Podcasts · Health & Fitness

The Longest Shortest Time: A Women’s Health Show for Everyone

Hillary Frank | Realm

300 episodes

Stories of pregnancy, birth, fertility, intimacy after kids, and the surprises of perimenopause. The Longest Shortest Time is your companion for all stages of reproductive and women's health. Host and journalist Hillary Frank brings depth and humor to conversations about the physical and emotional realities of parenting, and of living in a body that keeps changing—but you don’t have to be a parent (or woman) to listen!

More about the show

The Longest Shortest Time is back after a 5-year hiatus! New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Join LST+ for community, ad-free listening, and access to You Know What, our premium show featuring college students speaking candidly about sex, dating, and relationships.

If you’re new to the show or want to get reacquainted, check out some of our classic episodes:

• #27 Rewriting Your Birth Story

• #88 W. Kamau Bell Asks His Mom About Sex

• The Accidental Gay Parents Series (#60, #62, #80, #81, #125, #211)

• #79 Terry Gross on Not Having Kids

• It's a Real Mother: A Series About Workplace Discrimination (#141, #142, #143, #145)

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Let's Talk About WEDLOCKED, My New Feminist Thriller!

    · 40 min · Episode 263

    It’s here! My original audiobook WEDLOCKED is out now. LST production assistant Virginia Marshall turns the tables and puts me in the hot seat to talk about my new feminist thriller, steeped in the world of women’s…

  2. The Art of Family Shenanigans with Zak Rosen

    · 30 min

    Today we bring you a special episode of Weirdly Helpful from one of our favorite podcasters, Zak Rosen. In this conversation, Zak talks to Rebecca Garza-Bortman about her love of “shenanigans,” or humor-driven chaos.…

  3. How the Algorithm Exploits New Parents

    · 43 min · Episode 262

    New parents know the feeling. You’re sleep-deprived, scrolling, and desperate to solve the problem with a baby product. One $2000 bassinet later, you feel bamboozled! Chabeli Carrazana, reporter for The 19th, uncovers…

  4. LST FAVES: Love Yurts

    · 40 min · Episode 73

    A marriage; a miscarriage. A divorce; a guy who looks (and smells) like a caveman. All in this epic love story. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on February 10, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you…

  5. Ophira Eisenberg Was Nicer Before Motherhood

    · 42 min · Episode 261

    Becoming a parent can make you more nurturing... but it can also make you meaner. Stand-up comic Ophira Eisenberg confesses her not-so-nice tendencies, and shares tips on how to heckle your haters. … Recommendations…

  6. LST FAVES: Outnumbered By Animals

    · 28 min · Episode 75

    What's it like to nurse piglets in one hand and your own baby in the other? Life on a farm, with baby. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on February 22, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and…

  7. Sona Movsesian Feels Like the World's Worst Mom

    · 43 min · Episode 260 · Explicit

    Like many first-time parents, Sona Movsesian felt as if she was doing everything wrong. In this episode, she opens up about the challenges of conception and her C-section turning unexpectedly vivid — plus, how being…

  8. LST FAVES: Terry Gross on Not Having Kids

    · 38 min · Episode 79

    Public radio icon Terry Gross talks about why she chose to never have children. And her recurring nightmare about a baby. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on April 19, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope…

  9. The Sex Lives of College Kids

    · 44 min · Episode 259 · Explicit

    According to surveys, Gen Z is having less sex than previous generations. But why? Carter Sherman is here to explain. … Recommendations from the archive • More on Title IX’s rollback: Preventing Teens from Joining…

  10. LST FAVES: My Best Friend's Baby

    · 40 min · Episode 84

    Two friends try to figure out how to stay friends after one of them has a baby. The one without the baby hatches a secret plan. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on May 24, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We…

  11. The Pressure to Be the Perfect Black Father

    · 44 min · Episode 258

    After a panic attack nearly made him lose control on the highway, Mark Anthony Neal continued to bottle up his anxiety and pretend everything was fine. Years later, when he secretly started therapy, he unpacked how the…

  12. LST FAVES: How To Not (Accidentally) Raise A Racist

    · 51 min · Episode 116

    What's the best way for white parents to talk to their kids about race? We called in Dr. Brigitte Vittrup, who studies children's racial attitudes, to help us out—and to answer questions about cringeworthy moments with…

  13. Jamilah Lemieux on Black Single Motherhood

    · 45 min · Episode 257

    Jamilah Lemieux’s greatest fear was becoming a single mom. When she found herself pregnant without a partner, she panicked and tried to convince her daughter’s father to get back together with her. But over time, she’s…

  14. LST FAVES: The Secret Life of a Deaf Superhero

    · 44 min · Episode 88

    Cece Bell lost her hearing at age four. In this interview, the Newbery-award-winning author and illustrator talks about how she's used her hearing aid for good ... and evil. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on June 7,…

  15. Even Sexperts Struggle with Intimacy in Motherhood

    · 41 min · Episode 256 · Explicit

    As curator of the Museum of Sex, Sarah Forbes was an expert on kinks and turn-ons. But motherhood taught her that sex is more complicated than attraction — and that something as unsexy as her partner changing a blowout…

  16. Getting Kids to Bed with Naturepedic's Arin Schultz

    · 35 min · Bonus

    As the father of four boys, Arin Schultz treasures his sleep… and because he works at a mattress company, he spends most of his waking hours thinking about sleep. In this episode, sponsored by Naturepedic, Arin shares…

  17. Preventing Teens from Joining the Manosphere

    · 42 min · Episode 255

    Most consent education focuses on survivors, and rightly so. But that leaves perpetrators without resources to repair harm. Drew Davis, a die-hard feminist, aims to fix that with a new online tool. … Recommendations…

  18. LST FAVES: How to Not (Accidentally) Raise a Rapist

    · 47 min · Episode 221

    Consent education in school is mostly insufficient or non-existent — even when it’s required by state law. An organization called SafeBAE is trying to change that by training teens to teach each other about consent.…

  19. Negin Farsad Tackles Her Daughter's Unanswerable Questions

    · 40 min · Episode 254

    In 2017, comedian Negin Farsad came on the show to tackle kids’ unanswerable questions. Now she’s a mom, wrestling with how to explain death, slavery, and war to her own child. Plus, a delightful episode crossover…

  20. LST FAVES: Kids Ask Negin Farsad Unanswerable Questions

    · 35 min · Episode 111 · Explicit

    Comedian Negin Farsad on esoteric allergies, the power of fire hydrants, and growing up Muslim... all in this edition of Kids' Unanswerable Questions. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on February 1, 2017 and is a…

  21. Building a Family After Childhood Trauma

    · 38 min · Episode 253

    Kate Casey grew up in a chaotic home, and as a child she struggled to understand the strange — and sometimes unsettling —choices her parents made. When it came time to start her own family, Kate decided to trade the…

  22. LST FAVES: Uterus + Sperm + Uterus

    · 31 min · Episode 105

    We pick up where we left off with Kiely, Jenna, and their sperm donor Dominick. This time it's Jenna's turn to get pregnant. And, unlike last time, things do not go according to plan. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on…

  23. Embracing Your Abortion Story

    · 35 min · Episode 252 · Explicit

    Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone proudly share their abortion stories, which led one of them to realize she wanted to be a mom and confirmed for the other that she didn’t. Plus: the problematic ways we talk about…

  24. LST FAVES: Uterus + Sperm

    · 32 min · Episode 104

    How do you make a baby when you’ve got a uterus and your partner does, too? We hear how one family did it, in this two-parter. And how some of their plans… don’t go according to plan. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on…

  25. Managing Your Perimenopausal Rage

    · 40 min · Episode 251

    Feeling enraged lately? Dr. Kameelah Phillips gives us the facts about perimenopausal mood swings — and gets personal about her own. (Red lipstick while listening is not mandatory, but highly encouraged!) ……

  26. Why Heated Rivalry Is SO HOT (it's not just the sex scenes)

    · 37 min · Explicit

    Have you been obsessing over Heated Rivalry? Us too. It feels like EVERYONE's been crazy about this show — yes, even the lesbians. So what makes this series SO HOT even for people who aren't gay men? Today, we bring…

  27. LST FAVES: Kicking Ass While Pregnant

    · 33 min · Episode 76

    When Marvel asked Dennis Hopeless to create a new story for Spider-Woman, he knew he wanted her to be pregnant. In this episode, he explains why. And we hear from his wife Jessie, the real-life superhero behind…

  28. When Rumors Spread Like Wildfire About the Fire Commissioner

    · 41 min · Episode 250

    Laura Kavanagh knew she would encounter challenges as the first female fire commissioner of the FDNY. But she didn’t anticipate the false rumors that she slept her way to the top — or the nastier rumors about her…

  29. LST FAVES: Postpartum House Arrest

    · 44 min · Episode 183

    As an OBGYN, Jessica thought recovering from childbirth would be a breeze. She didn’t count on her own mother sabotaging her plans of postpartum bliss. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on December 19, 2018 and is a…

  30. Painful Sex and Elusive Orgasms in Perimenopause

    · 42 min · Episode 249 · Explicit

    If you've given birth, or you’re entering menopause, or you simply have a vagina... chances are, at some point, you’ve had painful or uncomfortable sex. Today, Dr. Lauren Streicher, OBGYN and menopause expert, gives us…

  31. Brian Can't Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law

    · 56 min · Explicit

    Today we bring you an episode from Proxy, the podcast that investigates your niche emotional conundrums. Listeners bring host Yowei Shaw the kinds of problems that don’t have easy answers, and then Yowei connects them…

  32. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents 6

    · 39 min · Episode 211

    Trystan and Biff are back! We catch up with them about parenthood, postpartum bodies, and if there are any more kids in their future. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on October 23, 2019 and is a favorite from the…

  33. When the World Pushes You to Have a Baby (Or Two)

    · 41 min · Episode 248

    A lot of us wrestle with whether to start a family, or to grow the one we have. Today, Helena de Groot shares her own kid ambivalence — and the messy, intimate, confusing process of getting her husband to believe her…

  34. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents 5

    · 47 min · Episode 125

    Audience faves Trystan and Biff are back… and they’re having a baby! We talk about what it’s like to be a pregnant man, and to share that news with your parents, your children, and the world. ⭐️ This episode…

  35. One Woman, 3 Kids, 15 Rounds of IVF

    · 41 min · Episode 247

    Holly Schechter always knew she wanted to be a mom. But getting there was a journey. After a car crash and two major spine surgeries, she struggled with infertility. Today, Holly shares her remarkable story of IVF……

  36. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents 4

    · 28 min · Episode 81

    We pick up where we left off with Trystan and Biff, and their passive-aggressive standoff. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on May 3, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll be back next…

  37. WTF Is Perimenopause?

    · 47 min · Episode 246

    Hot flashes! Weight gain! Headaches! Rage! If these symptoms sound familiar, you may be in perimenopause. But who among us actually knows what perimenopause is? Menopause specialists Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy…

  38. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents 3

    · 31 min · Episode 80

    Audience faves The Accidental Gay Parents return. This time Trystan is pregnant. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on April 26, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll be back next week…

  39. Lessons in Love from YA TV

    · 41 min · Episode 242

    Is The Summer I Turned Pretty romantic or toxic? Is Heartstopper sweet or cringe? Hillary talks with pop culture critic Kristen Meinzer and sex educator Shafia Zaloom about love stories in YA TV, old classics teens are…

  40. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents 2

    · 33 min · Episode 62

    The "accidental gay parents" return. This time with John's side of the story. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on July 17, 2015 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll be back next week with a…

  41. There's No Bell in Motherhood

    · 44 min · Episode 244

    Maia Molina-Schaefer is a boxing champ and combat veteran. But nothing has exhausted her like raising a kid. Today she shares her remarkable story of making history in the military… and pumping in a closet like any…

  42. LST FAVES: The Accidental Gay Parents

    · 36 min · Episode 60

    One weekend Trystan and his boyfriend were clubbing in Vegas; the next they were steeped in diapers and Legos. The story of how two twenty-somethings became parents. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on June 19, 2015 and…

  43. Birth Control Troubles and Vibrator Triumphs

    · 39 min · Episode 243 · Explicit

    As the daughter of an OBGYN, Danielle Bezalel learned all about vaginas — but pleasure wasn’t part of the conversation. Now she’s on a mission to help people prioritize pleasure. Today, she shares the incident that…

  44. LST FAVES: Alex and the Oracular Lamb

    · 45 min · Episode 133

    Alex was itching to ask her partner Ben whether he’d be up for having kids one day — a question that felt scary and extra complicated because she has Cerebral Palsy. To muster some courage, she turned to an unexpected…

  45. Actually, Sir, That's Not How You Put on a Condom

    · 37 min · Episode 242

    College student Zaraia Fabunmi became a sex educator and a doula as a teenager. Today she shares how she's used that training to help her peers — and, at times, her teachers — plus the fascinating reproductive health…

  46. LST FAVES: There's Something About Andy

    · 41 min · Episode 70

    A young Mormon plays a long con on his childhood crush—in the hopes of starting a family with her. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on January 17, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll…

  47. TV to Spark Conversations with Adolescent Kids

    · 39 min · Episode 241

    Pop culture critic Kristen Meinzer joins us to share how as a tween, The Golden Girls — a show with grownup themes — helped her bond with her mom and grandma. She also recommends contemporary shows she loves watching…

  48. LST FAVES: All the Feels with Rob Huebel

    · 42 min · Episode 121 · Explicit

    Actor and comedian Rob Huebel talks about sneaking onto airplanes, why he doesn't share a bed with his wife, and what it was like to have their daughter live in the hospital for her first 117 days. And! The best placed…

  49. Bobbi Brown on the Beauty and Messiness of Motherhood

    · 37 min · Episode 240

    Bobbi Brown built a career making people look beautiful. Behind the scenes, she was mired in breastmilk, spit-up, and sleepless nights. Executives told her to hide her motherhood; instead, she put her soccer-momness…

  50. LST FAVES: Behind Family Lines

    · 32 min · Episode 77

    Darlene's childhood dream was to join the military. She didn't imagine she'd also be raising three children solo. Tune in to hear what it’s like to be pregnant, breastfeed, and raise kids on your own in the Army. And…

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