Cycle Prep

Every girl has her own unique "puberty timeline."

How will you know when YOUR daughter is ready to learn about menstrual cycles? Grab my free download:

First Period Course

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Parents + Daughters:
Be prepared for the start of her first period, together,
from the comfort of your own home!
Recommended for girls age 9-11

Get lifetime access today!

When is the right time to talk with my daughter about periods? How do I start that conversation? What should I say? ... is there anything I should definitely NOT say?

Think back to the education that you got about menstrual cycles and periods when you were growing up...

Did you feel confident?
Prepared?
Were you taught about the entire process of the menstrual cycle, or were only told about period bleeds?
Did you learn from a family member, or with a group of kids at school?

Our experiences of puberty talks vary greatly, but one thing a lot of parents have in common is that whatever experience we had, we all want the experience for our daughters to be BETTER.

You want her to be confident and to understand her cycles and periods. You want her to know how to care for herself, and how to ask for help with cycle issues.

Parents: you have the power to give your daughter all the tools she needs to navigate puberty positively, while building a foundation that will help YOU continue these conversations with her as she grows!

Gone are the days of awkward fourth-grade presentations, in a room full of pre-pubescent girls who only learn about pads, tampons, and pregnancy prevention (and good riddance!)

Today's world requires parents to step up and fill this vital educational role, instilling in their daughters RESPECT for the good and natural function of our female bodies!

Girls deserve a COMPREHENSIVE but AGE-APPROPRIATE education, not just about periods, but about the whole menstrual cycle as a VITAL SIGN OF HEALTH.

Our daughters deserve to know:

how various hormones interact
what changes to expect throughout your different cycle phases
why we have period bleeds and what they consist of
how to know if your cycles and bleeds were "normal"... and what to do if they weren't.

...And you can do that in a way which keeps your parent-daughter relationship at the center of the conversation.

My name is Christina Valenzuela

I have been a fertility and cycle educator since 2013.

But more importantly, I'm a mom.

So when it came time to talk with my girls about their cycles, I knew I wanted a program that would give them all the great science about cycles I teach to adults and I wanted to do so in a way that would help me keep the conversations going in the future— because my relationship with my daughters is one of the most important things in my life!

That's why I am really excited to introduce you to...

First Period Course

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A cycle and period education series to help parents + daughters be prepared, together!
Recommended for girls age 9-11, before the onset of their first period.

Invest in confidence today!

Includes: FOUR Self-Paced Video Sessions

Total: 75 minutes

💕 Session 1: Introduction- A welcome video to girls and their parents, introducing the idea that a menstrual cycle is what enables a woman to eventually become pregnant. We cover basic internal female anatomy, and discuss the equation of life (egg + sperm = baby) which leads us to focus on the "star" of the menstrual cycle: the egg cell!

💕 Session 2: All About the Menstrual Cycle- Cycle Prep uses a unique analogy of "The Kingdom" to teach girls how to tell the story of the menstrual cycle through learning key roles and functions of four basic hormones: FSH, estrogen, LH, and progesterone. How do they help the kingdom prepare to welcome a very special guest? How does the guest prepare for its journey? What happens when the guest decides not to stay?

“I love your use of imagery and story telling. Such a useful tool for helping to set the scene for what is happening and why!" - Tori
“Loved your use of 'the kingdom'. You made it easy for my daughter to understand.” - Crystal
“The metaphor was fabulous! It helped clarify and remind me of how it all works and I’ve been doing NFP forever😂! I’m so so so grateful to have found you. You are doing excellent work! Thank you!” - Alexis

💕 Session 3: All About Periods- This is where we decrease the anxiety and the nerves! Girls learn about what it's like to have a period, what her options are for hygiene products, and some key puberty signs which might tell her when her period will start. This section includes criteria to help girls determine if their cycles fall into a healthy range of presentation or if they should seek help from a trusted adult-- because a teenage girl's cycle is NOT THE SAME as a grown woman's cycle. And we should know the difference!

💕 Session 4: Creating a Culture of Care- Preparation doesn't end with knowledge-- now we need to learn how to be proactive about creating a Culture of Care for ourselves and one another! Girls learn about how the cycle affects things like energy levels and moods, how to put together a period kit, and our role in creating a positive culture of girls-supporting-girls around menstruation.

But that's not all! Your Cycle Prep purchase comes with a library of downloadable PDFs including:

For the parents-

Talking to the Doc: a handy reference which can help you know whether your daughter's cycle is in a healthy and normal range, and how to talk to your doctor if anything seems "off."
Book Recommendations: Still feeling like you want more? I've curated a list of my favorite books for keeping the conversations going on puberty, cycles, and talking about sex.
A quick reference all about the hormones of the Kingdom. Don't worry about remembering all of it- you can use this guide to refresh your memory on hormones and their function at any time!

For your daughter-

A follow-along handout so she can label anatomy, take notes about what a healthy cycle includes, and even think about the hygiene products she's interested in trying!
A printable booklet to serve as your daughter's very own "Culture of Care" manual!

What an excellent workshop! Cycle Prep explains the complex science of the menstrual cycle in a way that is both understandable and engaging for young girls. Being prepared is key, so I recommend this to all young girls and their parents well before they reach menarche.

- Dr. Rebecca Sweeney, pediatrician

CYCLE PREP is an incredible gift to moms who desire open and clear discussion with their tweens regarding the specifics of their changing bodies. Christina explains the monthly cycle in a way that inspires awe for the beauty of the female body. I've been an avid fan of NFP for years and even I learned something! I am so thankful for such an amazing resource!

-Katie Hartfiel

Author, Woman in Love

Thank you so much for this program!
It really laid the foundation for me to be able to further discuss and explain puberty with my daughter.
I loved the way you presented everything! From the hormones and the [Story of the Kingdom] to caring for ourselves and our friends.

— Rosey, mom

Research shows that your daughter will have a more positive experience of her first period if you take the time to educate her now...

so that she can be adequately prepared when her cycles do start!

Invest in your relationship and in her confidence today!

Want a Quick Preview?

I get it. It's one thing to trust the information someone is providing, but you also want to be able to hear how that information is presented! So here's a sneak peak at the intro video, which covers anatomy and introduces girls to the star of the menstrual cycle: the egg.

Cycle Prep: First Period Course

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An easy, age-appropriate way to start the conversation with your daughter about cycles and periods. Packed with cycle science, info all about periods, and a commission to create a Culture of Care for all women and girls!

Yes! Sign us up

What makes Cycle Prep unique?

Story of the Kingdom

Cycle Prep's unique way of inviting girls to discover the "story" of their menstrual cycle. Girls are introduced to four hormone helpers throughout the cycle, each with their own role to play as the Kingdom prepares for a special guest!

Effective Visuals

How much blood might I lose over the course of a period? What does cervical fluid look like? Concrete examples help girls understand what to expect as their body goes through the menstrual cycle.

Creating a Culture of Care

No girl should be ashamed of her body and the important work that it does! In Cycle Prep, girls learn to care for themselves and others, so that we can create a culture of support for girls and women surrounding menstruation.

Here's What I Know:

Parents are the most important people in their children's lives
Too many girls are not educated about the dignity of their bodies and the amazing work that goes on in their menstrual cycle.
Periods are still taboo, which leads to undue shame, misinformation, and a lack of appropriate care for our growing girls.

But you have the power to give your daughter all the tools she needs to navigate menarche positively, while building a foundation that will help you continue these conversations with her as she grows!

You have the power to create a Culture of Care, just by starting in your own home!

With Cycle Prep, you can do all of this:

affordably
at your own pace
with the confidence of knowing that the values you want to teach your daughter will be reinforced in this presentation.

Cycle Prep: First Period Course

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Be prepared, together... today!

Looking to host Cycle Prep for groups? Learn more here!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I show these videos in a group?

This course is designed to be viewed at home, so the license covers a single family (which of course means that you can watch with ALL of your daughters!). If you are interested in purchasing a license to show the Cycle Prep videos in a parish, classroom, or other group setting, please visit my Group Hosting information page.

Is this course medically accurate?

Every effort has been made to ensure the medical and scientific accuracy of this information, including consultation with numerous pediatricians who have viewed and approved this course. It has even been endorsed by My Catholic Doctor, where pediatric patients can receive a special discount.

Do these videos cover sex ed?

Nope! We do contextualize the menstrual cycle as a means to eventually carry a pregnancy, and briefly touch on the Equation of Life, which is egg (from the mother) + sperm (from the father) = baby. We do not go into any more details, because we want to focus primarily on cycles and periods. I defer to parents' discernment about how and when to discuss sex, but I also include some suggested resources in the parent download materials.

Does this course teach cycle charting?

This course is designed for girls prior to the start of their first menses, so it does not teach how to chart cycles. If you are interested in helping your daughter chart for health (not fertility or NFP), then please check out my 'Charting for Girls' Handbook and Video Course!

Is this a religious program?

I am a woman of faith, so the Cycle Prep presentation reflects my fundamental beliefs that the design of our bodies is good and should be respected; however, there is nothing overtly religious in the presentation of any of these materials. If you want to teach your children *why* body literacy is important for Catholics, then I highly recommend supplementing Cycle Prep with my FREE "Catholic Connections" videos.

Once I purchase, how can I access the course?

When you purchase a program, you will prompted to create a user Login for the Podia learning platform (which is where you are reading this text right now!) Whenever you return to the Pearl & Thistle Podia page, you can Login using that information and you will be able to access any of the courses you have purchased online.

Can I download these videos?

Videos hosted in this Podia learning platform cannot be downloaded, so please be sure that you have internet access to be able to play them! All PDF handouts and supplemental materials, however, can be accessed and downloaded as many times as needed.