About this episode

Jen and Amy discuss the realities of perimenopause with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, exploring hormonal changes and their impact on women's health.

Description:For years, women in their late 30s and 40s have walked into doctors’ offices saying the same thing: “I don’t feel like myself.” They’re exhausted but can’t sleep. Gaining weight but eating less. Anxious, foggy, irritable, disconnected. And too often, they’re told it’s stress. Aging. Depression. Just part of being a woman. But what if it’s something else? This week, Jen and Amy sit down with board-certified OB-GYN and menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver to talk about what’s really happening in perimenopause — the hormonal transition that can begin years before your final period and affect nearly every system in your body. Drawing from her new book The New Perimenopause, Dr. Haver explains: Why the brain may be the first organ to notice hormone shifts Why antidepressants are often prescribed before hormones are even discussed The dangerous legacy of outdated research and underfunded women’s health How bone density, cholesterol, muscle mass, mood, libido, and cognition are all connected And why midlife is not a decline — but a powerful window of opportunity This is not just a conversation about hot flashes. It’s about the “Zone of Chaos.” It’s about medical…

People in this episode

Host: Jen Hatmaker

Guest: Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Topics covered

• perimenopause
• women's health
• hormonal changes
• mental health
• medical gaslighting
• midlife opportunities

Keywords

• perimenopause
• hormones
• women's health
• mental health
• medical gaslighting
• midlife
• anxiety
• weight gain

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The New Perimenopause

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