January 13, 2026 • 46 mins
What if the missing piece in your health story isn’t willpower, it’s evidence and language? We welcome award-winning journalist Meghan Rabbitt, author of The New Rules of Women’s Health, for a candid, practical, and uplifting tour of the health span—from puberty and pelvic pain to perimenopause, hormone therapy, and post-menopause strength. Together, we unpack why “women aren’t small men” is more than a slogan; it’s a research mandate that changes diagnostics, dosing, and daily care.
Meghan shares how a lifetime of “tough it out” messaging trains many of us to rationalize symptoms and aim for an A+ at the doctor’s office, even when we’re suffering. Her own turning point—dismissing heavy bleeding until an ultrasound revealed fibroids—leads to a clear playbook for self-advocacy: track symptoms, ask direct questions, understand options, and choose clinicians who speak fluent menopause and practice shared decision-making. We get specific about hormone therapy and why timing, route, and personal risk matter more than recycled fear, plus how to navigate the social-media swirl without falling for bad advice.
The conversation also moves beyond the clinic to culture and work. We talk openly about clitoral anatomy, vaginal estrogen, dense breasts, and the joy of breaking taboos in public spaces, because daylight accelerates change. Then we take on the workplace, where menopause support still lags in policies and empathy. Simple steps—manager training, cool quiet spaces, flexible scheduling, and benefits that cover evidence-based care—can keep experienced talent thriving.
Meghan’s book functions like a narrative reference you can return to for credible, actionable guidance. Share chapters with partners and teens to build a common language around tests, choices, and emotions. If you’re ready to replace confusion with clarity and judgment with wonder, this conversation offers tools you can use today. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more women find evidence-based support. Your story deserves respect—and great care.
Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women’s Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women’s health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women’s Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, and more. She’s known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information—and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves.
Website: https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/
MiDOViA LINKS:
Website: https://www.midovia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymidovia
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/midovia
Email Us: info@midovia.com
MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images & other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your
trusted source for informationabout menopause and midlife.
Join us each episode as we havegreat conversations with great
people.
Tune in and enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_01 (00:16):
Hey, welcome to 2026, everybody, to the Medovia
Menopause Podcast.
It's Kim and April again, andtoday's episode is one we've
been looking forward to.
We're joined by Megan Rabbit.
She's an award-winningjournalist and the author of the
newly published book, The NewRules of Women's Health.
Megan is an award-winningjournalist covering health,
(00:38):
nutrition, and psychology, andshe's currently an editor at
Maria Schriver's The SundayPaper and has written for
prevention, health, women'shealth, and more.
She previously worked atparenting, alternative medicine,
natural health, and yoga journalmagazines.
Her new book is a roadmap forevery stage of a woman's life.
It fills the gaps so many of ushave felt when the symptoms were
(01:00):
brushed aside, when providersdidn't have the answers, when we
sensed something wasn't right,but we didn't have the language
to advocate for ourselves.
So from puberty toperimenopause, pelvic health to
brain health, fertility tochronic conditions, Megan lays
out what has been missing andwhat needs to change.
And she names the truth that wetalk about here all the time
(01:23):
that women are not small men.
Our bodies, our hormones, ourexperience, and our health
trajectories deserve their ownresearch, their own care
pathways, and their own respect.
So today we're driving intodiving into stories, the
science, and the surprisinginsights behind the book, and
what Megan hopes women willfinally claim in their health
(01:44):
journey.
And our hope is that you walkaway from this conversation
feeling more confident, moreinformed, and more connected to
your own voice.
So let's get into it.
Megan, welcome to the MedoviaPodcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:57):
I am so excited to be here.
And what an intro.
That was awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (02:02):
Yay, good.
Okay, so right out of the shoot,you write that every woman you
talk to says the same thing.
I can't get the healthcareanswers I need.
What finally pushed you to sayI'm going to write the book that
fills this gap?
SPEAKER_00 (02:15):
Yeah.
So I have dedicated my career asa health journalist to writing
about health and in a way thatwomen mostly I've focused on
women's health, where women cantake the information and apply
it to their lives.
Because I think every woman hasfelt dismissed by their
healthcare providers.
(02:36):
They've felt like their wholestory hasn't been fully listened
to.
And my belief and what I aim todo in this book is when women
have knowledge, we feel moreconfident in saying, actually,
you're not fully hearing me.
Here's what I'm saying.
Let's go over this again, youknow?
And not only that, but we feelconfident to say, huh, I don't
(02:57):
feel fully seen or heard here.
I'm gonna look for anotherdoctor or healthcare provider.
Um, and so yeah, isn't it a sadstate that still in 2026 most
women will say, I wish I had themost amazing posse of healthcare
providers, you know?
SPEAKER_02 (03:16):
Yeah, yeah.
Um, and there's plenty ofhealthcare providers.
So just note that, but we'restill we're still hearing the
same thing from women.
You know, I I want to ask thisquestion because for several
reasons, but because my word forthe year is wonder.
So I have to I have to ask youthis question.
You describe that feeling ofwonder about your body as a
(03:39):
girl, right?
Um, before the whole world toldyou what it should look like,
what you should, who you shouldbe, right?
I'm wondering how that earlyloss of body trust helps shape
healthcare experience for womenlater in life.
What are your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER_00 (03:59):
What a cool question.
Yeah, you know, I don't havekids, but I have nieces and
little nieces who you can almostsee the moment when the world
gets to them, you know, whenthey go from just not knowing or
noticing or giving a you knowwhat about what anyone else
thinks.
And then suddenly there's thisrecognition of like, uh-oh,
(04:21):
other people are looking, otherpeople are judging.
And I think it does impact howwe feel about ourselves.
It certainly impacts our mentalhealth, right?
But I think it impacts ourphysical health as well because
as women, we get told a lot ofstories, um, a range of stories,
right?
One that I identify with is buckup, buttercup.
You're strong.
Yeah, yeah.
(04:42):
You can do it, you can chug yourway through.
And not that that was anexplicit, like you must do this
from my parents or or otherfigures in my life, but that was
what I picked up as a littleone, you know, and that had very
real health implications for me.
And and I'd say still does, youknow, writing this book really
helped unwind some of that.
But for years, even as a healthjournalist, I ignored a lot of
(05:05):
my own health symptoms that Ishould have seen as red flags.
And and I do attribute that tothis, you know, you know, buck
up.
You got this, just keep chuggingahead.
It's no big deal.
You know, you're tough.
SPEAKER_02 (05:19):
Yeah.
I when you, as you were talking,Megan, it reminded me of almost
the moment that I saw that withmy own daughter on the
playground, right?
I remember her playing, watchingsoccer games, my son's soccer
games, and she was in herbeautiful little princess
dresses, you know, flippingaround on the playground and
just didn't even care.
She just felt free and pretty.
(05:41):
Um, and it changed almostovernight.
Where she wasn't wearing thedresses, she didn't want to do
certain things because she wasafraid that people were
watching.
Um, and I think we do do thesame thing as it carries into
our adult life.
Um, and I also think that, youknow, that word freeing is
(06:02):
important too.
It is freeing when you don'tgive a you know what um about
what people think and when youdo uh enter situations with
wonder.
So just to be curious, like whatcan my body do now?
Right?
Not what should I look like now,but what can I do now in this
changing body?
Um, how powerful, how strong canI be?
(06:25):
So I love that you included thatin your book.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Well, and I feel called to talk a little more
about wonder right now becauseas I was working on the
menopause chapter, one trendthat I heard from a lot of the
experts was look, in all of ourtalk about symptoms and how
challenging this transition canbe.
And to be clear, it can be verychallenging.
So I don't want to minimizethat.
If we can come at it with asense of wonder and a sense of
(06:50):
curiosity about our changingbodies, hold some space for the
positives that can happen duringthis transition, as well as
really feeling the feels of allthe negatives that can be
present as well.
I think that's when we can moveinto that second phase of our
lives, the post-menopausalyears, with a sense of
empowerment, continued sense ofwonder, and really this like
(07:13):
strength that we didn't evenrealize we had.
SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
Yeah, I completely agree.
Yeah, not to minimize thesymptoms, because I think we
probably each one of us have astory here that could be told,
um, our own unique story ofstruggles.
I know, I know we do.
Um I'm sure you do too, Megan.
So not to minimize that, butabsolutely in order to move into
that second chapter of ourlives, I think we have to um
(07:41):
change our perspective and andchange the lens.
And it's really important toenter that phase of life of
wonder and curiosity.
You um you say that women areleft with more questions than
answers across almost everychapter of their lives, from
puberty to menopause and beyond,right?
(08:03):
Forever.
What do you see as the rootcause of that generational
knowledge gap?
SPEAKER_00 (08:09):
I think we have underfunded and therefore
under-researched women.
You know, that is a clear fact.
Research was done in men, youknow, the the thinking was the
male body is the default, and wecan extrapolate information
based on research in men andapply it to women.
(08:31):
We know better now, you know,thankfully, but we're really
behind, right?
And so even the mostwell-meaning doctors oftentimes
will say to you, I wish I had ananswer, but we just don't have
the research.
And so I think that is ischanging more slowly than we'd
all like to see, but it ischanging.
That's the good news.
But I do think it's gonna meanall of us still need to speak up
(08:53):
about the the you know, terriblefact that for many, many years
women were left out of researchand and be vocal about the need
for that to continue to change.
Um, I think also another bigtakeaway as I talked to experts
for this book was that, youknow, women weren't at the table
deciding what was even gonna getresearched, right?
For two, for so long, it wasmale researchers and male
(09:16):
doctors who weren't dealing withcrippling pelvic pain.
So how were they to know tostudy it, you know, or and maybe
not listening to their femalepatients who were talking to
them about trends.
And and so, yeah, I feel likethankfully now we have so many
brilliant female researchers,doctors who are driving this
sex-specific research that we'veso desperately needed.
(09:38):
But I really think that is theroot cause of why so many of us,
again, even from doctors we loveand trust and think are
brilliant, when they say, Idon't know, it's not because
they haven't done theirhomework.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:49):
Good point.
SPEAKER_01 (09:51):
Well, I mean, lots have changed since you know the
when when women went off ofhormone therapy and the 1993 NIH
inclusion rule and the 2024White House initiative that we
were all so excited about, theinvestment in women's health.
You know, what's different now?
And if you were setting thehealth research agenda for the
(10:14):
next 10 years, what would youfund immediately?
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
Oh gosh.
I mean, well, I'll the firstpart of that question.
I think the good news is that weare understanding menopause
hormone therapy so much morenow, and so many of us are not
afraid of it like we used to be.
Like my mom is 72, she justturned 73 today, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (10:33):
And oh, happy birthday.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
Yeah, happy birthday, Mama Rabbit.
Um, she was denied uh hormonetherapy.
Like her doctors didn't evenbring it up because it was the
wake of the WHI.
And what a shame.
Because now, you know, uh, yeah,thankfully she's healthy, but I
wonder how much healthier shecould be if she was not denied
that really great therapy thatshe was a candidate for.
(10:55):
And so I think, you know,luckily we're talking about it
at 46 now.
I can't go anywhere withgirlfriends my age or around my
age and not have a conversationabout hormone therapy.
Yeah.
And that's amazing.
Amazing, you know, absolutelyamazing.
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
The statistics are still pretty low of the number
of people who are on it.
We're talking about it, maybe,but people are still afraid.
We get, you know, messages fromsome of our closest friends.
We're like, my doctor said this.
Is this okay?
Like, yeah, it's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (11:23):
I I think the fear is still there, but I uh I do
think that the conversation ishappening more.
I do think that we're talkingabout it and women are asking
questions and they're curious.
You know, we keep coming backback to that word, but they are
they're very curious, um, andthey care about their long-term
health.
So I think it's good, even ifwomen are still a little bit
(11:45):
cautious, it takes time tochange.
Right.
It takes time to feel safe.
And I think, you know, as ourhealthcare providers are
educated and more and more ofthem um begin to understand
menopause specifically, I thinkthat will change as well,
because those conversations willbe more understood in the
(12:06):
doctor's office as well asoutside.
unknown (12:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (12:10):
Bingo.
And I think women, you know,still have a lot of questions.
Like there's there's often a lotof misinformation that gets
tossed around when I'm in theseconversations, you know, at
dinner or out for a hike with agirlfriend.
And I'm like, wait a second,like, you know, a girlfriend and
I were just hiking recently, andI said, you can't just
willy-nilly like cut your patchin into fours and use that.
(12:32):
Like you have to call yourdoctor.
SPEAKER_02 (12:33):
I don't mean to laugh at your friend, but it
this is this is the truth.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
It's common, right?
And it's and it is sort of like,you know, it's still a
medication where you wouldn'tjust change your dose on your
own of something else.
But again, it speaks to thismisinformation, I think, because
we haven't really been educatedabout our options and and what
it means.
Um, yeah.
And so I think as, you know,exactly right, we're we're
(12:58):
talking more about it, which isa great thing.
And I think it's more reason forus as women to feel really
empowered to be proactive umparticipants in our care.
You know, right now at 46, Iwant doctors, particularly my
gynecologist and my primary carephysician, who can speak to
hormone therapy.
I outright ask, what's yourtake?
(13:20):
You know, here's here's what I'mexperiencing.
Like, when do you think it'swise to start?
And if someone doesn't know theresearch, if they can't talk
about menopause hormone therapy,I'm out.
You know, like it's not gonnawork for me.
SPEAKER_02 (13:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, in the um spirit ofspeaking up and advocating for
ourselves, let's let's talkabout that.
Let's talk about advocacy,empowerment.
Um, you talk openly aboutdismissing your own heavy
bleeding as hemorrhaging.
I feel you.
I had heavy, heavy floodingbleeding, but blaming it on
(13:57):
peri-menopause until you had anultrasound that changed
everything for you.
Why do you think self-dismissalis so common for women?
And then the second piece ofthat, what do you want women who
are listening to know about themoment that it's time for them
to speak up in a medicalappointment?
SPEAKER_00 (14:16):
Yeah.
So I, as you, as you say, I forfor a lot of years just thought
it was my normal to spend thefirst two to three days of my
period, as I joked,hemorrhaging.
Uh someone recently said it waslike crime scene periods for
her, and that that tracked forme too.
Um, and I would just put on anovernight pad and change it
(14:38):
every hour and and just think, Iguess this is me.
Now, meanwhile, I was anemic andnot if I rolled over too quickly
in bed, I was getting dizzy.
Like these are some prettysignificant symptoms.
I lost days of vacation funbecause I just had to be
sitting, you know, just I thinka lot of women can relate to
this.
(14:58):
And I think I just really, youknow, I I will admit I'm like
the straight A student,go-getter, high achiever, put me
in overdrive and I'm I'll sailthrough, like I'll chug my way
through.
And I think I did that with myown symptoms.
And I think a lot of women canrelate to that.
It's just like, well, one of thedownsides of being a girl, you
(15:18):
know, but I can deal with it, Ican manage.
And so that's what happened foryears.
And then I I get I it'sinteresting because in our, you
know, increasing talk aboutperimenopause, and you hear
like, oh, your cycle can getpretty heavy in perimenopause.
I was just like, well, thatexplains it.
Meanwhile, I am not a doctor.
(15:39):
I did not go to medical school.
I'm not a nurse, you know, Idon't have the training to make
that call for myself, but I didanyway, confidently, and then
never really brought it up at myhealthcare appointments.
And I go regularly to thedoctor.
Like I'm a Well Woman visit,plus a primary care visit every
year.
And still it went unchecked.
And it because of me, because Ididn't, you know, I wasn't
(16:01):
forthcoming with the severity ofthe symptoms.
When did it change for you?
What what happened?
Finally, I did see a new nursepractitioner for my Well Woman
visit.
And I was talking to her aboutlike day one, day two, my period
is like pretty bad.
And I mentioned, um, and I'vebeen experiencing some clots.
And I just explained it away toher.
(16:22):
I was like, but of course it'sperimenopause, right?
You know, and she's like, Well,let's take a little closer look.
And she ordered the vaginalultrasound.
So it was a combination of mebeing forthcoming and not trying
to, it was almost when I lookback, and I'm almost ashamed to
say this, but we're gonna dropthe shame here.
So I'm I'm gonna say get rid ofit.
(16:43):
Yep.
I wanted the the to be an A plusstudent, even in my doctor's
office.
Like, how messed up is that?
Doctors have seen everything,they they want to know all the
gory details, and here I washolding back, yeah, because I
wanted to be the like goodstudent, you know.
It's a little bit like oey, Iwish I could go back to younger
Megan and just be like, No, youdon't have to do that.
(17:05):
Um but again, I I I hope thatsharing this might make other
women say, like, uh-oh, likethat's me too, you know.
And wait a second, what am Imissing?
Because I'm just trying to likeget a gold star.
SPEAKER_02 (17:19):
Yeah.
Yeah, get the pin, get the pinfor the day.
Um, I'm glad that you did.
Yeah.
And I I do hope that sharing thestory will help um other women
have the courage to do the same.
I do think um feeling safe withyour provider uh is is really,
really important.
Uh, we can't open up to ourproviders if we don't feel safe
(17:41):
and we don't feel heard.
You you mentioned that too.
SPEAKER_00 (17:44):
So And I would add, you know, to you know, so after
I realized I had a uterus fullof fibroids after that vaginal
ultrasound, um, it was anothercouple years because I was like,
well, maybe I can make it tomenopause with the uterus full
of fibroids and deal with thesymptoms.
And then I I actuallyinterviewed doctors.
I I made appointments withdifferent surgeons to talk
(18:06):
through my options.
And I think that's another bigtakeaway.
It's like we can ask questions,we can make sure that the
physicians we see and the oneswe decide to, in my case,
operate on us.
I did having a hysterectomy, um,which was the right decision for
me and my specific case offibroids.
You know, it's pretty clearthere are other ways to treat
(18:28):
fibroids.
Um yeah, it was so empoweringbeing able to like.
I remember walking out of onegynecologist's office being
like, Nope, that is not mydoctor.
And I'm proud of myself forlistening to that, for being
like, it was it was part like Ididn't like some of the answers,
I didn't like, but also justintuition.
And I think when we have, youknow, this baseline knowledge
(18:50):
about our bodies, we're we'rebetter able to clue in to what
our gut is trying to tell us allalong, too.
I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (18:57):
Yeah, I remember um when I was pregnant, and the
doctor's like, how's it going?
I'm like, ah, you know, it'sfine, pregnant, blah, blah,
blah, heartburn.
And she's like, Wait, what?
And I'm like, Yeah, really,really bad heartburn, but it's
fine.
She's like, No, it's not fine,and gave me something for it,
and I was fine.
But you don't think to talkabout those things that you feel
like you're just supposed to belike, Yeah, suck it up and have
(19:19):
suffer how much suffering do youneed?
SPEAKER_00 (19:21):
Oh, I love, I love that totally.
And actually, it reminds me whenI interviewed Dr.
Vonda Wright for the book, shesaid, Megan, I can't tell you
how many women, she's anorthopedic surgeon.
She's an I can't tell you howmany women, not men, wear their
pain like a badge of honor.
No.
And the sad thing is like themore pain goes untreated, the
(19:44):
more pain we feel, right?
Yeah, so it really, but butanother trend of of what I heard
from the the clinicians andresearchers I interviewed for
this book is that women feel alot of shame around our bodies.
Like we should we shouldn't beexperiencing heartbreak.
Burner.
It must be something I ate, andthat's why it couldn't be right.
(20:06):
You know, I interviewed Dr.
Elizabeth Coleman, a breastcancer specialist, oncologist
who said she's treating women,she's standing at the bedside of
women who are dying of breastcancer and they're apologizing
to her for not wearingdeodorant.
Wow.
Like I mean, and it's so sad,but like I think I might be one
(20:26):
of those women.
And I'm a confident,intelligent, like go-getter
woman.
And I could see myself doingthat.
And so my hope, too, is that inin conversations like these,
we're having them with ourgirlfriends, in addition to our
doctors, the people who takecare of us, we can start to drop
some of that shame, you know,and just say, this is what's
real.
And I am worthy of treatment.
SPEAKER_02 (20:48):
Quick pause here because this matters.
Medovia is proud to be the firstand only organization in the
U.S.
offering a menopause-friendlymembership and accreditation for
workplaces.
We're not a trend.
We are not check the boxbenefit.
We're a movement for lastingchange.
(21:10):
We're helping organizations ofall sizes shift culture, support
their people, and retainexperienced talent.
Whether you're looking just toget started or ready to lead the
way, we've built a roadmaprooted in best practices from
hundreds of employers across theglobe.
If you want to learn more, headto menopausefriendlyus.com and
(21:32):
find out how to become aworkplace that doesn't just talk
the talk, but walks it.
Because menopause is a workplaceissue and the best organizations
know it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:45):
Well, it's interesting because you we're
talking about the silence thatwomen keep around periods,
around pain, around sex, aroundmenopause.
What why do you see that thesilence is breaking more
powerfully today?
What's happening today wherewomen are just saying, you know,
no way, I'm not going to do thisanymore?
SPEAKER_00 (22:06):
Yeah, I've thought a lot about that because uh, you
know, my mother's generationwould not be all sitting around
talking about menopausetogether.
And if they did, it was verymuch in hushed tones.
And we're talking loudly aboutit these days, you know, like in
front of husbands and and guyfriends, and and it's so
fantastic.
I think I see a lot on socialmedia now.
(22:27):
I think a lot of it's on socialmedia.
We've got uh doctors who arereally taking on the role as
health educators, and andthey've hit menopause and have
are in their post-menopauseyears now, and they're like,
Okay, we gotta talk about this.
Like, I'm gonna use my platformto do good here.
And so I think that's one aspectof it.
SPEAKER_02 (22:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
I think I'm also really hopeful when I talk to
young people, young women havethis totally new um way of
speaking it like it is.
Like they come with truth,they're more comfortable in
their bodies, they are um moreforthcoming with information
that I think would have made meblush when I was their age.
(23:06):
And I think those of us inmidlife are learning from that.
And we're like, oh, if she'sstrutting her stuff, I'm gonna
do the same, you know, andstrutting stuff meaning a host
of things.
SPEAKER_02 (23:16):
So yeah, yeah.
But we always say, uh, what areyour ideas on that?
Well, we always say that, youknow, we do the work that we do
um every single day for ourdaughters because we don't want
them to have the same experiencethat we had.
Um, and they don't have to, butyou know, even today, I walked
downstairs, took a break from myhome office here, and my
(23:39):
daughter was talking to a coupleof her friends downstairs, and
they were having an in-depthconversation about sex and just
perception, and why is it thisway?
And can you believe this book,this book was written and
listened to this, and itshouldn't be that case?
And um, they were just verycomfortable with that.
(24:00):
At that age, um, when I wastheir age, there's no way that I
would have had that conversationwith my friends, and certainly
as my mom was walking throughthe kitchen, right?
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Yeah, your mom didn't focus on uh puberty and
women's health and menopause.
SPEAKER_02 (24:17):
No, no, my daughter has grown up with it.
Uh, and so is my son.
But it but it's great, right?
I mean, that's normalizing theconversation.
Um, and and I think it'swonderful and empowering that we
are having those conversations.
So, yes, I think social media, Iagree with you, Megan, I think
it has played a huge role.
Are medical professionals thatare speaking loudly on social
(24:41):
media, thank goodness for them,because that's hard work.
It's a lot of work and peopledon't realize that.
Um, but just normalizing theconversation, you know, is is
really, really important forsure.
I'm wondering um, do you haveany stories of women that or
everyday people that struck youas the turning point of that
(25:05):
cultural shift?
Is there anybody that comes tomind for you?
SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
Of personal stories when it comes to being more open
about yeah, that have changedthe cultural shift.
SPEAKER_02 (25:16):
You know, we're talking about this, and I'm
like, I I can visualize a coupleof people, but I can too.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Who do you oh my gosh, totally?
I mean, the one that comes tomind is a newer friend,
actually.
I know through pickleball, whichis my new midlife, like, oh, I
can't get enough of it, so muchjoy.
But I've made so many friends.
I think that's part of it.
It's so social.
Um, and so a newer friend, andshe found out I was working on
this book, The New Rules ofWomen's Health, and she was
(25:41):
like, Can I talk to you aboutvaginal estrogen?
And I I don't know her, I don'tknow her well.
We were sitting among a bunch ofother pickleball friends, like,
and I was just like, How cool isthis?
You know, how cool is it that Ithen pointed her to the
Instagram of Dr.
Krin Men, who is an amazingOBGYN, who did this real, I'll
(26:03):
never forget it, where she wasjust like, ladies, you get your
vaginal estrogen, throw out theapplicator, you put it on your
finger, you put your vagina, yourub it on the anterior wall.
And I was like, every womanneeds this, right?
Because it turned out that thiswoman I was talking to, she
wasn't using the vaginalestrogen that was prescribed to
her because she was like, ugh,applicator messy, and then it
falls all out.
(26:24):
And I was like, oh my gosh,watch this, you know.
Yeah.
And so how cool that I'm talkingto a 50-something year old
woman, you know, telling heressentially to go on TikTok and
watch a meal.
Yes.
So I think that's one storywhere I was just like, oh, this
is so great.
SPEAKER_02 (26:39):
You know, it is, it's fantastic.
Yes, so good.
Okay, so I'm gonna share onestory and then we'll dive into
another question for you.
But same thing happened to me atthe nail salon right before
Christmas.
A woman, two ladies, I told youthis, Kim, didn't I?
Yeah, two ladies um had broughttheir mom to get their nails
done.
They're all three sitting there.
Daughters are my age, you know,mom's probably in her 70s, I'm
(27:02):
gonna guess.
But they're having a littleconversation, and I'm
overhearing the conversationbecause you're sitting side by
side.
Come to find that she's reallyuncomfortable sitting.
Um, some of the things that shenoted made me wonder if she was
having UTIs.
And so I just kind of stuck mynose in and said, Hey, couldn't
help but overhearing.
(27:22):
Um, you know, first of all, hereare a couple of people that you
should talk to.
Go look at this new white paperthat was just written about
vaginal estrogen and UTIs.
She said, Oh my goodness, my GPtold me that I should be taking
vaginal estrogen for this.
And she didn't listen.
She was listening to herurologist, and I was like, Oh my
goodness.
So the conversations arehappening, right?
(27:44):
They're happening at pickleball,they're happening while you get
your nails done.
Totally.
Um, and it's just, it's justamazing.
So the stories.
SPEAKER_00 (27:52):
Yeah, it really is.
It's funny.
I I joked with um, I just had alike a one-year follow-up after
I had a hysterectomy, and Ijoked with my surgeon.
I said, I really want asweatshirt that says ask me
about my hysterectomy.
Because it's like, and I wouldbe proud to wear it, you know.
It's like, yeah, bring bring iton, bring on these conversations
that that used to make us blushor you know, say, Oh my gosh, I
(28:15):
can't talk about that in politecompany.
It's like, no, we can talk abouteverything now, ladies.
SPEAKER_01 (28:19):
Yeah, well, we forget because we'll talk about
it like normally with peoplethat are not comfortable because
we forget.
We talk about it all day long.
And then you go to a trainingsession and we say words that
people like don't hear in theworld.
Don't say vagina.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (28:33):
Well, and on that note, it's so funny.
I was on a hike with my husbanduh just this past weekend and
ran into somebody and they werelike, Tell me, your book's about
to come out.
What was the coolest thing youlearned?
And I was like, honestly, someof the information I learned
about the clitoris just blew mymind.
And my husband, after we walkedaway, he's like, Man, he's like,
(28:53):
I think you should your the nameof your blog should be From Zero
to Clitoris.
But I do feel like we should besaying these words.
We should say clitoris, fulva,you know, we should all these
words where you're vagina, likewhere you're like, no, let's say
it.
Like, let's just take away thoselayers that have been there for
years so that it's just anotherword, like knee, you know,
(29:17):
exactly.
Totally.
Exactly.
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (29:20):
And we get, we get, I'm sure, like you're just
describing, we get everybodytelling us our their story
because we're a safe place,right?
Because we'll talk about it.
But um, I want to switch gearsand talk a little bit about
culture change in the workplace.
And from your reporting and theresearch on this book, how is
the workplace shaping women'shealth outcomes?
(29:43):
For better, for worse.
What you know, how is theworkplace affecting women and
and their longevity?
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
Yeah, I mean, I think that's an area where we
have so much ground to coverstill, right?
Is really making actionablechanges in the workplace,
systemic changes, actually, toreally tee up women to um to go
through this transition in a waywhere they feel more supported
if they're working full-time orpart-time, you know.
(30:11):
Um yeah, I I mean, would youagree?
Like, I feel like we're failingwomen when it comes to the
workplace.
And and it's it's so I had thisthought the other day where I'm
like, gosh, like we, you know,you you can take leave of
absence for you, you do take amaternity leave usually if
you're, you know, a mom, butlike we there's no potential for
(30:32):
taking time off if you're havinga really rough go during the
menopause transition, you know.
And there's something, you know,maybe you maybe you take paid
family and medical leave if youknow that's available to you,
but like that, there's a problemwith that, yeah.
Because this transition ismajor, and so many women, but I
think also it's like so manywomen struggle so deeply, and
(30:53):
then other women don't.
And you know, so like there isso much variety in what we
experience.
And I wonder if that plays intoit as well.
Um, but I think we're failingwomen, you know.
I think in Europe they're doinga way better job, and we've got
a lot to learn um from some ofthe changes that they they're
making.
SPEAKER_02 (31:12):
We completely agree.
Uh the UK is about 10 yearsahead of us uh with menopause in
the workplace support.
And I I do think that um it'smisunderstood that menopause is
just misunderstood.
Um, and it's where periods whereadministration was 10 years ago,
where it was, oh, she's just youknow, she's just on her on her
(31:35):
period.
She's just having a few cramps.
Um, and we dismiss it as ageneral public because we don't
understand what women can begoing through.
And I think it's the same thingwith menopause.
It there needs to be a lot moretraining and education across
all levels of the organization,male, female, all genders, so
(31:56):
that um there's a little moreempathy, right?
And understanding, and to havethose workplace accommodations
and guidance and policies inplace so that we can get the
help that we need to just comeback to work.
That's all we want to do.
Right.
And stay at work and stay atwork and perform like we always
have, right?
Yeah, yeah, totally.
(32:17):
We always say it's it's not wedon't have a disease over here,
it's just part of life, and wejust need a little bit of help
to get over the hump, right?
Yeah, yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_00 (32:26):
Yeah, it's it's sad.
That's what I have found is thatwe are not doing what we should
be doing for women um in theworkplace.
You know, it is it is one of thebleaker uh there's no way to
sugarcoat it.
SPEAKER_01 (32:38):
Yeah, I think it's menopause, but it's also, you
know, every hormonal stage wetend to avoid it and ignore it.
And there's your as yourbeautiful big fancy book says,
like, there's a lot of things toconsider that women haven't even
thought about or understood.
SPEAKER_00 (32:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (32:58):
And employers are not even close to understanding
it at that level.
SPEAKER_00 (33:01):
Totally.
And even, you know, women, Ithink, you know, I I tend to
focus, I'm a service journalist.
So I interview experts aboutokay, so what can we do in the
face of the lack of research, inthe face of the lack of really
great systemic change that canhelp support us in the
workplace?
Like, what do we do?
And one of my big takeaways, andsomething I will be doing
(33:22):
through my menopause transition,is really being a good reporter
of my symptoms to myself, firstand foremost.
A reporter, but also a recorder,like take notes, right?
It's like there are so manysymptoms of menopause.
Um, and some of them can feelreally subtle.
And again, they're ones that wecan very talk away very easily,
(33:42):
like it's just stress.
I'm just, you know, busy.
Um, but I feel like I have anotebook and I'm trying now at
46 to really say, okay, like howdo I feel?
What are the trends?
It might not be every day, buteven if I can do a weekly
check-in in my journal, youknow, of like, yeah, oh yeah,
(34:02):
this there was some mood stuffthis week.
There, I was feeling a littleragey, which is a little
disorienting because it's a new,pretty new emotion for me.
Yeah.
Um, and yeah, and I think themore we can stay clued into
that, the more we can just sortof, yeah, you know, even if we
don't get external support, wecan support ourselves.
(34:24):
Yeah.
And and recognize, like, okay, II'm not dreaming this up.
I'm feeling crazy.
Let me be a little more gentlewith myself today.
SPEAKER_02 (34:31):
Yeah.
And that helps with your um carewith your physician too.
The more we understand ourbodies and the more that we can
track it and bring thatinformation in, right?
So it comes back to theadvocating advocacy piece and
advocating for ourselves.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, that's what mostmenopause specialists too are
like, look, if you can come tome with that journal and that's
right, it'll help me help you.
You know, and I think that's thething where a lot of women have
felt dismissed, um, not seenfully by their physicians.
There are many of us, and thereare so many doctors who really
do want to care for us.
(35:08):
You know, like that's not allbad news.
I think if anything, like we'reon the upturn of doctors who are
really engaged and want, want tobe um, you know, make shared
decisions.
Shared decision making is is iswhat they're going for as well.
But in order to make that shareddecision making about our
menopause hormone therapychoices and other treatments
available to us, we need to beactive participants in our care.
SPEAKER_01 (35:32):
Completely goes back to speaking up for yourself,
like you had to learn how to do,and that's so hard because as
you rightly stated, you we learnas grow as we're growing up to
just like shut our mouth anddeal with it.
And and this is the time whereyou need to and I think beyond
you know, not just menopause,but I think I hope that our
(35:55):
daughters and their friendslearn to speak up for what it is
that they want too, becauseotherwise you're not gonna get
what you want or what you needin order to help you.
SPEAKER_00 (36:05):
Totally.
SPEAKER_01 (36:06):
Um so what motivated this book for you, and what do
you hope people take away whenthey're done with it?
It's a great resource, like it'ssomething that you're gonna want
to have on your shelf to lookthings up and you know, tear
down the pages of bookmark hereand there.
Like, what were you hoping toaccomplish and what do you want
(36:28):
people to walk away with?
SPEAKER_00 (36:29):
Yeah, that that was my goal was to write a narrative
reference.
You know, what I so the book'sorigin story is a fun one.
Uh, I have the privilege ofworking for Maria Sharver.
And I was out in LA and we weretalking about the Sunday paper
and editorial coverage.
And Maria, knowing my longhistory of being a health
journalist, said, I wasmid-salad bite.
(36:52):
And she said, Megan, I want youto write a woman's health book.
I want it to be a manifesto.
We don't have one and we needone.
You know, we've got our bodiesourselves, which is an
incredible resource.
But when you think about it, itreally focuses on what we now
call bikini medicine.
It's breast health, sexualhealth, gynecologic health,
really important aspects of ourhealth.
(37:12):
But we know more about women'sbrains now, our hearts, our
immune systems.
Um, and so she really wanted meto do a lifespan book, you know?
And so I interviewed over ahundred leading experts.
I fact-checked, I, you know,reported deeply, fact-checked,
wrote, rewrote, all in an effortto help women to have this book
(37:33):
be a resource that you can keepon your shelf and say, huh, like
I just had my mammogram.
I found out I had extremelydense breasts, and now my doctor
is recommending a breast MRI.
What's involved?
You know, what do I need toknow?
Or a biopsy.
You know, there's there's asection on what all the
different lumps in your breastscould be, maybe not cancer.
(37:53):
You know, there's there arechapters that my hope is you can
dive into when something is upfor you, symptoms-wise, or a
health diagnosis that can um,again, help you feel this sense
of empowerment, a baselineknowledge that gives you
confidence when you go to yourdoctor and say, okay, here's
what I know.
How does that sound?
Where do I fall into this?
(38:14):
And and and have betterinteractions.
You know, I I was finishedreporting this book and I had a
new visit, a new primary care umphysician.
I needed to find one.
And we sat down and I reallyliked her.
She was young, kind of fresh outof medical school, but she was
listening to me and I was goingthrough my symptoms or my health
and family health history.
(38:36):
And I I promise you, her eyeswere like sparkling.
She was so excited.
And I was like, this was fun.
And she was like, I can't tellyou how great this was.
And I feel like we covered moreground because we're coming with
so much information.
And that's really my hope forwomen is that they tuck in and
out of this book and really feellike they have that interaction
(38:57):
with their doctor.
You know, their doctor or theirhealthcare provider is like, oh,
cool.
Like, yeah, look how much you'recoming to me with.
Like, let's go to town, youknow?
Yeah.
Let's cover more ground.
SPEAKER_01 (39:08):
Yeah.
I love, I love how you breakthings down.
Like, I was I was talking to mymom today about all that you all
that you did around um Gravesdisease and um all of those
diseases that you what do theycall autoimmune disease.
Yeah, autoimmune.
You break them all down and youlike you make it, you make a
have a lot of sense with it.
(39:29):
My mom got graves and she gotpsoriasis.
And you're likely to get morewhen you another autoimmune when
you get one.
And so it was just it was I Iknow about those things, but it
was so great to see them justright there.
If I had had it to be able tocome, I had graves to be able to
compare it against the otherthings that were going on.
Yeah, if I had a book that Icould just open up and be able
(39:50):
to be like, okay, that makessense.
That's what I feel like thisthis book is.
It's not a like you're not gonnalay down in bed at night and
read it when you Go to sleep.
But it is right.
But it is something it is reallygreat to be able to look up
things.
And I I, you know, and lookingat it, I'm like, you didn't miss
(40:11):
anything.
SPEAKER_02 (40:12):
From what I it's the entire health span.
I mean, it really is.
SPEAKER_00 (40:16):
And you know, there are so many amazing women's
health books right now.
Like there just are.
And and so as as a former bossonce always said, and I loved
it, you can't boil the ocean,right?
And so I didn't what I tried todo with this was give us enough
baseline knowledge so that thenif if you've got Graves'
disease, you're probably gonnaokay, get some information from
(40:38):
my immune health chapter, butthen go to one of the many books
that are do a deeper dive intothat topic, right?
Yeah, but with this reference,and a friend recently said, I,
you know, I love that you yousay you can keep it on your
bookshelf to reference.
I think we should keep it on ourcoffee tables.
It's like a coffee table book.
The cover is really pretty, butalso how great would it be if
not only the other women in yourlife, but the men in our life
(41:01):
have a better understanding.
Like to be honest with you, Ihave given this book chapters of
it as I was working on it to myhusband.
And I said, Read this.
I have a breast MRI and I'mgonna need some support as I go
through this testing.
And I want you to know the layof the land.
And he was like, Wow, I had noidea.
And he he was a better supportsystem for me then, you know?
And so let's bring in thehusbands and the sons and the
(41:23):
best guy friends to thisconversation as well.
SPEAKER_02 (41:26):
Agree, agree.
People ask all the time, Megan,what do I do?
How do I start the conversationwith my husband or my kids or
right, my teenage kids to helpthem to understand what I'm
going through?
There's the answer, right?
And we often say, Well, thereare a number of books, right?
Um, dog ear, give it to them.
Um, it's exactly what you'retalking about right now, so that
(41:48):
they can understand what you'rereally going through.
So it's you're right, it's it'san amazing, um, like golden egg
reference book for women and menum of all ages.
And we're so thrilled that youtook the three years that you
did research and write it, uh,because that's not an easy feat.
(42:11):
But I think you're gonna blessso many, so many people with
your book.
So thank you for writing it.
SPEAKER_00 (42:16):
I so appreciate that.
And yeah, and I think you know,the other real driving force for
me was this book needs to befilled with evidence-based
information because we areliving in an era where we are
bombarded with information,yeah, misinformation,
information that comes fromsources where we're like, can I
trust this person?
No, and there's actually a wholesection, a chapter of the book
(42:36):
on navigating health in thisdigital age we're living in, you
know.
So there's sections on how do Isus fact from medical fiction,
you know?
And to really, again, like makesure that women uh uh like have
the evidence-based knowledge,like we are worth having facts,
not all of the hoopla around,you know, that gets created
(42:58):
around a lot of these topics.
SPEAKER_02 (43:00):
Yeah.
So and that we're safe, and thatwe aren't spending unnecessary
money.
So, you know, we could go onwith that list, but uh, we have
pom-poms over here just shakingfor you when we hear
evidence-based, because um, allthat we deliver is
evidence-based, science-backed.
It's really important.
Yeah, yeah.
So thank you for that becausethat takes a lot of time as
(43:23):
well.
You kind of go down rabbit holeswith that.
We know the feeling.
unknown (43:26):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:27):
Um go ahead, Kim.
Well, yeah, I think you're gonnasay the same thing.
Um, Megan, where can people findyou when they're looking for
your information?
SPEAKER_00 (43:36):
Yeah, so you can go to New Rulesofwomen's
Health.com.
That is my book website whereyou find more about me.
You can follow me on socialsthere, find out about some
events I do.
Um, and yeah, that that's thewebsite.
SPEAKER_02 (43:52):
And one more question before we let you go
that we ask all of our guests.
What's the best piece of advicethat you've ever received?
SPEAKER_00 (44:00):
Gosh, I feel like I have received been blessed
really with getting so muchgreat advice throughout my life.
But the the one I feel called toshare after this conversation is
climb into your body and reallyfeel what you're feeling.
You know, I think I I have atendency to be in my head, as
evidenced by what I shared withyou before about talking away
(44:22):
symptoms and being the straightA student.
And what I'm really trying to donow, after getting great advice
a few years ago, is like, can Itake a deep breath and climb
into my body and actually feelwhat I'm feeling, whether it's a
physical sensation or anemotion?
And I I notice that the more Ido that, it doesn't always feel
comfortable.
(44:42):
Sometimes actually sitting withthe discomfort of what I'm
experiencing when I climb in isnot fun.
But it's like the closer I getto the feeling, whatever I'm
feeling, the the faster itactually dissipates or I find
right.
And so I think as women, andespecially as women in midlife
(45:03):
with so much going on, um, themore we can say, you know, let
me just take a breath and likeclimb into this miraculous body
of mine and just feel what's up.
SPEAKER_01 (45:15):
It's good and hard.
SPEAKER_02 (45:16):
Yeah, but it is you're right, you're a visual,
great visual to climb into yourbody.
Miraculous body.
We have to include that.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (45:24):
This miraculous body.
So great advice.
Well, this has been a lovelyconversation.
Um, I know that your book goeslive next week.
Most likely our podcast will airwhen your book is published.
And so, congratulations.
Congratulations, exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (45:42):
Thank you so much.
I have absolutely loved thisconversation.
I feel like we could talk foranother few hours.
Agree.
SPEAKER_02 (45:48):
Probably could.
We'll probably have to have youback here at some point to talk
about post-book launch.
But until we meet again,listeners, go find joy in the
journey.
Thanks, everyone.
Take care.
Thank you for listening to theMedovia Menopause podcast.
If you enjoyed today's show,please give it a thumbs up,
subscribe for future episodes,leave a review, and share this
(46:12):
episode with a friend.
Medovia is out to change thenarrative.
Learn more at Medovia.com.
That's M I D O V I A.com.
Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your
trusted source for informationabout menopause and midlife.
Join us each episode as we havegreat conversations with great
people.
Tune in and enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_01 (00:16):
Hey, welcome to 2026, everybody, to the Medovia
Menopause Podcast.
It's Kim and April again, andtoday's episode is one we've
been looking forward to.
We're joined by Megan Rabbit.
She's an award-winningjournalist and the author of the
newly published book, The NewRules of Women's Health.
Megan is an award-winningjournalist covering health,
(00:38):
nutrition, and psychology, andshe's currently an editor at
Maria Schriver's The SundayPaper and has written for
prevention, health, women'shealth, and more.
She previously worked atparenting, alternative medicine,
natural health, and yoga journalmagazines.
Her new book is a roadmap forevery stage of a woman's life.
It fills the gaps so many of ushave felt when the symptoms were
(01:00):
brushed aside, when providersdidn't have the answers, when we
sensed something wasn't right,but we didn't have the language
to advocate for ourselves.
So from puberty toperimenopause, pelvic health to
brain health, fertility tochronic conditions, Megan lays
out what has been missing andwhat needs to change.
And she names the truth that wetalk about here all the time
(01:23):
that women are not small men.
Our bodies, our hormones, ourexperience, and our health
trajectories deserve their ownresearch, their own care
pathways, and their own respect.
So today we're driving intodiving into stories, the
science, and the surprisinginsights behind the book, and
what Megan hopes women willfinally claim in their health
(01:44):
journey.
And our hope is that you walkaway from this conversation
feeling more confident, moreinformed, and more connected to
your own voice.
So let's get into it.
Megan, welcome to the MedoviaPodcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:57):
I am so excited to be here.
And what an intro.
That was awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (02:02):
Yay, good.
Okay, so right out of the shoot,you write that every woman you
talk to says the same thing.
I can't get the healthcareanswers I need.
What finally pushed you to sayI'm going to write the book that
fills this gap?
SPEAKER_00 (02:15):
Yeah.
So I have dedicated my career asa health journalist to writing
about health and in a way thatwomen mostly I've focused on
women's health, where women cantake the information and apply
it to their lives.
Because I think every woman hasfelt dismissed by their
healthcare providers.
(02:36):
They've felt like their wholestory hasn't been fully listened
to.
And my belief and what I aim todo in this book is when women
have knowledge, we feel moreconfident in saying, actually,
you're not fully hearing me.
Here's what I'm saying.
Let's go over this again, youknow?
And not only that, but we feelconfident to say, huh, I don't
(02:57):
feel fully seen or heard here.
I'm gonna look for anotherdoctor or healthcare provider.
Um, and so yeah, isn't it a sadstate that still in 2026 most
women will say, I wish I had themost amazing posse of healthcare
providers, you know?
SPEAKER_02 (03:16):
Yeah, yeah.
Um, and there's plenty ofhealthcare providers.
So just note that, but we'restill we're still hearing the
same thing from women.
You know, I I want to ask thisquestion because for several
reasons, but because my word forthe year is wonder.
So I have to I have to ask youthis question.
You describe that feeling ofwonder about your body as a
(03:39):
girl, right?
Um, before the whole world toldyou what it should look like,
what you should, who you shouldbe, right?
I'm wondering how that earlyloss of body trust helps shape
healthcare experience for womenlater in life.
What are your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER_00 (03:59):
What a cool question.
Yeah, you know, I don't havekids, but I have nieces and
little nieces who you can almostsee the moment when the world
gets to them, you know, whenthey go from just not knowing or
noticing or giving a you knowwhat about what anyone else
thinks.
And then suddenly there's thisrecognition of like, uh-oh,
(04:21):
other people are looking, otherpeople are judging.
And I think it does impact howwe feel about ourselves.
It certainly impacts our mentalhealth, right?
But I think it impacts ourphysical health as well because
as women, we get told a lot ofstories, um, a range of stories,
right?
One that I identify with is buckup, buttercup.
You're strong.
Yeah, yeah.
(04:42):
You can do it, you can chug yourway through.
And not that that was anexplicit, like you must do this
from my parents or or otherfigures in my life, but that was
what I picked up as a littleone, you know, and that had very
real health implications for me.
And and I'd say still does, youknow, writing this book really
helped unwind some of that.
But for years, even as a healthjournalist, I ignored a lot of
(05:05):
my own health symptoms that Ishould have seen as red flags.
And and I do attribute that tothis, you know, you know, buck
up.
You got this, just keep chuggingahead.
It's no big deal.
You know, you're tough.
SPEAKER_02 (05:19):
Yeah.
I when you, as you were talking,Megan, it reminded me of almost
the moment that I saw that withmy own daughter on the
playground, right?
I remember her playing, watchingsoccer games, my son's soccer
games, and she was in herbeautiful little princess
dresses, you know, flippingaround on the playground and
just didn't even care.
She just felt free and pretty.
(05:41):
Um, and it changed almostovernight.
Where she wasn't wearing thedresses, she didn't want to do
certain things because she wasafraid that people were
watching.
Um, and I think we do do thesame thing as it carries into
our adult life.
Um, and I also think that, youknow, that word freeing is
(06:02):
important too.
It is freeing when you don'tgive a you know what um about
what people think and when youdo uh enter situations with
wonder.
So just to be curious, like whatcan my body do now?
Right?
Not what should I look like now,but what can I do now in this
changing body?
Um, how powerful, how strong canI be?
(06:25):
So I love that you included thatin your book.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Well, and I feel called to talk a little more
about wonder right now becauseas I was working on the
menopause chapter, one trendthat I heard from a lot of the
experts was look, in all of ourtalk about symptoms and how
challenging this transition canbe.
And to be clear, it can be verychallenging.
So I don't want to minimizethat.
If we can come at it with asense of wonder and a sense of
(06:50):
curiosity about our changingbodies, hold some space for the
positives that can happen duringthis transition, as well as
really feeling the feels of allthe negatives that can be
present as well.
I think that's when we can moveinto that second phase of our
lives, the post-menopausalyears, with a sense of
empowerment, continued sense ofwonder, and really this like
(07:13):
strength that we didn't evenrealize we had.
SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
Yeah, I completely agree.
Yeah, not to minimize thesymptoms, because I think we
probably each one of us have astory here that could be told,
um, our own unique story ofstruggles.
I know, I know we do.
Um I'm sure you do too, Megan.
So not to minimize that, butabsolutely in order to move into
that second chapter of ourlives, I think we have to um
(07:41):
change our perspective and andchange the lens.
And it's really important toenter that phase of life of
wonder and curiosity.
You um you say that women areleft with more questions than
answers across almost everychapter of their lives, from
puberty to menopause and beyond,right?
(08:03):
Forever.
What do you see as the rootcause of that generational
knowledge gap?
SPEAKER_00 (08:09):
I think we have underfunded and therefore
under-researched women.
You know, that is a clear fact.
Research was done in men, youknow, the the thinking was the
male body is the default, and wecan extrapolate information
based on research in men andapply it to women.
(08:31):
We know better now, you know,thankfully, but we're really
behind, right?
And so even the mostwell-meaning doctors oftentimes
will say to you, I wish I had ananswer, but we just don't have
the research.
And so I think that is ischanging more slowly than we'd
all like to see, but it ischanging.
That's the good news.
But I do think it's gonna meanall of us still need to speak up
(08:53):
about the the you know, terriblefact that for many, many years
women were left out of researchand and be vocal about the need
for that to continue to change.
Um, I think also another bigtakeaway as I talked to experts
for this book was that, youknow, women weren't at the table
deciding what was even gonna getresearched, right?
For two, for so long, it wasmale researchers and male
(09:16):
doctors who weren't dealing withcrippling pelvic pain.
So how were they to know tostudy it, you know, or and maybe
not listening to their femalepatients who were talking to
them about trends.
And and so, yeah, I feel likethankfully now we have so many
brilliant female researchers,doctors who are driving this
sex-specific research that we'veso desperately needed.
(09:38):
But I really think that is theroot cause of why so many of us,
again, even from doctors we loveand trust and think are
brilliant, when they say, Idon't know, it's not because
they haven't done theirhomework.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:49):
Good point.
SPEAKER_01 (09:51):
Well, I mean, lots have changed since you know the
when when women went off ofhormone therapy and the 1993 NIH
inclusion rule and the 2024White House initiative that we
were all so excited about, theinvestment in women's health.
You know, what's different now?
And if you were setting thehealth research agenda for the
(10:14):
next 10 years, what would youfund immediately?
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
Oh gosh.
I mean, well, I'll the firstpart of that question.
I think the good news is that weare understanding menopause
hormone therapy so much morenow, and so many of us are not
afraid of it like we used to be.
Like my mom is 72, she justturned 73 today, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (10:33):
And oh, happy birthday.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
Yeah, happy birthday, Mama Rabbit.
Um, she was denied uh hormonetherapy.
Like her doctors didn't evenbring it up because it was the
wake of the WHI.
And what a shame.
Because now, you know, uh, yeah,thankfully she's healthy, but I
wonder how much healthier shecould be if she was not denied
that really great therapy thatshe was a candidate for.
(10:55):
And so I think, you know,luckily we're talking about it
at 46 now.
I can't go anywhere withgirlfriends my age or around my
age and not have a conversationabout hormone therapy.
Yeah.
And that's amazing.
Amazing, you know, absolutelyamazing.
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
The statistics are still pretty low of the number
of people who are on it.
We're talking about it, maybe,but people are still afraid.
We get, you know, messages fromsome of our closest friends.
We're like, my doctor said this.
Is this okay?
Like, yeah, it's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (11:23):
I I think the fear is still there, but I uh I do
think that the conversation ishappening more.
I do think that we're talkingabout it and women are asking
questions and they're curious.
You know, we keep coming backback to that word, but they are
they're very curious, um, andthey care about their long-term
health.
So I think it's good, even ifwomen are still a little bit
(11:45):
cautious, it takes time tochange.
Right.
It takes time to feel safe.
And I think, you know, as ourhealthcare providers are
educated and more and more ofthem um begin to understand
menopause specifically, I thinkthat will change as well,
because those conversations willbe more understood in the
(12:06):
doctor's office as well asoutside.
unknown (12:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (12:10):
Bingo.
And I think women, you know,still have a lot of questions.
Like there's there's often a lotof misinformation that gets
tossed around when I'm in theseconversations, you know, at
dinner or out for a hike with agirlfriend.
And I'm like, wait a second,like, you know, a girlfriend and
I were just hiking recently, andI said, you can't just
willy-nilly like cut your patchin into fours and use that.
(12:32):
Like you have to call yourdoctor.
SPEAKER_02 (12:33):
I don't mean to laugh at your friend, but it
this is this is the truth.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
It's common, right?
And it's and it is sort of like,you know, it's still a
medication where you wouldn'tjust change your dose on your
own of something else.
But again, it speaks to thismisinformation, I think, because
we haven't really been educatedabout our options and and what
it means.
Um, yeah.
And so I think as, you know,exactly right, we're we're
(12:58):
talking more about it, which isa great thing.
And I think it's more reason forus as women to feel really
empowered to be proactive umparticipants in our care.
You know, right now at 46, Iwant doctors, particularly my
gynecologist and my primary carephysician, who can speak to
hormone therapy.
I outright ask, what's yourtake?
(13:20):
You know, here's here's what I'mexperiencing.
Like, when do you think it'swise to start?
And if someone doesn't know theresearch, if they can't talk
about menopause hormone therapy,I'm out.
You know, like it's not gonnawork for me.
SPEAKER_02 (13:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, in the um spirit ofspeaking up and advocating for
ourselves, let's let's talkabout that.
Let's talk about advocacy,empowerment.
Um, you talk openly aboutdismissing your own heavy
bleeding as hemorrhaging.
I feel you.
I had heavy, heavy floodingbleeding, but blaming it on
(13:57):
peri-menopause until you had anultrasound that changed
everything for you.
Why do you think self-dismissalis so common for women?
And then the second piece ofthat, what do you want women who
are listening to know about themoment that it's time for them
to speak up in a medicalappointment?
SPEAKER_00 (14:16):
Yeah.
So I, as you, as you say, I forfor a lot of years just thought
it was my normal to spend thefirst two to three days of my
period, as I joked,hemorrhaging.
Uh someone recently said it waslike crime scene periods for
her, and that that tracked forme too.
Um, and I would just put on anovernight pad and change it
(14:38):
every hour and and just think, Iguess this is me.
Now, meanwhile, I was anemic andnot if I rolled over too quickly
in bed, I was getting dizzy.
Like these are some prettysignificant symptoms.
I lost days of vacation funbecause I just had to be
sitting, you know, just I thinka lot of women can relate to
this.
(14:58):
And I think I just really, youknow, I I will admit I'm like
the straight A student,go-getter, high achiever, put me
in overdrive and I'm I'll sailthrough, like I'll chug my way
through.
And I think I did that with myown symptoms.
And I think a lot of women canrelate to that.
It's just like, well, one of thedownsides of being a girl, you
(15:18):
know, but I can deal with it, Ican manage.
And so that's what happened foryears.
And then I I get I it'sinteresting because in our, you
know, increasing talk aboutperimenopause, and you hear
like, oh, your cycle can getpretty heavy in perimenopause.
I was just like, well, thatexplains it.
Meanwhile, I am not a doctor.
(15:39):
I did not go to medical school.
I'm not a nurse, you know, Idon't have the training to make
that call for myself, but I didanyway, confidently, and then
never really brought it up at myhealthcare appointments.
And I go regularly to thedoctor.
Like I'm a Well Woman visit,plus a primary care visit every
year.
And still it went unchecked.
And it because of me, because Ididn't, you know, I wasn't
(16:01):
forthcoming with the severity ofthe symptoms.
When did it change for you?
What what happened?
Finally, I did see a new nursepractitioner for my Well Woman
visit.
And I was talking to her aboutlike day one, day two, my period
is like pretty bad.
And I mentioned, um, and I'vebeen experiencing some clots.
And I just explained it away toher.
(16:22):
I was like, but of course it'sperimenopause, right?
You know, and she's like, Well,let's take a little closer look.
And she ordered the vaginalultrasound.
So it was a combination of mebeing forthcoming and not trying
to, it was almost when I lookback, and I'm almost ashamed to
say this, but we're gonna dropthe shame here.
So I'm I'm gonna say get rid ofit.
(16:43):
Yep.
I wanted the the to be an A plusstudent, even in my doctor's
office.
Like, how messed up is that?
Doctors have seen everything,they they want to know all the
gory details, and here I washolding back, yeah, because I
wanted to be the like goodstudent, you know.
It's a little bit like oey, Iwish I could go back to younger
Megan and just be like, No, youdon't have to do that.
(17:05):
Um but again, I I I hope thatsharing this might make other
women say, like, uh-oh, likethat's me too, you know.
And wait a second, what am Imissing?
Because I'm just trying to likeget a gold star.
SPEAKER_02 (17:19):
Yeah.
Yeah, get the pin, get the pinfor the day.
Um, I'm glad that you did.
Yeah.
And I I do hope that sharing thestory will help um other women
have the courage to do the same.
I do think um feeling safe withyour provider uh is is really,
really important.
Uh, we can't open up to ourproviders if we don't feel safe
(17:41):
and we don't feel heard.
You you mentioned that too.
SPEAKER_00 (17:44):
So And I would add, you know, to you know, so after
I realized I had a uterus fullof fibroids after that vaginal
ultrasound, um, it was anothercouple years because I was like,
well, maybe I can make it tomenopause with the uterus full
of fibroids and deal with thesymptoms.
And then I I actuallyinterviewed doctors.
I I made appointments withdifferent surgeons to talk
(18:06):
through my options.
And I think that's another bigtakeaway.
It's like we can ask questions,we can make sure that the
physicians we see and the oneswe decide to, in my case,
operate on us.
I did having a hysterectomy, um,which was the right decision for
me and my specific case offibroids.
You know, it's pretty clearthere are other ways to treat
(18:28):
fibroids.
Um yeah, it was so empoweringbeing able to like.
I remember walking out of onegynecologist's office being
like, Nope, that is not mydoctor.
And I'm proud of myself forlistening to that, for being
like, it was it was part like Ididn't like some of the answers,
I didn't like, but also justintuition.
And I think when we have, youknow, this baseline knowledge
(18:50):
about our bodies, we're we'rebetter able to clue in to what
our gut is trying to tell us allalong, too.
I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (18:57):
Yeah, I remember um when I was pregnant, and the
doctor's like, how's it going?
I'm like, ah, you know, it'sfine, pregnant, blah, blah,
blah, heartburn.
And she's like, Wait, what?
And I'm like, Yeah, really,really bad heartburn, but it's
fine.
She's like, No, it's not fine,and gave me something for it,
and I was fine.
But you don't think to talkabout those things that you feel
like you're just supposed to belike, Yeah, suck it up and have
(19:19):
suffer how much suffering do youneed?
SPEAKER_00 (19:21):
Oh, I love, I love that totally.
And actually, it reminds me whenI interviewed Dr.
Vonda Wright for the book, shesaid, Megan, I can't tell you
how many women, she's anorthopedic surgeon.
She's an I can't tell you howmany women, not men, wear their
pain like a badge of honor.
No.
And the sad thing is like themore pain goes untreated, the
(19:44):
more pain we feel, right?
Yeah, so it really, but butanother trend of of what I heard
from the the clinicians andresearchers I interviewed for
this book is that women feel alot of shame around our bodies.
Like we should we shouldn't beexperiencing heartbreak.
Burner.
It must be something I ate, andthat's why it couldn't be right.
(20:06):
You know, I interviewed Dr.
Elizabeth Coleman, a breastcancer specialist, oncologist
who said she's treating women,she's standing at the bedside of
women who are dying of breastcancer and they're apologizing
to her for not wearingdeodorant.
Wow.
Like I mean, and it's so sad,but like I think I might be one
(20:26):
of those women.
And I'm a confident,intelligent, like go-getter
woman.
And I could see myself doingthat.
And so my hope, too, is that inin conversations like these,
we're having them with ourgirlfriends, in addition to our
doctors, the people who takecare of us, we can start to drop
some of that shame, you know,and just say, this is what's
real.
And I am worthy of treatment.
SPEAKER_02 (20:48):
Quick pause here because this matters.
Medovia is proud to be the firstand only organization in the
U.S.
offering a menopause-friendlymembership and accreditation for
workplaces.
We're not a trend.
We are not check the boxbenefit.
We're a movement for lastingchange.
(21:10):
We're helping organizations ofall sizes shift culture, support
their people, and retainexperienced talent.
Whether you're looking just toget started or ready to lead the
way, we've built a roadmaprooted in best practices from
hundreds of employers across theglobe.
If you want to learn more, headto menopausefriendlyus.com and
(21:32):
find out how to become aworkplace that doesn't just talk
the talk, but walks it.
Because menopause is a workplaceissue and the best organizations
know it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:45):
Well, it's interesting because you we're
talking about the silence thatwomen keep around periods,
around pain, around sex, aroundmenopause.
What why do you see that thesilence is breaking more
powerfully today?
What's happening today wherewomen are just saying, you know,
no way, I'm not going to do thisanymore?
SPEAKER_00 (22:06):
Yeah, I've thought a lot about that because uh, you
know, my mother's generationwould not be all sitting around
talking about menopausetogether.
And if they did, it was verymuch in hushed tones.
And we're talking loudly aboutit these days, you know, like in
front of husbands and and guyfriends, and and it's so
fantastic.
I think I see a lot on socialmedia now.
(22:27):
I think a lot of it's on socialmedia.
We've got uh doctors who arereally taking on the role as
health educators, and andthey've hit menopause and have
are in their post-menopauseyears now, and they're like,
Okay, we gotta talk about this.
Like, I'm gonna use my platformto do good here.
And so I think that's one aspectof it.
SPEAKER_02 (22:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
I think I'm also really hopeful when I talk to
young people, young women havethis totally new um way of
speaking it like it is.
Like they come with truth,they're more comfortable in
their bodies, they are um moreforthcoming with information
that I think would have made meblush when I was their age.
(23:06):
And I think those of us inmidlife are learning from that.
And we're like, oh, if she'sstrutting her stuff, I'm gonna
do the same, you know, andstrutting stuff meaning a host
of things.
SPEAKER_02 (23:16):
So yeah, yeah.
But we always say, uh, what areyour ideas on that?
Well, we always say that, youknow, we do the work that we do
um every single day for ourdaughters because we don't want
them to have the same experiencethat we had.
Um, and they don't have to, butyou know, even today, I walked
downstairs, took a break from myhome office here, and my
(23:39):
daughter was talking to a coupleof her friends downstairs, and
they were having an in-depthconversation about sex and just
perception, and why is it thisway?
And can you believe this book,this book was written and
listened to this, and itshouldn't be that case?
And um, they were just verycomfortable with that.
(24:00):
At that age, um, when I wastheir age, there's no way that I
would have had that conversationwith my friends, and certainly
as my mom was walking throughthe kitchen, right?
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Yeah, your mom didn't focus on uh puberty and
women's health and menopause.
SPEAKER_02 (24:17):
No, no, my daughter has grown up with it.
Uh, and so is my son.
But it but it's great, right?
I mean, that's normalizing theconversation.
Um, and and I think it'swonderful and empowering that we
are having those conversations.
So, yes, I think social media, Iagree with you, Megan, I think
it has played a huge role.
Are medical professionals thatare speaking loudly on social
(24:41):
media, thank goodness for them,because that's hard work.
It's a lot of work and peopledon't realize that.
Um, but just normalizing theconversation, you know, is is
really, really important forsure.
I'm wondering um, do you haveany stories of women that or
everyday people that struck youas the turning point of that
(25:05):
cultural shift?
Is there anybody that comes tomind for you?
SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
Of personal stories when it comes to being more open
about yeah, that have changedthe cultural shift.
SPEAKER_02 (25:16):
You know, we're talking about this, and I'm
like, I I can visualize a coupleof people, but I can too.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Who do you oh my gosh, totally?
I mean, the one that comes tomind is a newer friend,
actually.
I know through pickleball, whichis my new midlife, like, oh, I
can't get enough of it, so muchjoy.
But I've made so many friends.
I think that's part of it.
It's so social.
Um, and so a newer friend, andshe found out I was working on
this book, The New Rules ofWomen's Health, and she was
(25:41):
like, Can I talk to you aboutvaginal estrogen?
And I I don't know her, I don'tknow her well.
We were sitting among a bunch ofother pickleball friends, like,
and I was just like, How cool isthis?
You know, how cool is it that Ithen pointed her to the
Instagram of Dr.
Krin Men, who is an amazingOBGYN, who did this real, I'll
(26:03):
never forget it, where she wasjust like, ladies, you get your
vaginal estrogen, throw out theapplicator, you put it on your
finger, you put your vagina, yourub it on the anterior wall.
And I was like, every womanneeds this, right?
Because it turned out that thiswoman I was talking to, she
wasn't using the vaginalestrogen that was prescribed to
her because she was like, ugh,applicator messy, and then it
falls all out.
(26:24):
And I was like, oh my gosh,watch this, you know.
Yeah.
And so how cool that I'm talkingto a 50-something year old
woman, you know, telling heressentially to go on TikTok and
watch a meal.
Yes.
So I think that's one storywhere I was just like, oh, this
is so great.
SPEAKER_02 (26:39):
You know, it is, it's fantastic.
Yes, so good.
Okay, so I'm gonna share onestory and then we'll dive into
another question for you.
But same thing happened to me atthe nail salon right before
Christmas.
A woman, two ladies, I told youthis, Kim, didn't I?
Yeah, two ladies um had broughttheir mom to get their nails
done.
They're all three sitting there.
Daughters are my age, you know,mom's probably in her 70s, I'm
(27:02):
gonna guess.
But they're having a littleconversation, and I'm
overhearing the conversationbecause you're sitting side by
side.
Come to find that she's reallyuncomfortable sitting.
Um, some of the things that shenoted made me wonder if she was
having UTIs.
And so I just kind of stuck mynose in and said, Hey, couldn't
help but overhearing.
(27:22):
Um, you know, first of all, hereare a couple of people that you
should talk to.
Go look at this new white paperthat was just written about
vaginal estrogen and UTIs.
She said, Oh my goodness, my GPtold me that I should be taking
vaginal estrogen for this.
And she didn't listen.
She was listening to herurologist, and I was like, Oh my
goodness.
So the conversations arehappening, right?
(27:44):
They're happening at pickleball,they're happening while you get
your nails done.
Totally.
Um, and it's just, it's justamazing.
So the stories.
SPEAKER_00 (27:52):
Yeah, it really is.
It's funny.
I I joked with um, I just had alike a one-year follow-up after
I had a hysterectomy, and Ijoked with my surgeon.
I said, I really want asweatshirt that says ask me
about my hysterectomy.
Because it's like, and I wouldbe proud to wear it, you know.
It's like, yeah, bring bring iton, bring on these conversations
that that used to make us blushor you know, say, Oh my gosh, I
(28:15):
can't talk about that in politecompany.
It's like, no, we can talk abouteverything now, ladies.
SPEAKER_01 (28:19):
Yeah, well, we forget because we'll talk about
it like normally with peoplethat are not comfortable because
we forget.
We talk about it all day long.
And then you go to a trainingsession and we say words that
people like don't hear in theworld.
Don't say vagina.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (28:33):
Well, and on that note, it's so funny.
I was on a hike with my husbanduh just this past weekend and
ran into somebody and they werelike, Tell me, your book's about
to come out.
What was the coolest thing youlearned?
And I was like, honestly, someof the information I learned
about the clitoris just blew mymind.
And my husband, after we walkedaway, he's like, Man, he's like,
(28:53):
I think you should your the nameof your blog should be From Zero
to Clitoris.
But I do feel like we should besaying these words.
We should say clitoris, fulva,you know, we should all these
words where you're vagina, likewhere you're like, no, let's say
it.
Like, let's just take away thoselayers that have been there for
years so that it's just anotherword, like knee, you know,
(29:17):
exactly.
Totally.
Exactly.
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (29:20):
And we get, we get, I'm sure, like you're just
describing, we get everybodytelling us our their story
because we're a safe place,right?
Because we'll talk about it.
But um, I want to switch gearsand talk a little bit about
culture change in the workplace.
And from your reporting and theresearch on this book, how is
the workplace shaping women'shealth outcomes?
(29:43):
For better, for worse.
What you know, how is theworkplace affecting women and
and their longevity?
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
Yeah, I mean, I think that's an area where we
have so much ground to coverstill, right?
Is really making actionablechanges in the workplace,
systemic changes, actually, toreally tee up women to um to go
through this transition in a waywhere they feel more supported
if they're working full-time orpart-time, you know.
(30:11):
Um yeah, I I mean, would youagree?
Like, I feel like we're failingwomen when it comes to the
workplace.
And and it's it's so I had thisthought the other day where I'm
like, gosh, like we, you know,you you can take leave of
absence for you, you do take amaternity leave usually if
you're, you know, a mom, butlike we there's no potential for
(30:32):
taking time off if you're havinga really rough go during the
menopause transition, you know.
And there's something, you know,maybe you maybe you take paid
family and medical leave if youknow that's available to you,
but like that, there's a problemwith that, yeah.
Because this transition ismajor, and so many women, but I
think also it's like so manywomen struggle so deeply, and
(30:53):
then other women don't.
And you know, so like there isso much variety in what we
experience.
And I wonder if that plays intoit as well.
Um, but I think we're failingwomen, you know.
I think in Europe they're doinga way better job, and we've got
a lot to learn um from some ofthe changes that they they're
making.
SPEAKER_02 (31:12):
We completely agree.
Uh the UK is about 10 yearsahead of us uh with menopause in
the workplace support.
And I I do think that um it'smisunderstood that menopause is
just misunderstood.
Um, and it's where periods whereadministration was 10 years ago,
where it was, oh, she's just youknow, she's just on her on her
(31:35):
period.
She's just having a few cramps.
Um, and we dismiss it as ageneral public because we don't
understand what women can begoing through.
And I think it's the same thingwith menopause.
It there needs to be a lot moretraining and education across
all levels of the organization,male, female, all genders, so
(31:56):
that um there's a little moreempathy, right?
And understanding, and to havethose workplace accommodations
and guidance and policies inplace so that we can get the
help that we need to just comeback to work.
That's all we want to do.
Right.
And stay at work and stay atwork and perform like we always
have, right?
Yeah, yeah, totally.
(32:17):
We always say it's it's not wedon't have a disease over here,
it's just part of life, and wejust need a little bit of help
to get over the hump, right?
Yeah, yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_00 (32:26):
Yeah, it's it's sad.
That's what I have found is thatwe are not doing what we should
be doing for women um in theworkplace.
You know, it is it is one of thebleaker uh there's no way to
sugarcoat it.
SPEAKER_01 (32:38):
Yeah, I think it's menopause, but it's also, you
know, every hormonal stage wetend to avoid it and ignore it.
And there's your as yourbeautiful big fancy book says,
like, there's a lot of things toconsider that women haven't even
thought about or understood.
SPEAKER_00 (32:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (32:58):
And employers are not even close to understanding
it at that level.
SPEAKER_00 (33:01):
Totally.
And even, you know, women, Ithink, you know, I I tend to
focus, I'm a service journalist.
So I interview experts aboutokay, so what can we do in the
face of the lack of research, inthe face of the lack of really
great systemic change that canhelp support us in the
workplace?
Like, what do we do?
And one of my big takeaways, andsomething I will be doing
(33:22):
through my menopause transition,is really being a good reporter
of my symptoms to myself, firstand foremost.
A reporter, but also a recorder,like take notes, right?
It's like there are so manysymptoms of menopause.
Um, and some of them can feelreally subtle.
And again, they're ones that wecan very talk away very easily,
(33:42):
like it's just stress.
I'm just, you know, busy.
Um, but I feel like I have anotebook and I'm trying now at
46 to really say, okay, like howdo I feel?
What are the trends?
It might not be every day, buteven if I can do a weekly
check-in in my journal, youknow, of like, yeah, oh yeah,
(34:02):
this there was some mood stuffthis week.
There, I was feeling a littleragey, which is a little
disorienting because it's a new,pretty new emotion for me.
Yeah.
Um, and yeah, and I think themore we can stay clued into
that, the more we can just sortof, yeah, you know, even if we
don't get external support, wecan support ourselves.
(34:24):
Yeah.
And and recognize, like, okay, II'm not dreaming this up.
I'm feeling crazy.
Let me be a little more gentlewith myself today.
SPEAKER_02 (34:31):
Yeah.
And that helps with your um carewith your physician too.
The more we understand ourbodies and the more that we can
track it and bring thatinformation in, right?
So it comes back to theadvocating advocacy piece and
advocating for ourselves.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, that's what mostmenopause specialists too are
like, look, if you can come tome with that journal and that's
right, it'll help me help you.
You know, and I think that's thething where a lot of women have
felt dismissed, um, not seenfully by their physicians.
There are many of us, and thereare so many doctors who really
do want to care for us.
(35:08):
You know, like that's not allbad news.
I think if anything, like we'reon the upturn of doctors who are
really engaged and want, want tobe um, you know, make shared
decisions.
Shared decision making is is iswhat they're going for as well.
But in order to make that shareddecision making about our
menopause hormone therapychoices and other treatments
available to us, we need to beactive participants in our care.
SPEAKER_01 (35:32):
Completely goes back to speaking up for yourself,
like you had to learn how to do,and that's so hard because as
you rightly stated, you we learnas grow as we're growing up to
just like shut our mouth anddeal with it.
And and this is the time whereyou need to and I think beyond
you know, not just menopause,but I think I hope that our
(35:55):
daughters and their friendslearn to speak up for what it is
that they want too, becauseotherwise you're not gonna get
what you want or what you needin order to help you.
SPEAKER_00 (36:05):
Totally.
SPEAKER_01 (36:06):
Um so what motivated this book for you, and what do
you hope people take away whenthey're done with it?
It's a great resource, like it'ssomething that you're gonna want
to have on your shelf to lookthings up and you know, tear
down the pages of bookmark hereand there.
Like, what were you hoping toaccomplish and what do you want
(36:28):
people to walk away with?
SPEAKER_00 (36:29):
Yeah, that that was my goal was to write a narrative
reference.
You know, what I so the book'sorigin story is a fun one.
Uh, I have the privilege ofworking for Maria Sharver.
And I was out in LA and we weretalking about the Sunday paper
and editorial coverage.
And Maria, knowing my longhistory of being a health
journalist, said, I wasmid-salad bite.
(36:52):
And she said, Megan, I want youto write a woman's health book.
I want it to be a manifesto.
We don't have one and we needone.
You know, we've got our bodiesourselves, which is an
incredible resource.
But when you think about it, itreally focuses on what we now
call bikini medicine.
It's breast health, sexualhealth, gynecologic health,
really important aspects of ourhealth.
(37:12):
But we know more about women'sbrains now, our hearts, our
immune systems.
Um, and so she really wanted meto do a lifespan book, you know?
And so I interviewed over ahundred leading experts.
I fact-checked, I, you know,reported deeply, fact-checked,
wrote, rewrote, all in an effortto help women to have this book
(37:33):
be a resource that you can keepon your shelf and say, huh, like
I just had my mammogram.
I found out I had extremelydense breasts, and now my doctor
is recommending a breast MRI.
What's involved?
You know, what do I need toknow?
Or a biopsy.
You know, there's there's asection on what all the
different lumps in your breastscould be, maybe not cancer.
(37:53):
You know, there's there arechapters that my hope is you can
dive into when something is upfor you, symptoms-wise, or a
health diagnosis that can um,again, help you feel this sense
of empowerment, a baselineknowledge that gives you
confidence when you go to yourdoctor and say, okay, here's
what I know.
How does that sound?
Where do I fall into this?
(38:14):
And and and have betterinteractions.
You know, I I was finishedreporting this book and I had a
new visit, a new primary care umphysician.
I needed to find one.
And we sat down and I reallyliked her.
She was young, kind of fresh outof medical school, but she was
listening to me and I was goingthrough my symptoms or my health
and family health history.
(38:36):
And I I promise you, her eyeswere like sparkling.
She was so excited.
And I was like, this was fun.
And she was like, I can't tellyou how great this was.
And I feel like we covered moreground because we're coming with
so much information.
And that's really my hope forwomen is that they tuck in and
out of this book and really feellike they have that interaction
(38:57):
with their doctor.
You know, their doctor or theirhealthcare provider is like, oh,
cool.
Like, yeah, look how much you'recoming to me with.
Like, let's go to town, youknow?
Yeah.
Let's cover more ground.
SPEAKER_01 (39:08):
Yeah.
I love, I love how you breakthings down.
Like, I was I was talking to mymom today about all that you all
that you did around um Gravesdisease and um all of those
diseases that you what do theycall autoimmune disease.
Yeah, autoimmune.
You break them all down and youlike you make it, you make a
have a lot of sense with it.
(39:29):
My mom got graves and she gotpsoriasis.
And you're likely to get morewhen you another autoimmune when
you get one.
And so it was just it was I Iknow about those things, but it
was so great to see them justright there.
If I had had it to be able tocome, I had graves to be able to
compare it against the otherthings that were going on.
Yeah, if I had a book that Icould just open up and be able
(39:50):
to be like, okay, that makessense.
That's what I feel like thisthis book is.
It's not a like you're not gonnalay down in bed at night and
read it when you Go to sleep.
But it is right.
But it is something it is reallygreat to be able to look up
things.
And I I, you know, and lookingat it, I'm like, you didn't miss
(40:11):
anything.
SPEAKER_02 (40:12):
From what I it's the entire health span.
I mean, it really is.
SPEAKER_00 (40:16):
And you know, there are so many amazing women's
health books right now.
Like there just are.
And and so as as a former bossonce always said, and I loved
it, you can't boil the ocean,right?
And so I didn't what I tried todo with this was give us enough
baseline knowledge so that thenif if you've got Graves'
disease, you're probably gonnaokay, get some information from
(40:38):
my immune health chapter, butthen go to one of the many books
that are do a deeper dive intothat topic, right?
Yeah, but with this reference,and a friend recently said, I,
you know, I love that you yousay you can keep it on your
bookshelf to reference.
I think we should keep it on ourcoffee tables.
It's like a coffee table book.
The cover is really pretty, butalso how great would it be if
not only the other women in yourlife, but the men in our life
(41:01):
have a better understanding.
Like to be honest with you, Ihave given this book chapters of
it as I was working on it to myhusband.
And I said, Read this.
I have a breast MRI and I'mgonna need some support as I go
through this testing.
And I want you to know the layof the land.
And he was like, Wow, I had noidea.
And he he was a better supportsystem for me then, you know?
And so let's bring in thehusbands and the sons and the
(41:23):
best guy friends to thisconversation as well.
SPEAKER_02 (41:26):
Agree, agree.
People ask all the time, Megan,what do I do?
How do I start the conversationwith my husband or my kids or
right, my teenage kids to helpthem to understand what I'm
going through?
There's the answer, right?
And we often say, Well, thereare a number of books, right?
Um, dog ear, give it to them.
Um, it's exactly what you'retalking about right now, so that
(41:48):
they can understand what you'rereally going through.
So it's you're right, it's it'san amazing, um, like golden egg
reference book for women and menum of all ages.
And we're so thrilled that youtook the three years that you
did research and write it, uh,because that's not an easy feat.
(42:11):
But I think you're gonna blessso many, so many people with
your book.
So thank you for writing it.
SPEAKER_00 (42:16):
I so appreciate that.
And yeah, and I think you know,the other real driving force for
me was this book needs to befilled with evidence-based
information because we areliving in an era where we are
bombarded with information,yeah, misinformation,
information that comes fromsources where we're like, can I
trust this person?
No, and there's actually a wholesection, a chapter of the book
(42:36):
on navigating health in thisdigital age we're living in, you
know.
So there's sections on how do Isus fact from medical fiction,
you know?
And to really, again, like makesure that women uh uh like have
the evidence-based knowledge,like we are worth having facts,
not all of the hoopla around,you know, that gets created
(42:58):
around a lot of these topics.
SPEAKER_02 (43:00):
Yeah.
So and that we're safe, and thatwe aren't spending unnecessary
money.
So, you know, we could go onwith that list, but uh, we have
pom-poms over here just shakingfor you when we hear
evidence-based, because um, allthat we deliver is
evidence-based, science-backed.
It's really important.
Yeah, yeah.
So thank you for that becausethat takes a lot of time as
(43:23):
well.
You kind of go down rabbit holeswith that.
We know the feeling.
unknown (43:26):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:27):
Um go ahead, Kim.
Well, yeah, I think you're gonnasay the same thing.
Um, Megan, where can people findyou when they're looking for
your information?
SPEAKER_00 (43:36):
Yeah, so you can go to New Rulesofwomen's
Health.com.
That is my book website whereyou find more about me.
You can follow me on socialsthere, find out about some
events I do.
Um, and yeah, that that's thewebsite.
SPEAKER_02 (43:52):
And one more question before we let you go
that we ask all of our guests.
What's the best piece of advicethat you've ever received?
SPEAKER_00 (44:00):
Gosh, I feel like I have received been blessed
really with getting so muchgreat advice throughout my life.
But the the one I feel called toshare after this conversation is
climb into your body and reallyfeel what you're feeling.
You know, I think I I have atendency to be in my head, as
evidenced by what I shared withyou before about talking away
(44:22):
symptoms and being the straightA student.
And what I'm really trying to donow, after getting great advice
a few years ago, is like, can Itake a deep breath and climb
into my body and actually feelwhat I'm feeling, whether it's a
physical sensation or anemotion?
And I I notice that the more Ido that, it doesn't always feel
comfortable.
(44:42):
Sometimes actually sitting withthe discomfort of what I'm
experiencing when I climb in isnot fun.
But it's like the closer I getto the feeling, whatever I'm
feeling, the the faster itactually dissipates or I find
right.
And so I think as women, andespecially as women in midlife
(45:03):
with so much going on, um, themore we can say, you know, let
me just take a breath and likeclimb into this miraculous body
of mine and just feel what's up.
SPEAKER_01 (45:15):
It's good and hard.
SPEAKER_02 (45:16):
Yeah, but it is you're right, you're a visual,
great visual to climb into yourbody.
Miraculous body.
We have to include that.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (45:24):
This miraculous body.
So great advice.
Well, this has been a lovelyconversation.
Um, I know that your book goeslive next week.
Most likely our podcast will airwhen your book is published.
And so, congratulations.
Congratulations, exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (45:42):
Thank you so much.
I have absolutely loved thisconversation.
I feel like we could talk foranother few hours.
Agree.
SPEAKER_02 (45:48):
Probably could.
We'll probably have to have youback here at some point to talk
about post-book launch.
But until we meet again,listeners, go find joy in the
journey.
Thanks, everyone.
Take care.
Thank you for listening to theMedovia Menopause podcast.
If you enjoyed today's show,please give it a thumbs up,
subscribe for future episodes,leave a review, and share this
(46:12):
episode with a friend.
Medovia is out to change thenarrative.
Learn more at Medovia.com.
That's M I D O V I A.com.
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.