We chat about the season 2 launch video + that we’re going to have a guest on the podcast coming up. And we mention our MERCH. Check out our Zazzle store. (Go to our website for details.)

Bible Study: Menopause Confidential by Dr. Tara Allmen - chapters 2 + 3

Chapter 2 is all about hot flashes - the bane of existence for all women in perimenopause and menopause. According to Dr. Allmen hot flashes are a medical mystery. She talks about the Estrogen Roller Coaster, which is what we’re all going through. Did you know? Women are born with all their eggs, so as you age, your eggs are as old as you are - and the fresher, the better, when it comes to eggs. We laugh about the image of tired ovaries. And the image of “Less zesty eggs.” Night sweats are what Sarah has. Dr. Allmen says Hot flashes are not fatal, but they are annoying - and have negative connotations. If we could normalize these experiences, it would help. Of course, hot flashes can be triggered by all the things we’re not supposed to have/do: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, tobacco. And some women can experience hot flashes and NOT be in peri or menopause. We are not physicians, of course, so please consult your medical professional.

Chapter 3 - My Husband thinks I’m Crazy

Dr. Allmen talks about the Estrogen Roller Coaster again, and how it makes you feel crazy. There are Estrogen receptors in every part of your body, which is why it’s so important to our well-being, and why it affects us so much when it starts to taper off in perimenopause. Great quote from the chapter: “When those receptors are filled with estrogen, it’s like you are luxuriating in bath oil.” Estrogen, Take Me Away! Roller coaster is supposed to slow down after you’re in full menopause. Sarah wonders how women manage without estrogen? Since HRT is not recommended to be on forever. We discuss the ups and downs of being the sandwich generation. We talk about the challenge of redefining our identity as these changes take place. Key takeaway: you’re (probably) not crazy; it’s probably menopause. We speculate that one reason we don’t hear as much about menopause from our doctors may be that so many women in their 30s are trying to get (and getting pregnant) that the conversations are about fertility and there’s no room for menopause talk. Possible? What do you think. And Sarah is dying to know the correlation between estrogen and gray hair. Why do we get gray hair???

How Hot was your flash?

Sarah had a bit too much wine - went beyond 2 glasses - and had a night sweat situation. None for Julia! Yay!