By: Mariel Padilla
Director’s Note: FACTS Ambassadors are medical or health professional students and residents from across the country (and the world!) who desire to learn more about fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) and choose to share this information with colleagues to educate them about FABMs. This month, we are featuring Logan Waechtler, a public health and public administration master’s student who plans to enroll in nursing school to specialize in midwifery.
Leading up to the birth of his first child in 2018, Logan Waechtler went to every single doctor’s appointment with his wife. He witnessed how amazing the female body is in its ability to create life and became interested in pursuing a public health degree. Initially, he thought he would work in a government setting. However, after the birth of his daughter, he realized he wanted to pursue a more clinical role as a gynecologist, nurse, or midwife.
“When we were getting ready for the birth of our daughter, I was very adamant that I did not want to watch my wife deliver her. But I got thrown into it because when we were in the hospital the doctor was just like: ‘Hey, will you grab your wife’s leg?’ So I grabbed her leg and I saw everything happen — and it was just the most amazing thing and I didn’t know I was going to be so interested in what happened.”
Now, 28-year-old Waechtler is set to graduate in the summer of 2023 with a public health and public administration master’s degree. In the fall, he will be attending nursing school and eventually plans to get a DNP degree in midwifery.
“The more I’ve learned about women’s health, the more I have grown passionate about every aspect of it,” Waechtler said. “And not just traditional women’s health care, but a more holistic approach. I am very interested in fertility awareness-based methods, in addition to breastfeeding, the use of contraceptives, postpartum depression, and prenatal care.”
“The more I’ve learned about women’s health, the more I have grown passionate about every aspect of it…I am very interested in fertility awareness-based methods.”
Waechtler discovered FACTS in his first official class as a public health master’s student. The class was online due to pandemic restrictions, and Waechtler said he remembers virtually introducing himself to his peers, mentioning his interest in learning more about and advocating for breastfeeding. Shortly after, he received a private message from a classmate who just happened to be Dr. Marguerite Duane, co-founder and executive director of the organization.
Dr. Duane told Waechtler about FACTS, fertility awareness-based methods, and the ambassador program for students. He quickly signed up, and became actively involved, attending monthly meetings, assisting with research, and more. He even completed his public health practicum internship with FACTS. In the two years since he has been involved, Waechtler read through all of the FACTS elective material, watched course videos, edited quiz questions, evaluated feedback, and wrote letters detailing how the 4-week elective helps medical students and future patients.
Waechtler said it’s important to teach medical students and those in the medical field about more holistic approaches to women’s health because it will ultimately empower patients, particularly women. Learning how to chart, for instance, can help women recognize potential abnormalities in their cycles and get treated before endometriosis evolves into more severe stages or before polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) worsens.
Waechtler said, “it’s important to teach medical students and those in the medical field about more holistic approaches to women’s health because it will ultimately empower patients, particularly women.”
“For couples experiencing infertility, exploring IVF and other options can be really expensive — and often they don’t even know that fertility awareness-based methods are an option,” Waechtler said. “It’s so frustrating to me. I feel like everyone needs to know this. And coming from a public health perspective, I really want this information to be incorporated into public programs.”
Waechtler said he and his wife experienced some infertility issues before conceiving their first two children. The couple was encouraged to take medication, but Waechtler said he wishes they had known about FABMs sooner. Now, he has three children with another on the way.
“Knowing that there are other methods out there that don’t have side effects is encouraging, especially from a man’s perspective as a husband,” Waechtler said. “I want what’s best for my wife, and I want what she wants. I want her to have all the options available for her to make the best-informed decision.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mariel Padilla
Mariel Padilla is a journalist working with us as editor of the FACTS blog. In her full-time job, Mariel writes about the intersection between gender, politics and policy — but she was introduced to the FACTS team by her brother, Mikey. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s probably reading, painting or playing with her nieces and nephew who live down the street.
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