The New Perimenopause with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Mary Claire Haver

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TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

4 items

TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

4 items

Perimenopause is a 7-10 year 'zone of chaos' driven by failing brain-ovary feedback, causing mental health symptoms, brain fog, and sleep disruption well before hot flashes or irregular periods; many women are misdiagnosed and placed on unnecessary antidepressants or sleeping pills.

Hormone therapy (especially transdermal estradiol patches) is first-line for new perimenopausal anxiety/depression, outperforming SSRIs, and can be started while still ovulating; vaginal estrogen is safe for all women, even breast cancer survivors, to protect genitourinary health and reduce recurrent UTIs.

Long-term independence hinges on building bone and muscle, not just staying thin: aim for 1.3-1.6 g/kg protein (roughly 85-120 g/day for a 150 lb woman), regular resistance training, weighted walks, and a bone density scan around age 45 to catch osteopenia early.

To find a knowledgeable clinician, use the Menopause Society's certified provider directory at menopause.org or evidence-based telemedicine platforms like Midi Health, Alloy Health, and Evernow; avoid pellet-only clinics as a red flag.

Recommendations

Products, supplements, and tools mentioned in the episode

2 items

Menopause Society certified provider directory (menopause.org)

Service

Dr. Haver recommends women look for a certified menopause practitioner (not just a member) on menopause.org to find clinicians who have passed a difficult exam and can provide nuanced care.

She distinguishes between members and certified providers, noting that certified providers have demonstrated knowledge via a test. This is her first-line suggestion for finding local, qualified care. She also acknowledges that if a local certified provider is unaffordable or unavailable, telemedicine is a good stopgap.

vs alternatives

Compared to a general OBGYN who may not have menopause training; or telemedicine-only models without a live consultation.

Personal experience

She took the test herself and describes it as 'hard.'

go to the Menopause Society, which is menopause.org, and look for a certified provider, not just a member.

Also said

“the certified providers have taken a test and like demonstrated... it's a hard test, I took it.”— Validates the rigor behind the certification.

Find Menopause

thepauselife.com clinician finder and telemedicine guidance

Service

Her website has a crowdsourced list of clinicians who provided great menopause care, organized by city/state, plus a list of questions to ask when evaluating telemedicine companies. She states she has no financial ties to the listed providers or companies.

The clinician finder is built from thousands of patient testimonials, not paid endorsements. For telemedicine, she provides questions like: do they take insurance, are you willing to do cash pay, and do they offer a live one-on-one consult? She warns against clinics that offer only one form of therapy (e.g., pellets) and don't provide FDA-approved options. She specifically names Evernow, Midi Health, and Alloy Health as services that do good care based on her review of their protocols, again without affiliation.

vs alternatives

Contrasts with clinics that have cookie-cutter protocols or only push pellets.

on our website at thepauzelife.com, we have a group of women, thousands, who submitted beautiful testimonies for their clinicians who helped them. ... I have no affiliation with these people

Also said

“Evernow does really good care. I've looked at I looked at these companies protocols, Midi Health and Alloy Health. And so, they have different models of how they bill, charge, you know, whatever. And on our website, we have the questions to ask”— Names specific reputable telemedicine platforms.

Find thepauselife.com

Disclosed sponsorships1speaker disclosed

The New Perimenopause

Book Sponsored · disclosed

The book that prompted the interview, an evidence-based guide to perimenopause covering mental health, muscle/bone, and navigating the healthcare system.

DisclosureDr. Haver is the author of this book and profits from its sales.

my new book... The New Perimenopause, An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again.

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Topics covered

brain-first-perimenopausezone-of-chaoshormone-therapy-for-mental-healthtransdermal-estradiolvaginal-estrogen-prophylaxismuscle-over-thinnessprotein-intakeresistance-trainingbone-density-screeningglp-1-body-compositionmetabolic-syndromesleep-hygienemenopause-societytelemedicine-menopause-carenih-funding-gapestrogen-mattersbreast-cancer-and-hrtdcis-serMscore-four-longevityfrozen-shoulder-menopause

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Educational summary of the cited expert source — not medical advice. Open the source recording linked above and consult a qualified physician before acting on any protocol.