On the Mones

In Part 2 of my conversation with Jean Kittson, we get into the real mechanics of midlife—beyond the punchlines (although there are still plenty of those). We talk about the juggle of full-time work, mortgages, and the mental load of budgeting in a phase of life that’s meant to feel “settled”… but often doesn’t. Jean shares her perspective on working in midlife—what shifts, what matters more, and what we’re no longer willing to tolerate. We dive into perimenopause. The symptoms you expect, th...

In this special episode, Kate sits down with her daughter Audrey on the week of her 18th birthday. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by adulthood, or underwhelmed by the milestone, Audrey describes herself as simply “whelmed.” They talk about what turning 18 actually means today: the excitement of voting for the first time, the freedom to walk into an over-18 venue (even if you choose not to), and the strange mix of independence and expectation that comes with being a young adult in 2026. From ...

This episode starts on a Sydney oval before sunrise. Kate reflects on her weekly Wednesday run — the quiet rituals of turning up, the characters who share the track, the sociology of shared spaces, and the reminder that the ability to move your body is never something to take for granted. From there, the conversation moves into medicine. After watching The Pitt, Kate unpacks a common myth about morphine in palliative care — the persistent idea that opioids given at the end of life hasten deat...

Can yoga, Pilates, tai chi and breathwork actually help menopause symptoms — or are we all just stretching our way through the placebo effect? In this first official Peri-odical Review, pharmacist Kate Thomas looks at the evidence behind mind-body exercise in perimenopause and menopause. We unpack what the research actually found, where these practices may genuinely help, and where wellness culture tends to get a little bit ahead of itself. In this episode: whether yoga and similar practices ...

In this episode of On the ’Mones, Kate explores a word many women recognise instantly: difficult. Recently Australian activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame was described publicly as “difficult” after speaking out politically. Whether or not you agree with her views, the label landed because women everywhere know that word — the one that appears when women stop being agreeable. Kate reflects on her own experience navigating leadership, advocacy and midlife reinvention — includi...

My first baby turns 21. So naturally, I sat him down with a microphone and asked him to explain perimenopause to the boys. What does a 21-year-old man think hormones are? Do young men talk about menopause? If boys had menopause, what would happen? There are one-word answers. There are finish-the-sentence confessions.. And somewhere in there, a mother realising her son is now a man. Then we turn into the reassuring comfort of biology with a clear, evidence-based masterclass on melatonin: • Wha...

Recorded on holiday in Hawaii, this episode of On the Mones starts on a beach and ends deep inside the nervous system. Watching her adult children in the surf, Kate reflects on bodies, confidence, ageing, and the subtle way awareness changes how we move through the world. From instinctive confidence to emerging caution, from physical capability to perimenopausal vigilance, this episode explores what happens when experience collides with embodiment — and how generational mirrors quietly hold u...

A ninety-year-old man walks into a community pharmacy, forgets his wallet… and pays for his prescriptions with Chaucer. A stranger steps in with quiet generosity. And somehow, that moment lodges — deeper than it would have twenty-five years ago. If you’ve noticed that things land differently in midlife — emotions linger longer, moments feel heavier, meaning matters more — you’re not imagining it. And if, at the same time, your periods have gone completely off the rails — heavier, ...

Is testosterone really making women “ragey”… or is it just giving us fewer f*$ks to give? Or is it all down to age and experience? In Episode 4 of On the ’Mones, pharmacist Kate Thomas dives into one of the most misunderstood hormones in women’s health: testosterone. Along the way, she unpacks a petty (and infuriating) pharmacy encounter that sparks a much bigger conversation about boundaries, ageing, assertiveness, and how much bad behaviour women in healthcare are expected to tolerate. This...

In Episode 2 of On the ’Mones, Kate starts with a moment many midlife women will recognise: a close friend, a few glasses of wine, a forgotten word — and the immediate dismissal of perimenopause as something “everyone else is doing.” That moment opens the door to a much bigger conversation. This episode explores why many women resist menopause care — even informed, health-literate women — and why perimenopause is often misunderstood as a “trend” rather than what it really is: a long-overdue c...