Episode 28 - What is peri-menopause?!

Sex & Wellness with Dr. Mary

Are you already perimenopausal? Or are you curious about what happens during the perimenopause stage? I sat down with Dr. Andrea George to talk all about perimenopause.
People are more familiar with menopause that’s why we are out here talking about perimenopause because so many changes happen to our bodies during this time. Perimenopause is the time period right before menopause and can last between 4 to 8 years. Imagine having symptoms during those years and you are in the dark of why these changes are happening to your body!
Listen to this episode and I hope you learn a ton about what happens to you during the perimenopause stage and how you can manage your symptoms. Please share this with other women in your life who you think might benefit from this podcast!
Let’s talk about:

• 0:35 – Introduction to today’s topic and today’s guest
• 1:39 – What is perimenopause
• 2:38 – How will you know that you are in perimenopause or if you’re really experiencing perimenopause and not other health issues
• 8:47 – The difficulties of not getting access to the right practitioner and how does Dr. Andrea manage and help patients even if it’s out of her scope
• 10:36 – What is direct care practice
• 12:47 – Discussion on women bearing kids at a later age and how they should look into perimenopause and menopause
• 15:05 – The difference between bioidentical hormones and hormone replacement therapy or compounded versus non-compounded, and our take on it
• 23:23 – The study on estrogen and hormone replacement therapy that scared tons of women and the benefits of such when done correctly
• 28:35 – Discussion on the healthcare system and finding the practitioner who will advocate for you
• 30:48 – Importance of doing research before diving into a life-changing procedure
• 32:26 – Discussion on strength training for older people
• 33:08 – Non-hormonal options and lifestyle medications for treating/managing perimenopause symptoms and the effects of stress and how you can manage stress
• 47:47 – How insulin resistance occurs in perimenopause, how stress affects it, and what you can do to improve the quality of your life while in perimenopause
• 51:28 – Importance of muscle strength training
• 55:45 – How the scale and the numbers won’t give you the whole picture for your health
• 57:10 – The wonders that would happen in the healthcare system if all healthcare providers are doing what we are doing
• 59:41 – What obesity really is
• 1:00:00 – Importance of finding the right physician
• 1:10:25 – Conclusion

If you want to know more about Dr. Andrea and work with her, check out her website.

If you have any other questions or topics you want to talk about, send me a message on Instagram. And if you loved this episode, please leave me a rating and a comment with your feedback. Please share this with your friends and loved ones, too!

I also have a free resource for you if you're struggling with bladder urgency: https://resilient-rx.com/bladderdiary/

I’ll see you in two weeks!