Hello Menopause!

This week, we’ve got a bonus episode for you - an episode from Dr. Kelly Casperson's podcast You Are Not Broken: Episode 259: Lancet Menopause Article Rebuttal - the Menoposse.  Dr. Casperson and a panel of menopause expert physicians and nurse practitioners discuss the recent four-part article series on menopause published in The Lancet. In the episode, Dr. Casperson and her guests address the agenda behind these articles and the implications for menopause care. The panel strongly disagrees with the claim that menopause is being over-medicalized and emphasizes the importance of hormone therapy in managing menopausal symptoms and preventing long-term health issues. They also criticize the suggestion that cognitive behavioral therapy should be the first-line treatment for menopause symptoms, highlighting the barriers to access and the lack of evidence supporting its effectiveness. The panel advocates for a comprehensive and individualized approach to menopause care. The conversation methodically identifies the principal themes discussed in the Lancet article on menopause. Follow Kelly Casperson MD and subscribe to her podcast, You Are Not Broken Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sleep is the bedrock of health and lack of it can lead to poor food choices, weight gain, and increased risk of cardiovascular issues. For women in midlife, sleep issues during perimenopause and menopause are especially disruptive. In this conversation, Dr. Shelby Harris, a leading expert in the field of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, joins Stacy to talk about why women have trouble sleeping during this stage in life, what can be done to improve our sleep, and our health. Dr. Harris explains the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), as well as the benefits of exercise and the role of nutrition in promoting better sleep. Follow Dr. Shelby Harris  Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Naomi Watts is an actress and producer, the founder of ONDA Beauty and menopause wellness brand Stripes. Naomi joins Stacy to talk about her personal experience with early menopause, the importance of self-advocacy and explains why she feels that community is key during this stage of life. Naomi discusses her approach to well being and shares tips on how to maintain physical and mental health as we age. Follow Naomi Watts @naomiwatts Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Kelly Casperson is a urologist, author, TEDx speaker, and host of the You Are Not Broken podcast. Combining the power of mind work, body-science and relationships, she joyously breaks down the societal barriers that are keeping us from living our best intimate lives. Dr. Casperson joins Stacy to talk about the connection between urology and menopause, sexual health, and the role of testosterone for women. The two discuss the changing perspectives on aging, and Dr. Casperson busts some myths about treatment that will help women as they go through menopause. Follow Dr. Kelly Casperson - Kelly Casperson MD. Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Carla Hall is a chef, best-selling author, and the host of Chasing Flavor on Max. She joins Stacy to discuss turning 60, her experience with menopause and why she embraces the evolution of aging. Carla and Stacy discuss sex after menopause, the need to advocate for oneself, and Carla explains why it's important to do something that scares you.  Follow Carla Hall @carlaphall Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Lisa Mosconi is a neuroscientist and educator known for her work and research on Alzheimer’s Disease, and the author of The Menopause Brain (published March 2024). She joins Stacy for an incredibly informative and expansive conversation about menopause and the female brain. Through brain imaging studies, Dr. Mosconi found that women in midlife show red flags for Alzheimer's disease and have reduced brain energy levels and in this conversation, she explains how women can optimize brain health to prepare for and manage menopause. Stacy and Dr. Mosconi discuss what actually causes hot flashes, the lifestyle changes that can help alleviate menopause symptoms, and Dr. Mosconi explains how the brain rewires itself to our benefit as we age. Follow Dr. Lisa Mosconi  Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Judith Joseph is a board certified Psychiatrist at the forefront of research in anxiety, depression, and mental health. She is Chair of the Women in Medicine Initiative at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons and her podcast, The Vault with Dr. Judith is focused on mental health. She has over 1 million followers on social media, using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to raise awareness around issues that affect women during menopause. In this episode, Judith joins Stacy to talk about what happens to women's mental and emotional health during menopause, and she shares some key practices that can help women take control of menopause symptoms to live better, healthier lives. Follow Judith Joseph @drjudithjoseph Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Dr. Sharon Malone is a nationally known expert in women’s health and the author of the book Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide To Getting And Staying Healthy. She is the Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women’s Health, a telehealth company that focuses on women over 40. Before joining Alloy, Dr. Malone was a partner at one of the oldest and most successful OB/GYN medical practices in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Malone joins Stacy to talk about the current state of menopause legislation and the impact that the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study had on women’s healthcare. They discuss the disparities that African-American women face in menopause, the need to reorient thinking around women’s health, and why prevention is just as important as treatment. Dr Malone shares practical advice on what women can do to get ahead of aging, and encourages every woman to be a strong advocate for her own health. Be sure to listen after the beep at the end for surprise musical detail about Dr. Malone! Dr. Malone's book Grown Woman Talk is available for pre-order. Follow Dr. Sharon Malone: https://www.drsharonmalone.com/ Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OBGYN, a Certified Menopause Practitioner, a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, a passionate entrepreneur and best-selling author with a focus on women's health. She’s also a prolific menopause expert who shares her insight, wisdom, and practical tips for managing the midlife transition on social media, helping women around the world reach their best-feeling selves. Mary Claire joins Stacy for a robust discussion about the reality of menopause, and shares her top exercise and nutrition tips, as well as her toolkit philosophy - techniques that she’s incorporated into her own life that she can apply as she ages to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Follow Dr. Mary Claire Haver: Mary Claire Wellness and The Pause Life Her latest book is The New Menopause, available for pre-order. Follow Stacy London @stacylondonreal Hello Menopause is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause www.letstalkmenopause.org. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and mixed by Justin Thomas. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet, because we deserve better. Available at Target. Please rate and review the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Menopause. It’s big, it’s life-changing and it’s… hardly talked about. Well, we’re gonna do just that. Talk about it! This season, host Stacy London is joined by women who are leading the charge on understanding and managing the most mysterious non-mystery on Earth - menopause. Stacy welcomes guests like Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Carla Hall, Dr. Judith Joseph, Dr. Kelly Casperson, Naomi Watts, Dr. Sharon Malone and more to dig into the latest research and treatments, discuss the wide spectrum of menopause symptoms, and explore the benefits of aging. Each episode is full of information, guidance, and real world solutions to help women thrive in midlife. Hello Menopause! is a podcast from the national nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause. Season two is produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Edited by Revoice Media. Visit www.letstalkmenopause.org for a wealth of information about the 101’s of the menopause transition, a symptoms checklist, helpful resources, and more. Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this season of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better. Available at Target.

Meet entrepreneur and advocate Monica Molenaar. She’s the co-founder of Alloy, a telehealth platform that helps provide medical expertise and treatment to people experiencing menopause. At 40, Monica elected to remove her ovaries to reduce her risk of breast and ovarian cancers after testing positive for the BRCA gene. The effects of this procedure sent her into surgical menopause overnight.  Tune in to hear about Monica’s family history with breast cancer, the weight gain and lost sleep she experienced when she hit menopause and her struggle to get sound medical advice about hormone therapy. She talks with Christina and Robin about the various menopause treatments she tried and how she started Alloy in order to educate women and empower them to make informed choices about their treatment options. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Samantha Frankel, the Chief Strategy Officer at Bloom UK, a professional network of women whose mission is to promote equal opportunity within the communications industry. In this episode, Samantha details her push for a menopausal policy in the workplace. She also speaks with Robin & Christine about her unexpected intro to perimenopause, how menorrhagia (heavy bleeding) sent her to the ER, and how discussing menopause made her feel like she was in the Illuminati. Tune in to hear how listening to other people's menopause experiences validated her own and why she believes stories are more important than facts and figures. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Emily McDowell: writer, illustrator, speaker, entrepreneur and host of the podcast “Quitted.” Emily left working in advertising to launch her own greeting card business called Emily McDowell Studio (now Em & Friends). She wrote and illustrated cards that speak to the genuine, sometimes difficult, relationships we really have. The brand is best known for its Empathy Cards designed to help people connect more authentically and honestly with loved ones experiencing major illness, loss, and yes, even menopause! In this episode, Emily details her unique journey with medical menopause and tells Christine and Robin about her heavy and long periods, joint pains, brain fog, migraines, exhaustion, irritability, night sweats, and mood swings after starting perimenopause at just 39. Emily also talks about the power of quitting things that don't serve us, her vulnerability to admit she was struggling during a time of intense achievement, and her new commitment to focus on personal contentment. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Content Warning: Suicidal ideation is discussed in this episode of Hello Menopause.  Meet Gabrielle Calvocoressi: award-winning poet, UNC Chapel Hill Associate Professor, Editor at Large of the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Poetry Editor at Southern Cultures. Gabby, who identifies as nonbinary, speaks with compassion and gratitude about coming to terms with a body that never fully felt like their own. They talk about how their gender identity played a role in obtaining the medical care they needed. They also share the compassion they have for post-menopausal cis women and nonbinary/trans people who know what it’s like to feel invisible. After experiencing heavy bleeding, depression, and suicidal ideation leading up to their period, Gabby was inspired to write the poem, “My Perimenopausal Body Cistern Disappointing How Surprising," which they recite in this episode. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet professional speaker, paralegal, former Miss USA pageant contestant, and mother of conjoined twins, Emily Stark. Emily started experiencing signs of menopause in the midst of grieving the loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer.  Join Emily, Christine, and Robin as they talk about hot flashes, mood swings, thinning hair, and the similarities between grief and menopause.  Plus, hear how Emily adjusted her idea of what midlife would be like and how menopause taught her to learn new things like how to build a yurt! Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet All-American Ironman triathlete, professional health and fitness writer, and host of the “Hit Play, Not Pause” podcast, Selene Yeager. As an athlete, Selene is no stranger to building a relationship with pain, yet menopause made her reassess her connection with her body. In this episode, she talks with Robin and Christine about finding out she was in perimenopause after experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, reduced muscle composition, and anxiety while in the midst of a semi-pro bike racing career. Selene says these symptoms made her want to disappear and almost give up racing. Selene also shares how educating herself about her body’s changes, slowing down, and “living forward” helped her get excited about the future and encourage other post-menopausal women to do the same.  Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Nina Lorez Collins, entrepreneur and author of What Would Virginia Woolf Do? And Other Questions I Ask Myself as I Attempt to Age Without Apology. Nina is also Chief Creative Officer of Revel, an online community for women at midlife and beyond. In this episode, Nina talks with Robin and Christine about how she first started waking up in the middle of the night for no reason. After doing some research, she learned this was a symptom of being in perimenopause. Nina goes on to share her experience of visiting doctors and trying various medications to address her host of symptoms including weight gain, hot flashes, vertigo, skin discoloration, joint pain, vaginal dryness and muscle spasms. Nina also shares wisdom from her career working in narrative medicine and how the Facebook group she started in 2015 grew organically to over 32,000 women worldwide. This community became a platform called The Wolfer and was the catalyst for her book, "What Would Virginia Woolf Do?" It's filled with a wealth of information and research that has helped many women on their own menopause journeys. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí).   Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook   Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Darcey Steinke, American author and educator. Her most recent book is Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life. In it, Darcey writes frankly about her own experience with menopause and weaves together her personal story with philosophy, science, art, and literature.  In this episode, Darcey shares what humans can learn from killer whales when it comes to aging, menopause, and leadership. Plus, she gets into how coping with sleep loss and hot flashes allowed her to access a deeper understanding of herself through journaling, solitude, and introspection.  Join Robin, Christine, and Darcey’s conversation on what Darcey calls “graduate school for the body,” how she draws on wisdom from trans friends to celebrate hormonal changes and transitions, and how our aging bodies can teach us empathy. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Omisade (Omi) Burney-Scott, founder of the multimedia project, Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause. Omi is a Black Southern 7th generation native North Carolinian feminist, mother and healer. She uses her platform to uplift stories of Black women, femmes, nonbinary, and trans people navigating menopause through the Black Girl’s Guide to Menopause podcast, zines, and intergenerational dialogues.  In this episode, she talks about her experience learning about perimenopause after getting pregnant with her second child and how her clinical depression and anxiety were linked to menopause. Join Robin, Christine, and Omi as they discuss being dismissed by care providers, and experiencing changes in mood, libido, hot flashes, night sweats, and brain fog. Omi also talks about tightening her BS meter as she’s gotten older, and creating sacred spaces for Black women to share their stories. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook   Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.

Meet Emmy award-winning newscaster and author, Tamsen Fadal. In addition to being the PIX11 News primetime anchor, Tamsen is an advocate for women in the next chapter of their lives. She has published three self-help books including The New Single: Finding, Fixing and Falling Back In Love With Yourself, a guide to help women emerge from a big life change with confidence, grace, and a recipe for self-care. In this episode, Tamsen tells the story of finding herself on the bathroom floor, seized by anxiety, when she was supposed to be live on air. She chats with Christine and Robin about losing her mom to breast cancer at an early age, the impact that had on her own hormone therapy, and her commitment to empowering women to ‘unlock your bold’ at any age. Learn more about the nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí).   Check out Robin’s Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook   Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better.