in a similar vein to this book: The Fifth Vital Sign. While each of these three books offer something different, I think that this has been my favorite.
This book is MUCH less heteronormative than WomanCode and it has more content that isn’t strictly medical information about healing specific hormonal or menstrual issues than The Period Repair Manual does.
I think this book or at least this topic should be required learning for all people regardless of whether or not they have a uterus.
Even though I have read these other books and done tons of my own research on this topic, I still learned quite a lot from this book that I had never learned before. And even though Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is not a doctor herself, she gets all of her information from doctors and research articles. And everything she said aligned with everything I’ve previously read.
I’d say the area of fertility (preventing it, maintaining it, and understanding it) that I learned most in this book that was not covered as much if at all in other sources was about cervical mucus—which is wild because I now understand just how important that knowledge is for anyone who wants to get pregnant or wants to prevent pregnancy without hormonal birth control methods.
The only negative feelings I’m left with after finishing the book is how much the author talks about anyone who experiences any type of fertility issue basically need an entire team of specialized doctors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, and naturopaths in order to effectively heal. This is not a knock on the author because we all should have access to that kind of care right? But the reality is that most people in the US and many people elsewhere do not have that kind of access. She talks a lot about why waiting to get pregnant impacts our ability to get pregnant, but why are so many of us waiting so long to have children in the US? BECAUSE WE CAN’T AFFORD IT. Not only can we not afford the cost to care for children, but most of us don’t even have healthcare—definitely not adequate healthcare.
Since the last bit of the book really went into the various reasons and ways to find doctors and specialists able to help us without simply prescribing more drugs, that’s where I was left—feeling really dejected about the fact that I live in a country that has the means to provide good healthcare to its citizens, but chooses instead to leave people like me without the ability to see any kind of doctor for the majority of their lives for fear of debilitating medical bills. 😩 the author is right that we should have a team of specialists whenever we have a health concern or issue, but I certainly don’t.
Another note is that the diet recommendations are very pro animal products. The author does recognize that dairy from cows can be inflammatory for many, but is very pro meat. I have no issue with that even though I don’t agree and don’t personally eat animal products. I understand just eating meat can be much easier for some folks who may not understand or have the guidance in order to get a balanced diet that is plant based. So just a note for anyone who cares.
Regardless of that, this book was still highly informative and packed with valuable research and insights that I think everyone—even doctors and other people who consider themselves well versed on this topic—would highly benefit from reading.
This book is MUCH less heteronormative than WomanCode and it has more content that isn’t strictly medical information about healing specific hormonal or menstrual issues than The Period Repair Manual does.
I think this book or at least this topic should be required learning for all people regardless of whether or not they have a uterus.
Even though I have read these other books and done tons of my own research on this topic, I still learned quite a lot from this book that I had never learned before. And even though Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is not a doctor herself, she gets all of her information from doctors and research articles. And everything she said aligned with everything I’ve previously read.
I’d say the area of fertility (preventing it, maintaining it, and understanding it) that I learned most in this book that was not covered as much if at all in other sources was about cervical mucus—which is wild because I now understand just how important that knowledge is for anyone who wants to get pregnant or wants to prevent pregnancy without hormonal birth control methods.
The only negative feelings I’m left with after finishing the book is how much the author talks about anyone who experiences any type of fertility issue basically need an entire team of specialized doctors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, and naturopaths in order to effectively heal. This is not a knock on the author because we all should have access to that kind of care right? But the reality is that most people in the US and many people elsewhere do not have that kind of access. She talks a lot about why waiting to get pregnant impacts our ability to get pregnant, but why are so many of us waiting so long to have children in the US? BECAUSE WE CAN’T AFFORD IT. Not only can we not afford the cost to care for children, but most of us don’t even have healthcare—definitely not adequate healthcare.
Since the last bit of the book really went into the various reasons and ways to find doctors and specialists able to help us without simply prescribing more drugs, that’s where I was left—feeling really dejected about the fact that I live in a country that has the means to provide good healthcare to its citizens, but chooses instead to leave people like me without the ability to see any kind of doctor for the majority of their lives for fear of debilitating medical bills. 😩 the author is right that we should have a team of specialists whenever we have a health concern or issue, but I certainly don’t.
Another note is that the diet recommendations are very pro animal products. The author does recognize that dairy from cows can be inflammatory for many, but is very pro meat. I have no issue with that even though I don’t agree and don’t personally eat animal products. I understand just eating meat can be much easier for some folks who may not understand or have the guidance in order to get a balanced diet that is plant based. So just a note for anyone who cares.
Regardless of that, this book was still highly informative and packed with valuable research and insights that I think everyone—even doctors and other people who consider themselves well versed on this topic—would highly benefit from reading.
October 12, 2021
Of the several books I’ve read on the topic of making sense of one’s menstrual cycle in the past couple months, I think this was my favourite. I am not sure it is objectively “the best of the bunch” but I really liked the flow (hah) of the content, the chapter summaries, and the fact that it was the most comprehensive, though not the most detailed. That said there are some issues that other reviewers have noted and it is best to go into it, as with any book in the health/wellness field, with both an open mind and a healthy skepticism. While most of this review is going to sound critical, overall I thought this was an enlightening, empowering read.
I think that for anyone wanting to delve into this topic but not sure where to start, this would be a good one because it does such a great job of summarizing pretty much every related topic. It does not teach you how to chart in detail – you are going to need to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility for that. I appreciated that there was a major emphasis on finding health care providers to assist with your hormonal/reproductive health journey rather than giving suggested doses of supplements or recommending that people self-medicate without consulting an experienced provider. It also didn’t vilify the conventional medical establishment but was just up-front about the fact that the majority of MD’s are simply not trained in these topics; it is not their fault that they can’t provide better advice or prescribe the pill as a catch-all, so it is not productive to be frustrated with your doctor for not knowing this stuff.
For a topic that is so feminist, one thing I have found to be lacking from everything I’ve read so far is a discussion about how these methods are really only attainable by the very privileged. If you are poor, you cannot afford to see a ND or TCM doc along with an MD. You cannot afford to purchase supplements if you find you are deficient in something important (like magnesium or vitamin B6, which is heavily depleted when on hormonal birth control). You cannot afford to buy higher-quality hygiene products that don’t contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or pastured meat products. Part of the feminist outrage here absolutely should be that the medical establishment more or less completely ignores female health and prescribes the pill for literally everything. But the other part should also be that this knowledge exists but the associated health care and treatment for many of these issues is unattainable unless you have the resources to obtain it (and the fact that hormonal birth control is an absolute life-saving necessity in developing countries where women do not get any kind of say as to when and how they are going to have intercourse). This is missing from the conversation so far. Perhaps it’s out of the scope of most of these books, but it would be nice to see it acknowledged.
Another reviewer made a valid point that she is not sure how well the author is able to evaluate study quality. This book does have a huge list of references, most of which are from peer-reviewed scientific journals, but every so often a slightly suspect journal title would pop up. Since doing a MSc a few years ago I get daily solicitations from predatory journals and have gotten good at spotting journal titles that don’t sound super legit. Thankfully the majority of journals cited here do seem to be the good ones (e.g. Epidemiology, British Medical Journal). But I do take issue with using language like “studies have shown” when in reality these studies are “suggesting with further research needed” and not “conclusively showing.” I think most people do need graduate level training in research methods/epidemiology to adequately evaluate study quality and it doesn’t sound like the author has such training. That’s okay – just be careful to not take everything at face value.
And yes, I cannot let this go without mentioning the fact that this book promotes vaginal steaming. For others, that was the last straw for this book. I still think that this is a useful book overall but closer to the end it starts feeling kind of “Dr Oz” and begins to suggest a few possibly quacky treatments touted by guests on her podcast. I’ll admit to being pretty open minded about all of this because it’s well-established that medical science has a lot of catching up to do on female health, however for the life of me I cannot understand how vaginal steaming is any more effective than a safer and less uncomfortable sitz bath. There is no physical way that the steam can actually get up your vagina (let alone up your cervix into the uterus to supposedly clean it out, LOL), so really you’re just steaming your vulva. If all you want is to warm up your privates (which IS proven to have a positive effect on menstrual cramps and blood flow to the repro organs) why not just sit on a hot water bottle, wheat bag, or take a warm bath? Kneeling over a pot of steam seems entirely unnecessary.
So while the above are the many grains of salt I would be aware of when reading this book (I actually think the diet advice seemed fairly sound, but there are many vegans in the reviews who strongly disagree), overall I really enjoyed it and learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone who has periods. I would encourage starting with this one before progressing into either the Period Repair Manual or Taking Charge of Your Fertility.
I think that for anyone wanting to delve into this topic but not sure where to start, this would be a good one because it does such a great job of summarizing pretty much every related topic. It does not teach you how to chart in detail – you are going to need to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility for that. I appreciated that there was a major emphasis on finding health care providers to assist with your hormonal/reproductive health journey rather than giving suggested doses of supplements or recommending that people self-medicate without consulting an experienced provider. It also didn’t vilify the conventional medical establishment but was just up-front about the fact that the majority of MD’s are simply not trained in these topics; it is not their fault that they can’t provide better advice or prescribe the pill as a catch-all, so it is not productive to be frustrated with your doctor for not knowing this stuff.
For a topic that is so feminist, one thing I have found to be lacking from everything I’ve read so far is a discussion about how these methods are really only attainable by the very privileged. If you are poor, you cannot afford to see a ND or TCM doc along with an MD. You cannot afford to purchase supplements if you find you are deficient in something important (like magnesium or vitamin B6, which is heavily depleted when on hormonal birth control). You cannot afford to buy higher-quality hygiene products that don’t contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or pastured meat products. Part of the feminist outrage here absolutely should be that the medical establishment more or less completely ignores female health and prescribes the pill for literally everything. But the other part should also be that this knowledge exists but the associated health care and treatment for many of these issues is unattainable unless you have the resources to obtain it (and the fact that hormonal birth control is an absolute life-saving necessity in developing countries where women do not get any kind of say as to when and how they are going to have intercourse). This is missing from the conversation so far. Perhaps it’s out of the scope of most of these books, but it would be nice to see it acknowledged.
Another reviewer made a valid point that she is not sure how well the author is able to evaluate study quality. This book does have a huge list of references, most of which are from peer-reviewed scientific journals, but every so often a slightly suspect journal title would pop up. Since doing a MSc a few years ago I get daily solicitations from predatory journals and have gotten good at spotting journal titles that don’t sound super legit. Thankfully the majority of journals cited here do seem to be the good ones (e.g. Epidemiology, British Medical Journal). But I do take issue with using language like “studies have shown” when in reality these studies are “suggesting with further research needed” and not “conclusively showing.” I think most people do need graduate level training in research methods/epidemiology to adequately evaluate study quality and it doesn’t sound like the author has such training. That’s okay – just be careful to not take everything at face value.
And yes, I cannot let this go without mentioning the fact that this book promotes vaginal steaming. For others, that was the last straw for this book. I still think that this is a useful book overall but closer to the end it starts feeling kind of “Dr Oz” and begins to suggest a few possibly quacky treatments touted by guests on her podcast. I’ll admit to being pretty open minded about all of this because it’s well-established that medical science has a lot of catching up to do on female health, however for the life of me I cannot understand how vaginal steaming is any more effective than a safer and less uncomfortable sitz bath. There is no physical way that the steam can actually get up your vagina (let alone up your cervix into the uterus to supposedly clean it out, LOL), so really you’re just steaming your vulva. If all you want is to warm up your privates (which IS proven to have a positive effect on menstrual cramps and blood flow to the repro organs) why not just sit on a hot water bottle, wheat bag, or take a warm bath? Kneeling over a pot of steam seems entirely unnecessary.
So while the above are the many grains of salt I would be aware of when reading this book (I actually think the diet advice seemed fairly sound, but there are many vegans in the reviews who strongly disagree), overall I really enjoyed it and learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone who has periods. I would encourage starting with this one before progressing into either the Period Repair Manual or Taking Charge of Your Fertility.
May 19, 2024
After ten years+ on the pill I’ve decided to try my natural cycles. I decided because of many reasons, a few being: thinning hair, curiosity, leaving the door open to kids in the future, wanting a better understanding of my body, and feeling ready to focus on it. There was so much I did not know about how hormonal BC affects our bodies and am pretty bummed to have been on them for so long. At the same time, I don’t think I was ready to receive this information until now - at my age. But I am off the pill and excited for the journey.
March 23, 2023
I will agree with most other reviews in that this book taught me more than health class or a doctor ever has when it comes the female menstrual cycle, hormones, and fertility. I feel more educated and empowered as a female to make own decisions on contraception and have a better understanding of my own anatomy.
That said, the author appears to have a strong vendetta against hormonal contraceptives (for some good reasons), and gets a bit preachy in her remarks. There are tons of peer reviewed articles referenced throughout the book, but I hesitate to believe they’re all reputable and would not be surprised if there was some confirmation bias/cherry picking of sources.
I would encourage my female friends to read sections of this book or perhaps another book of similar concept.
That said, the author appears to have a strong vendetta against hormonal contraceptives (for some good reasons), and gets a bit preachy in her remarks. There are tons of peer reviewed articles referenced throughout the book, but I hesitate to believe they’re all reputable and would not be surprised if there was some confirmation bias/cherry picking of sources.
I would encourage my female friends to read sections of this book or perhaps another book of similar concept.
January 4, 2025
Similar to Toni Weschler’s “Taking Charge of Your Fertility,” this book is full of information that every woman should know about how her body works, regardless of whether she’s actively trying to get pregnant or avoid it. There are surely some poor studies cited, and definitely some weird new-agey pseudoscience. She’s very evidently an evolutionist who hates religion, and she self-identifies as a feminist. These factors make for a more than a few opportunities for eye rolling and skimming. However, overall, the information is really helpful and important to at least consider.
Toni’s book is way better, though.
Toni’s book is way better, though.
April 24, 2019
This book is amazing. A wonderful pairing with Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. This book was pivotal in helping me take the leap into charting my own cycles. A true gift.
June 12, 2020
I REALLY feel that every woman should read this book.
February 3, 2024
This book really lays it out just why the menstrual cycle is so much more than just getting your period/bleeding. This book is a great teacher if you’re unsure what anything about your cycle means. This book is a great advocate for women, telling us just why we are powerful beings and encouraging us to speak out about our experience of periods, symptoms and more. Would definitely recommend to any woman wanting to dive deeper into the workings of her body.
August 3, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Fantastic book if you’re newer to menstrual charting. It explains the menstrual cycle really well and has a lot of helpful information. I appreciated the chapters on some natural ways to improve your cycle. I would highly recommend this and plan to push it on a few friends.
I heard the author on a podcast and I had hoped the book would go more indepth about how to interpret abnormalities when charting. But the main focus was on thyroid conditions and PCOS.
Fantastic book if you’re newer to menstrual charting. It explains the menstrual cycle really well and has a lot of helpful information. I appreciated the chapters on some natural ways to improve your cycle. I would highly recommend this and plan to push it on a few friends.
I heard the author on a podcast and I had hoped the book would go more indepth about how to interpret abnormalities when charting. But the main focus was on thyroid conditions and PCOS.
March 20, 2022
I picked up this book to further my understanding of FAM (fertility awareness method), see how best to understand my menstrual cycle, and to see what I could take from this to incorporate into my future medical practice. I loved so much about this book and was happily surprised despite being skeptical going in. This book had a ton of research from high quality sources (I know because I checked) that made me frustrated at how little I know both as a woman and a future physician. It was disheartening to hear about how I have never been taught about the wide variety of side effects from hormonal birth control and/or not having a menstrual cycle. This was further frustrating because as medical students we are taught that if a female presents with lack of menstrual cycle this automatically means more investigation is needed. I loved learning about how I can heal my body and nutrient deficiencies after HBC while still being able to avoid pregnancy.
Additionally, I loved that the author did not tell her readers to immediately run out and buy a ton of supplements. Instead, she emphasized the importance of holistic life healing through diet changes, better sleep patterns, and mental health care. She also encouraged all readers to get their levels checked as well before starting supplementation. I LOVED this! I'm all here for more communication with one's physician.
The only piece I did not 100% like about this book was the nutrition portion. About 75% aligned with the nutritional information I have learned in my nutrition classes and found in my own research. The parts about increasing meat consumption was not something I have found or see beneficial. Furthermore, the book did not offer any plant based options for those who don't eat meat or don't want to heavily rely on it.
Additionally, I loved that the author did not tell her readers to immediately run out and buy a ton of supplements. Instead, she emphasized the importance of holistic life healing through diet changes, better sleep patterns, and mental health care. She also encouraged all readers to get their levels checked as well before starting supplementation. I LOVED this! I'm all here for more communication with one's physician.
The only piece I did not 100% like about this book was the nutrition portion. About 75% aligned with the nutritional information I have learned in my nutrition classes and found in my own research. The parts about increasing meat consumption was not something I have found or see beneficial. Furthermore, the book did not offer any plant based options for those who don't eat meat or don't want to heavily rely on it.
June 12, 2019
I've always had period problems -- highly irregular cycles, misdiagnosis of PCOS despite only having 1 out of the 3 diagnostic markers, etc. I could easily go 14 months without a period and no doctor would give a shit about trying to help solve the mystery of why -- they would just put me on the pill (a complete band-aid solution - not helping you ovulate or regulate). I am SO glad I bought this book. I learned a lot of shit that should have been covered in basic sex ed. I was learning things about my own body for the first time at 28! It's a holistic approach to menstrual health, hormonal balance, and the FAM method of birth control. My cycles are still too irregular to use the FAM method, but they are much closer together these days. I used this book like a textbook, jumping around to the chapters I needed most, so I didn't read it cover-to-cover.
April 25, 2021
I did learn some things, in the beginning I was very optimistic and totally excited about this book.As it went on, I became more and more skeptical and more and more depressed about my own control over my fertility. There is no standard for evidence on what goes into the book - every idea that anyone thought would disrupt your cycle goes in! The book contradicts itself, and left me feeling that I’ll never do enough things right to have a healthy cycle.
If they stuck to the facts, this could be a very helpful and informative ten-page pamphlet.
If they stuck to the facts, this could be a very helpful and informative ten-page pamphlet.
January 28, 2019
Every woman needs to read this book and Taking Charge of your Fertility. I suffered from years of patronizing OBGYNs dismissing my symptoms from hormonal birth control as "in my head" and those impacting the quality of life and sexual pleasure as "unimportant". After reading this book, I have a better understanding of what was happening in my body. And most importantly I feel more empowered to advocate and take full responsibility for my sexual and reproductive health.
March 26, 2019
Reading the Fifth Vital Sign helped me to step back, take a breath, and look at my fertility and menstrual cycle much more comprehensively than ever before. The amount of science, data, and studies included is incredible. I finished this book feeling empowered and hopeful about my fertility journey - and I have already taken action based on Lisa's writing. Anyone with a period needs to put this on their list....
November 22, 2020
an INVALUABLE book about understanding female health. it delves into the importance and methodology of monitoring your menstrual cycle as a vital sign, which allows you to identify stressors and symptoms manifesting through the cycle that the uninformed might miss. fertility awareness as a fully natural method of birth control is discussed in detail here - a viscerally life altering piece of knowledge.
February 21, 2022
Such an interesting book! Everyone should have the opportunity to read this book because I wish I had learned this information when I was younger. Whether you are a young person wanting to be more informed about your body, wanted to start a family, or just for fun I highly recommend giving this book a read. I loved how the author explained everything and I’m looking forward to starting my FA journey.
February 16, 2021
This book is absolutely life-changing. I cannot believe I did not learn this depth of information in middle school. Body literacy is a right we all have and this knowledge is necessary for all women and girls and those who love them. I will now follow her podcast and hopefully take a cycle charting workshop with her in the future.
April 14, 2020
I really love her podcast Fertility Friday, so I wanted to read this book too. It has a lot of good information, but I prefer the podcast and I feel like I can learn just as much (or more) from the podcast.
June 28, 2020
I’ll be honest it was very heavy information and long but it was an eyeopener! Every woman should read this. Love!
October 15, 2022
EVERY woman needs to read this! Knowing about our cycles and how God made our bodies is so empowering. This book led me to worship and stand in awe of God as our creator!
January 6, 2025
Definitely learned a lot about my cycle and how I can optimize my fertility as I begin to TTC, but could not stand the author's demonization of birth control. Do I think that birth control is used as a bandaid for women's health issues? Absolutely. I think more resources need to be allocated to better understand women's health rather than just push a prescription to fix it. BUT, in a post-Roe world it's completely irresponsible to suggest that all women can just not be on birth control and track their cycle naturally. Not everyone has the skill set, time, and/or resources to do this - to suggest otherwise completely ignores the realities of the world that we live in. At the end of the day, birth control prevents unwanted pregnancies and allows women to have families on their own terms, which is something that should be celebrated, not demonized.
March 9, 2023
4.5
If you are a woman, have a woman in your life, or in the future will have a woman in your life, you should read this book.
The first half of this book focuses on the biology and functionality of a woman's cycle as well as the foundation of the Fertility Awareness Method. It explains what your cycle is, how to use your cycle as an indicator if something in your health is off, and how to tell where you are at in your cycle (without hormonal contraceptives).
The second half is geared towards pro-metabolic eating and lifestyle. It explains how certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can affect your cycle as well as certain lifestyle choices can cause hormone imbalances. It also has a small section about male fertility. :)
It's a lot of information all at once, but knowledge is power. If FAM and Pro-metabolic eating interests you this would be a good book to pick up.
If you are a woman, have a woman in your life, or in the future will have a woman in your life, you should read this book.
The first half of this book focuses on the biology and functionality of a woman's cycle as well as the foundation of the Fertility Awareness Method. It explains what your cycle is, how to use your cycle as an indicator if something in your health is off, and how to tell where you are at in your cycle (without hormonal contraceptives).
The second half is geared towards pro-metabolic eating and lifestyle. It explains how certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can affect your cycle as well as certain lifestyle choices can cause hormone imbalances. It also has a small section about male fertility. :)
It's a lot of information all at once, but knowledge is power. If FAM and Pro-metabolic eating interests you this would be a good book to pick up.
January 2, 2025
I wanted to read this book for almost two years & devoured it over the last week! Prepare for a soap box moment… The fact that the wisdom the author shares is not common knowledge is a failure of our education system. Body literacy is empowerment—I want every female I know to read this!
Caveats that the nutrition section could be triggering for someone with an eating disorder or disordered eating, and many of the recommendations for supporting healthy cycles require some financial privilege to pursue (but that’s not the author’s fault, hello capitalism among other things!!!)
Caveats that the nutrition section could be triggering for someone with an eating disorder or disordered eating, and many of the recommendations for supporting healthy cycles require some financial privilege to pursue (but that’s not the author’s fault, hello capitalism among other things!!!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews