Pass on your hard-won wisdom - from your first period to menopause.

From your first period to perimenopause and beyond, dealing with your reproductive and hormonal health can be a bewildering experience. When something seems wrong, you may wonder: Is this normal? Why didn’t anybody tell me about this? It’s also often an emotionally complicated journey.

We dive into these topics on our latest Read. Talk. Grow. episode: “Menopause: Surprising symptoms and mixed emotions.” Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode summary

You might not fully understand the menopause experience unless you go through it — but author Catherine Newman’s latest novel “Sandwich,” might get you pretty close. Catherine and Mayo Clinic menopause expert Dr. Taryn Smith join us to discuss the book, which wonderfully captures the complicated feelings and sometimes surprising symptoms of menopause.

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discussed:

• A mixed bag of feelings. The onset of menopause can bring up a lot of complicated emotions. Liberation from your period. Loss of the ability to be pregnant. Nostalgia for pregnancy. Mourning for previous miscarriages. Menopause is a profound reorientation toward the body and sexuality, Catherine says. These feelings may not seem rational, but they are real.
• Getting real about symptoms. When it comes to describing the menopause experience, Catherine doesn’t hold back in her book. We don’t either, getting into the reality (and potential treatments!) for symptoms like vaginal atrophy, hot flashes, excessive sweat, moodiness, irritability and more.

More resources. Listen to these Read. Talk. Grow. episodes:

• Feeling the rage of the menopause transition
• Flipping the script on menopause
• Unlocking the mysteries of perimenopause

Questions for discussion:

• The whole journey of your reproductive and hormonal health– from first period to menopause – can come with a lot of mixed emotions. What do you wish you would have known as you navigated this journey – dealing with periods, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, perimenopause or menopause?

Share your thoughts, questions and opinions below!