A Letter to the Mother Discerning Family Size with Her Spouse // Grace Stark

In this second episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Grace Stark from Natural Womanhood joins me to discuss fertility awareness and motherhood.

This is a conversation about authentic womens’ healthcare, how to grow in an appreciation of your fertility as a gift, and discerning the size of family that the Lord wants to build with and for you—and what to do if you’re not on the same page as your spouse in that discernment.

We also talk about what it means to be mothers to daughters, and how the conversations we have from a very young age shape the way our daughters see their bodies. 

If you’re ready to get to know and appreciate your cycle and fertility this letter is for you.

Topics we cover:

• Grace’s story as a Catholic woman

• The origin story of Natural Womanhood and their mission to help women work with their body, not against it

• What authentic women’s healthcare looks like and how we can grow as women in accepting our fertility as a gift

• What the Catholic Church teaches about using Natural Family Planning and family size

• Grace’s advice for couples in seasons of discerning adding another child to their family

• What to do when you’re not on the same page as your spouse about having more children

• How Natural Womanhood is helping mothers of pre-teen girls learn about ther bodies, cycles, and fertility

• How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother

Resources for you:

• Discover Natural Womanhood online

• Natural Womanhood podcast

• Charting Towards Intimacy podcast hosted by Ellen Holloway

• Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Interior Kingdom! Use the code LTW15 for 15% off the full Interior Kingdom program.

• Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes

Discussion questions:

1. Have you ever felt angry or ashamed of your cycle as a woman? What were some messages that you received about your body as a girl, especially around your fertility and cycles?
   

2. Do you feel pressure to have a certain number of kids as a Catholic woman? Or for your family to look a certain way? What are some ways you can grow in confidence about how the Lord is calling you specifically to mother?
   

3. Are you and your spouse of one heart and mind when it comes to having children? What advice that Grace shared in this episode about discerning a family with your spouse struck you?
   

4. If you’re a mother to a daughter, how have you approached conversations with her about fertility and puberty? Are there things you want to change about how you talk about those subjects after listening to this episode?
   

5. What dreams do you have for your family and your motherhood? How can embracing your fertility as a gift impact those dreams?