Sex, Desire & Perimenopause

Why Does Perimenopause Cause Joint Pain — and What Actually Helps?

Joint pain affects over 70% of perimenopausal women, but it is rarely discussed alongside hot flashes. Charlotte and Megan explain the link to estrogen — which regulates inflammation and collagen production — and why declining levels can lead to stiffness, achiness, and slower recovery. They also cover why workouts suddenly feel harder (accelerated muscle loss), and why exercise, especially strength training, is one of the best tools for relief despite feeling counterintuitive. Other key topics: modifying movements rather than avoiding them, prioritizing sleep and recovery, increasing protein intake, and recognizing when joint pain may signal something beyond perimenopause.

Did COVID Make Perimenopause Worse? What Women Need to Know About Symptoms and Mental Health

Did COVID make your perimenopause symptoms worse — or did it just make them impossible to ignore? In this episode, Megan and Charlotte break down what researchers are learning about the connection between COVID infection, pandemic-era stress, and the menopausal transition. They also tackle why so many Long COVID symptoms overlap with perimenopause, making diagnosis harder than ever. Then the conversation shifts to mental health: why therapy (especially CBT) can be a game-changer during midlife, how to find the right therapist, and why talking about what you're going through — to a partner, a friend, or a provider — is itself a form of self-care. If your symptoms accelerated during or after the pandemic, this episode will help you understand why, and what to do about it.

Why Do Women Feel Like a Different Person During Perimenopause?

Charlotte and Megan explore how perimenopause doesn't just bring physical symptoms — it triggers a full identity shift. Fluctuating hormones affect mood, stress tolerance, and emotional processing, leading women to question everything from their careers to their relationships. Rather than framing this as a crisis, they encourage seeing it as a catalyst for growth — finally shedding people-pleasing, over-functioning, and silent suffering. They touch on setting boundaries, communicating with partners before burnout hits, releasing the mental load, and how friendships evolve when masking is no longer possible. The takeaway: feeling unlike yourself right now isn't failure — it may be the beginning of becoming more authentically you.

Night Sweats or Hair Loss? Yes. Rapid Fire Perimenopause Edition

Charlotte and Megan keep it short and sweet for Memorial Day week with a rapid-fire "this or that" and "would you rather" game — all perimenopause themed. No scripts, no prep, just their honest gut reactions to 30 questions about the worst (and most relatable) hormone symptoms, from night sweats vs. hair loss to whether you'd rather have your doctor listen to you or your insurance actually cover something. Fun, fast, and refreshingly unfiltered.

Perimenopause and Anxiety: How to Support Your Partner and Manage Emotional Changes

Perimenopause doesn't just affect the woman going through it — it affects the whole household. In this episode, Megan and Charlotte talk openly about how hormonal shifts can drive anxiety, rage, brain fog, and emotional overwhelm, and what that really looks like inside a relationship. They share personal strategies for communication, managing the mental load, and reframing intimacy during this transition. They also dig into why anxiety can appear out of nowhere during perimenopause, how poor sleep makes everything worse, and why reaching for support — whether that's therapy, hormone therapy, medication, or mindfulness — is never a sign of failure. A honest, relatable conversation for women and their partners navigating this phase together.