Perimenopause and Menopause Resources- Where to Start Your Research

If you are here, I'm guessing you have also found yourself in the perimenopause phase of life and are hanging on for dear life! It is one wild hormone rollercoaster we all want to get off. All of us here at Babble are so surprised by the impact it's had on our bodies and our day-to-day lives. But the most surprising part has been the lack of information available.

Women have literally been going through menopause since the beginning of time, yet it has long been something we simply don’t talk about. Our mothers didn’t coach us, their mothers certainly didn’t do them any favors, and so on. But recently we have found some hope. It seems to me that the tide is shifting. I think the generation entering perimenopause/menopause was just raised differently – and like so many other parts of our lives, we’ve had enough.

We want information. We want conversations. We want solutions.

Going through peri/menopause is NUTS! It’s like puberty but sharper and, no, not all of my

friends are going through it too. It’s tough. I’ve been on the rollercoaster of perimenopause for about two years now and have spent that time gathering information, reading, listening,

talking…trying to absorb as much as I can so I don’t feel like I’m crazy. Some questions have

been answered quickly and easily. Others, not so much. And trying to get my doctors (yes,

multiple doctors because perimenopause is impacting ALL parts of my health, not just the

OBGYN department) to focus on this and talk about it and offer solutions, well, that’s been a

challenge.

I’m still working through it all. More and more information seems to be coming out almost daily. But if you’re in you 30’s, 40’s or 50’s, you’re probably Babbling about menopause to those in your inner circle too. We don't have all the answers, but we are learning more everyday and wanted to create a starting point for those also hungry for information on how to best meet this new phase in our lives.

Below is a list of some of the Babble Panel's favorite resources when it comes to gaining information about perimenopause. We know there is a lot more out there, but let’s start the Babbling here.

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Perimenopause & Menopause Sources

Documentaries & Shows:

• “The M Factor” on PBS – airing 10/17/2024 The first documentary film that addresses the marginalized or ignored heath crisis faced by millions ow women as they go through menopause.

• "The Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution"- great introduction to what is happening with research and what resources are available to women.

• Leann Morgan's "I'm Every Woman" comedy special for some comic relief we can all relate to!

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Instagram Accounts:

• @drmaryclaire – Mary Claire Haver, MD, author The New Menopause

• @whatthemenopause – Jessica Barac, Registered Nutritionist, focuses on peri/menopause metabolism

• @menopause_doctor – Dr. Louise Newson, Physician and Menopause Specialist, author

• @balancemenopause – Official balance menopause app

• @letstalkmenopause – Let’s Talk Menopause – Nonprofit Organization

Books:

• The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter

• The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Filling a gaping hole in menopause care, everything a woman needs to know to thrive during her hormonal transition and beyond.

• Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, phd (good resource for understanding libido)

• Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming MD and Carol Tavris, PHD

• You Are Not Broken: Stop "Should-ing" All Over Your Sex Life by Kelly Casperson, MD

• The Definitive Guide to Perimenopause & Menopause by Dr. Louise Newson

• Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts: New York Times Bestseller is a frank, funny and informative guide to menopause and aging.

Podcasts:

• Not Your Mother’s Menopause with Dr. Fiona Lovely

• Rena Malik, MD Podcast

• You Are Not Broken with Dr. Kelly Casperson

• The Dr Louise Newson Podcast with Dr. Louise Newson

• "The #1 Menopause Doctor: How to Lose Belly Fat, Sleep Better & Stop Suffering" episode on The Mel Robbins Podcast

App:

Balance – Menopause Support

Websites:

• https://hotorjustme.com/

• https://www.joinmidi.com/

• https://menomademodern.com/ help and support to learn about symptoms and find specialists

• https://www.re-spin.com/ Halle Berry's creation is a supportive community dedicated to redefining menopause and promoting longevity, Respin provides a safe space, products and platforms for women to navigate this phase with confidence and curiosity. 

• The Menopause Society: www.menopause.org professional and patient resources

• Cleveland Clinic Women’s Comprehensive Health & Research Center: co-founded by Maria Shriver  focuses on access, connectivity, education, and research to empower women’s health

Supplements & Products:

• Stripes Beauty by Naomi Watts

Online Seminars:

The University of Utah offers free online seminars covering a wide range of topics, including

peri/menopause. Here is the link to a good one from just last year.

HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) – do your research:

Good Washington Post article on the recent finding regarding HRT

If you really want to geek out on this stuff…some other sources from medical journals (from a trusted source and good friend who works in medicine):

• https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.19.1.55

• https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/0003-4819-133-12-200012190-00008

• https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200107053450106

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There is a lot to digest, and a lot that doctors still don’t understand. But the attention is shifting.

This generation of women is getting loud and demanding information, research, answers and solutions. So we are hopeful – for ourselves and for our daughters.

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If you have resources to add to this list, email: brooke@babblewithbrooke.com so we can Babble together about menopause.

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