Ep. 178: Dealing with PCOS as a single woman, with Jen

Single ladies with menstrual cycle issues aren’t given much time and attention. “If you’re not trying to get pregnant, it’s not worth treating.” This is what Jen heard when she complained of long, irregular cycles and frustrating symptoms. She suspected PCOS, but getting a good diagnosis and treatment was harder than she thought. She believed she deserved excellent care NOW before she was ready to conceive and so she went in search of it. Jen shares her story of the transforming power of using cycle tracking to get to the next level of fertility education and women’s healthcare advocacy. I love her story and openness and I know you will, too! 

NOTE: This episode is appropriate for all audiences.

Guest Bio: Born and raised in Kansas City, Jen is a lifelong Catholic and proud University of Kansas alum—yes, she love the Chiefs and believes KC BBQ is the best in the world. Now living in Nashville, Jen is enjoying the warmer weather and the slower pace of life in the South.

Helpful links and related podcast episodes:

Ep. 19: PCOS 101

Ep. 87: What about single women? with FCP Intern, Elizabeth Randall

Ep. 152: Do PCOS cycles work with fertility awareness methods?

Fiat Integrative Health, Franklin, TN

Attend an Intro Session with Woven Natural Fertility Care

Transcript

Caitlin (00:26)
Welcome back to the Woven Well podcast. Today I'd like to introduce you to one of my clients at Woven. Her name is Jen and I love client stories. I think they're probably my favorite podcast episodes to record because one, I know the people I'm talking to really well and so it's fun and I'm excited for you to get to know them a little bit too. But two, because these are real people and real stories of transformation and there is just nothing like it.

Walking through women's health issues and cycle questions, I think it can feel really lonely as we go through it. We feel like we're the only ones that could possibly have this particular situation, but stories like this, any real person story, remind us that we're not out there alone, that there's actually a whole community ready to provide support and camaraderie along the way. And so

I it and I'm excited. okay, let's get to it. Here's a little bit about Jen. She was born and raised in Kansas City. She's a lifelong Catholic and proud alum of the University of Kansas. She loves the Chiefs and she believes Kansas City barbecue is the best in the world. Pause for anyone who may disagree. She's now living in Nashville and she's enjoying the warmer weather and slower pace of life in the South. Jen, welcome to the show.

Jen Mahr (01:37)
you

Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.

Caitlin (01:50)
I'm really

glad that you're here and getting to share a little bit. And we started working together, I think at the start of 2025. What made you interested in exploring a fertility awareness method or working with woven?

Jen Mahr (02:06)
Yeah, I think it was the first intro class I went to was in November, which is kind of crazy. It's already been over six months now, but I started seeing an internal medicine functional doctor here in Nashville, a nurse practitioner, and she...

Caitlin (02:14)
That's true, yeah.

Jen Mahr (02:24)
asked me if I would be open to starting charting my cycles and that's when I got introduced to you. so through her recommendations and then it turns out I had a few other friends who see you as well and you just came highly recommended but I had been tracking my cycles through other methods mainly through the Garmin app which is kind of funny to think about now now that I'm so deeply entrenched with Creighton but it has

been really cool to see how outside of just charting is it my period or is it not my period to see how that has changed and transformed my thought process of my cycle.

Caitlin (03:01)
Hmm. And I love hearing about even just changing your understanding of when is your period and what is your period. I am really glad that you actually mentioned the Garmin app because I think about how many women out there are using a Garmin app or their Apple watch or Fitbit or something like that to track the first day of their period. And sometimes it's their period. Sometimes it's unusual bleeding and they don't realize that it's not their period.

but we often think that that's all we can do to know about our cycles. Like that's the epitome of our knowledge is by tracking the start date of a period. So that's just very real and I appreciate you saying that. But we've learned a lot together over the last six or so months and you mentioned that you started working with a physician and you came in

to that meeting with her with some symptoms, right, with some concerns.

Jen Mahr (03:59)
Yes, yeah I did. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18 and I'm 29 now so I've had it for a long time and it's been a long journey of PCOS and this physician that I'm now seeing was the first one who really gave me different options outside of, well this is just what it's going to be like. You're going to have insulin resistance and unless you choose to get on birth control you will always have struggles and I even had one doctor at one point tell me

She asked if I would be open to be on birth control and I told her no and she said, okay, well then I don't think that you should be my patient. And which was crazy, but I'm just so grateful that she was upfront with me to be honest. I mean, I was very flattered by that. I was in college at the time and.

Caitlin (04:41)
Yeah.

Jen Mahr (04:47)
At that time I found a different, I found an endocrinologist who I was working closely with and it was an okay experience. I don't really have any complaints about it per se, but since coming across Fiat Integrative Health here in Nashville, it's been, I mean, they have changed my life and working alongside with the Creighton Method as well has just gone hand in hand, which I've just been so, so grateful for.

Caitlin (05:03)
Hmm.

Hmm. And I think your experience, unfortunately, is so common for other women who either have an official diagnosis of PCOS, which can sometimes be pretty difficult to get. So I am impressed that you got that diagnosis at age 18. But to have those symptoms and to be told your only option is to go on birth control, or you can't even stay here as a patient, that's just

mind-blowing to me that they would say that, that your only option was to be on hormonal contraception. And I'm thinking about what about all the ladies who have health risks that would make it impossible for them to be on hormonal contraception? What does the doctor say to them? You know, ⁓ but anyway, we're not going to stay on that too long. But ⁓ I am sorry that that was your experience originally because

that left you in a place of powerlessness. know, when they tell you, can take this birth control or that's it, you're gonna live with insulin resistance. You're gonna live with a regular cycle. So you're gonna live with all the symptoms of PCOS that you may experience. Like that doesn't feel very hopeful and it doesn't feel like, well, if I just did more research or if I looked into alternatives, there's something for me.

Did it feel that way to you? Did it feel like, okay, it's either I'm going to do birth control or this is just going to be my life?

Jen Mahr (06:45)
Yes and no. I'm fortunate to have a really supportive family and both my parents, mean gosh, when that happened in particular, we decided okay we will seek other health and working with an endocrinologist was a good experience. They particularly specialized in metabolism.

one that I saw and even then looking back, it's kind of interesting thinking about their mentality and their mindset on insulin resistance. Cause while it wasn't, you can only go on birth control to solve it. was you need to lose weight and you need to do it in a certain way. And that's what's been so cool about this more natural holistic path that I've been on of

It doesn't have to be that way and counting calories and doing these extreme weight loss or diet plans is not the way, but there are natural supplements and ways that you can look at your cycles and see kind of what's going on in a more holistic matter. And I feel very blessed to particularly have a lot of amazing women that I feel partnered with, with you, Caitlin, and with my physician at Fiat and other women as well. mean,

I don't think that I'm the only one who experiences this. I know that I'm not, but I'm grateful that I found a path forward.

Caitlin (08:00)
Maybe my favorite part of what you just said is women that you're partnered with. Yes, like we've got to be partnered together. And I will sometimes think of it as you are the primary person and then you get a team around you that's there to educate you, empower you, help you to advocate for your best healthcare, your best quality of life, the most dignified approach to understanding.

your female body. And so for you to describe it like that too is like amazing. I love to hear that. And I'm really glad that you feel that way too. I want to hear a little bit more about your work with Fiat and what that's been like, like how the approach has been different. And then I'm also curious about how Creighton may have like plays a role in the midst of all of this. So we can take one at a time. You can start with either one and then we can go to the other in a little bit.

Jen Mahr (08:55)
Yeah, absolutely. I'll start with my experience at Fiat It's kind of funny to look back at it. I remember the first appointment. You go in there and you just talk about all your health history and even that. You walk into the office and it's not your typical doctor's office. My physician has a couch and plants and it's so comfortable and well lit and beautiful and she...

makes you feel so comfortable. And so from the get go, I mean, I just remember being, I was almost moved to tears after my first appointment there and they took all the labs you could possibly take. And I was so grateful for that because they took blood work that I had never had done by any doctor before. And through that blood work, we were able to come to the conclusion on many different parts of my health and what was going well and then some areas of improvement as well.

To be honest, wasn't as, you know, they tell you, in my case, 10 years ago, you have PCOS, and then that's that. There's never a, have PCOS and this is gonna be a lifelong journey. Whereas with Fiat, it's very much so, well, let's get to the root cause and then find how we can almost quote unquote put this into remission is kind of the language they've used. it's been cool to see how that.

through lifestyle changes and supplements. It's all natural and it's everything that is all, it's all attainable and I'm not gonna say it's all easy, but it's truly things that you can incorporate into your day-to-day life and it's not only medicine, which I've really appreciated. So it feels like it is my choice to make these decisions as far as, okay, what do I wanna nourish my body with? And then the supplements that you take and.

Going back to that partnership as well, mean, there have been some supplements I've taken that I'm like, I'm not so sure about that and we can rework the plan a little bit and just adjust it as the months go by. So that's been very helpful.

Caitlin (10:53)
Yes, and your willingness as the patient in that sort of situation to speak openly with her and let her know, hey, I have a hesitation about this because or I'm curious about this alternative because that kind of two way street or partnership as you've been that word you've been using is so critical. And I think it's so different than a lot of the other physician patient sort of relationship.

dynamic that we think about so often, but there is this natural respect that a napro trained or restorative reproductive medicine trained physician is going to have for the person sitting on the other side of the desk or the other side of the couch. I love that it's a couch and it's beautiful and makes you feel comfortable there. That's so important. And I do want to just state this for anybody listening that with PCOS there are all sorts of

causes for why someone's experiencing that. And so there are all sorts of different treatment options and approaches. And I think that we can always start with those lifestyle changes, sometimes different food choices or supplements, things like that. Some people may need a little bit of medication. Some people may not. The key is not the key is to realize that it's not a one size fits all.

It is tailored, it is personalized to you, your body, your particular type of PCOS. And it sounds like that's what she's doing for you is really honoring you and your unique personhood. So good, so good. So how does Creighton fit into that? Because you said that she wanted you to begin working with us at Woven and specifically learning the Creighton model system as you partnered with her. What's your experience been like there?

Jen Mahr (12:35)
Absolutely.

Caitlin (12:51)
and has it been helpful as you specifically partner with her or not?

Jen Mahr (12:58)
no, it's definitely been helpful. I remember the first meeting I had with you and we went through PMS symptoms and I was, you know, ⁓ I did have PMS symptoms and I didn't even know when I started this that that is not as it ought to be. Our cycles are not meant to be, you know, everyone has their own experiences with them and in lot of ways I feel blessed, but gosh, even like irritability, for example. And it's been cool to see how

working with my cycle also goes hand in hand with my hormones. I mean, that's such an obvious thing to say, I think, but really, I don't think I had time to even think about or had ever thought to think about these things until I started working with you. And it's been cool to see how going through your cycle, you can, I just feel a lot more knowledgeable about myself and what's going on internally and externally. And

Caitlin (13:54)
Hmm.

Jen Mahr (13:56)
I almost wish that I would have started charting prior to seeing Fiat because it wasn't until even just a month ago where we were able to say, okay, now we have four months of data to look at with me and my physician. And we were able to talk more in depth about those things. Whereas prior to that, we were kind shooting from the hip a little bit of my, what I was charting on the Garmin app, which was fine, but it wasn't the information that she needed to truly know.

Am I ovulating the way I'm meant to be and am I menstruating the way that I'm meant to be and everything in between.

Caitlin (14:32)
I think it was Dr. Naomi Whitaker who was talking about the Creighton system and she said it's like a roadmap for them. When they have that in front of them, they know exactly where to start in their investigation to looking for that root cause like you were talking about. So why would you not want to have that? You know, it does make it easier. And I think especially when it comes to getting an accurate diagnosis and looking for that root cause and then seeing how effective

the treatment is because you're going to be able to see on that Creighton chart the effect of the lifestyle changes, the effect of the supplements, those kind of things. If you're not seeing any changes then we know and this is I'm just talking in general in this situation but if someone is not seeing changes then we know okay we need to change it up. Maybe this isn't strong enough or maybe we need to adjust it in some way and so

It's great not just on the front end for diagnosing, but actually continuing with that treatment and long-term health as well. Because when someone gets whatever reproductive health issue they may have, when they get that under control and they're feeling healthier, if you are able to continue charting with Creighton, then you're gonna see maybe two years later, you start noticing changes. ⁓ what's this? Let me look into it. You'll be able to see it so quickly to be able to...

hopefully miss years of suffering from that, but you can immediately look at the cause of it behind the scenes. So were you hesitant to use Creighton or to learn the system?

Jen Mahr (16:09)
⁓ I was hesitant to not use an app. I was really not for that at the beginning and mostly just because it felt inconvenient to me but I remember even in one appointment I had with you we talked about that and you were like well...

Caitlin (16:15)
That's fair.

Jen Mahr (16:25)
Once you're further along, that is an option. And I was like, no I like the paper. And I do, I like being able to open it up and you just get to see everything all at once. There's something really, I just love that. Maybe it's just my, I love to check things off a to-do list and not that it is that, but I like that you can see it all and map it out like you were saying. I wasn't hesitant. Yes, totally.

Caitlin (16:42)
Yeah.

I do think there's a tangible quality to it, yeah.

Jen Mahr (16:53)
I wasn't hesitant to learn it, but I was nervous about the learning curve that it would take to learn. And it is a learning curve, but honestly, I'm very grateful that I'm in the season of life that I am right now and there hasn't been any pressure or rush to get it all right. And I can't recommend people enough to start it as soon as you can. You don't have to be in a season of engagement or marriage or anything to start.

Caitlin (17:18)
Absolutely, and I hope that all the people listening who are in that category heard you say that. It's better just...

Jen Mahr (17:24)
I do too, I'm serious.

I've been telling everybody in my life, they all need to start.

Caitlin (17:30)
I love it. Thanks so much for being on the show, Jen, and just sharing some of your story and your experience with us.

Jen Mahr (17:37)
Yeah, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. And thank you for everything.

Caitlin (17:41)
You are very welcome. privilege. Listeners, our woven community is made up of some pretty incredible people.

We ask honest questions of our fertility, of our faith. We believe that our bodies were made with beauty and purpose, that we are intimately designed and loved by our creator, and that fertility plays a meaningful role in our lives. We believe this matters for all of us, regardless of our marital status or pregnancy intentions, like Jen was saying, and I would love for you to be a part of that community if you're not already. We'll make sure to have some links in the show notes just for you.

If you enjoyed today's episode or you found that you were encouraged, share it with a friend or leave a review because that is how more people hear about this good encouraging news about women's health. As always, thanks for listening as we continue to explore together what it means to be woven well.