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Perimenopause Power Up: Navigating the Change with Confidence

Perimenopause Power Up: Navigating the Change with Confidence

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 This is your Women's Health Podcast podcast.

Welcome back to the Women's Health Podcast, where empowerment and real talk go hand in hand. Today, we’re diving right into a topic that touches every woman sooner or later: perimenopause. This is an often misunderstood phase, but it’s also a powerful time of transformation when women can claim agency over their health, choices, and lives. I’ll guide you through what perimenopause really means, tackle the big questions with an expert, and wrap up with insights you can use to feel confident in this stage of life.

Perimenopause marks the years leading up to menopause—a transition that can start as early as your 30s but more commonly begins in your 40s. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, leading to symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep problems, and sometimes even memory lapses or joint pain. According to Every Mother, understanding your symptoms is the first step to taking charge and seeking the support you deserve. And, as a growing number of women are discovering with leaders in the field like Dr. Mary Jane Minkin from Yale, perimenopause is finally getting the attention and research it deserves, moving away from being treated as a taboo or medicalized crisis to an empowering life transition.

For expert perspective, I sat down with Dr. Sarah White, CEO of the Jean Hailes Foundation, whose work centers on how health conditions affect women differently. One thing Dr. White emphasized is that women’s experiences of perimenopause are unique—not just because of biology, but because of how society and culture shape our expectations and options.

I started our conversation by asking: What exactly is happening biologically during perimenopause, and how does it differ from menopause itself? Dr. White explained that while menopause is the cessation of periods for 12 months, perimenopause is the transition phase. Hormone levels rise and fall unpredictably, causing a spectrum of symptoms that can impact daily life.

Next, we discussed the most effective ways for women to manage perimenopause. Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT, is now called Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and remains the gold standard in managing symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. But Dr. White stresses it’s not one-size-fits-all—some women benefit greatly, while others have medical reasons to avoid hormones. She recommends working closely with your provider to weigh the benefits and risks in your own situation. There are also non-hormonal options, including certain antidepressants and lifestyle tweaks such as regular exercise, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, and optimizing nutrition.

One area that’s rapidly evolving is how women approach these choices. According to UC San Diego’s empowerment approach, women are now equal and active partners in their care decisions. The conversation is shifting from “just deal with it” to “you deserve to thrive, and you deserve answers.” We talked about the importance of advocacy—how to bring up symptoms in appointments and seek out evidence-based resources.

Before we wrapped, I asked Dr. White what she wants every woman experiencing perimenopause to hear: She said, “You’re not alone. Your experience is valid. You have options, and you have the power to advocate for yourself.”

Key takeaways for listeners: Know the symptoms, prioritize your well-being, and team up with a trusted provider. Explore treatment options—both hormonal and non-hormonal. And above all, don’t be afraid to speak up and take charge of this transition. Perimenopause isn’t the end—it’s a new beginning.

Thank you for tuning in to the Women's Health Podcast. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next empowering episode. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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