If you're a woman in her late thirties or early forties, you've probably Googled (or at least wondered) "how do I know if I'm in perimenopause?" With the visibility of perimenopause and menopause bigger than they've ever been before, women today are eager for information on how to thrive—and not just survive—through the transition to menopause (especially those of us who saw our mothers struggle through it with little to no help).

In today's episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Teresa Kenney (co-host of The Hormone Genius Podcast, and author of The Happy Girl's Guide to Being Whole) sits down with Grace to answer all our questions about perimenopause (which she calls "reverse puberty"), including:

• What is perimenopause, anyway?
• When does perimenopause start, and what are its signs?
• How can you safely and effectively manage the most common and disruptive symptoms (including hot flashes, disruptive sleep, vaginal dryness, and more) of perimenopause?
• What are the benefits (and the science) behind hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and why are bioidentical hormones so important to seek out over synthetic ones?
• What are the pillars of good health during perimenopause, and what can they do to help mitigate perimenopause symptoms and protect our health long-term?
• + much more!

As Grace mentions in her opening statements, perimenopause isn't on most women's radar—until it is. And then, it's usually because things are starting to go sideways from a health and fertility/menstrual cycle perspective. But thanks to this episode, you don't have to wait to start preparing yourself well for this important transition—you can start today.

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Have you ever blown up at your significant other, only to realize that your period is due to arrive any day? You might wonder if you can chalk up your extra irritability to being in your luteal phase, and the premenstrual syndrome (or PMS) that often accompanies it—and then you might wonder how much PMS is too much PMS.

While we're at it, what exactly is PMS? What causes it, and is any part of it "normal"—or is it always a sign of something wrong? What about PMDD? What role does your overall hormonal balance have to play in how you experience your luteal phase each month? Is birth control the only solution to PMS, or are there any lifestyle changes—especially when it comes to nutrition—that can help you mitigate that monthly creep of fatigue, irritability, cravings, breast tenderness, and more?

These are all the questions Grace Emily Stark poses to nutritionist Ginny Noce (aka "The Women's Health RN") in this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast. If you, like millions of other women, are looking to make your luteal phase a bit more manageable each month (for yourself and your loved ones!) and ease your PMS symptoms, you do not want to miss this deep-dive into all things PMS on The Natural Womanhood Podcast.

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Anyone who's practiced natural family planning (NFP) in their marriage for even a few months knows that it comes with its challenges—and that sometimes, the rose-colored lenses many of us start out with can get taken off pretty quickly.

In fact, for those in the early years of marriage navigating TTC (that's "trying to conceive," for the uninitiated), TTA (trying to avoid pregnancy), and—everyone's favorite—postpartum NFP, using NFP for years on end (and dealing with the abstinence it periodically demands) can seem like a daunting prospect. And yet... couples who practice NFP statistically enjoy lower rates of divorce than those who use contraception, and we know from our own research at Natural Womanhood that couples who use NFP seem to enjoy a unique level of understanding, trust, empathy, and respect for one another. Why is that? What's the real story behind what NFP does to sex and intimacy?

In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast, Grace interviews Mike and Alicia Hernon of The Messy Family Project. Married for over thirty years, still very much in love, and with the practice of NFP now in their rearview mirror, Mike and Alicia share their candid, beautiful, and sometimes hilarious insights on NFP, sex, and true intimacy.

For more on NFP and Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs), and their impact on relationships, sex, and intimacy, click here.

Are you interested in Natural Womanhood’s full report on the lived experience of couples who use NFP? Visit this page for more details.

Click here for more information about the Messy Family Project.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!

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Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.