My Aloof Vagina, A Cheeky Guide to Perimenopause

Martha & Sally talk about the collection of changes that made Sally realize she was in perimenopause, even as her doctors continued to claim that her hormones “looked fine” and they didn’t “think” she was in it yet.

• Is part of “the change” external and more connected to the messages we’re getting about being “too old” or “past our prime”? (Things that aren’t really reflected in those snapshots of a hormone blood serum draw.)
• And how do some of those messages contribute to the increase in rather flippant recommendations to “just get a hysterectomy” in our 40s?
• What IF you aren’t ready to give it up? Your career, sex, your uterus, your right to reinvent yourself?

We explore these questions and more and arrive at some answers in this episode.

We START this conversation talking about how we’re targeted — solutions-peddlers are leveraging our pain points to make the sale! And we're not loving that that makes the product sellers our main source of information.

We END this episode talking about how I HAPPILY spent hundreds of dollars on a vFit - a medical red-light therapy device for my vagina that two years later I still love! (You can save 10% with the link below.)
And, because my friends see me wearing them all the time (along with the eye gels) Frownies facial patches come up once again. You can save 10% with code MAV10 or by using the link below.
MAV TIP: If any medical professional (or friend giving you "medical advice") suggests a surgery or procedure, do your homework. Research it a little! Just because someone else is happy they did something, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours, doesn't mean their solution is the most up-to-date one or even appropriate for your particular situation.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this NSFM* ladies-only episode, Martha's friend returns to talk about midlife issues that are top of mind.
This shorter episode contains just one side of the conversation about flooding periods during perimenopause, IUDs and IUD removal, and how progesterone is often the first HRT intervention suggested and the first "needed" (by those who choose to go that route)

What are some doctors using to manage perimenopause symptoms?

Why is being drunk in love dangerous when middle-age is bearing down on you?

Get the answers to these questions in this episode.
* Are you one of my male listeners? This episode is marked NSFM (NOT suitable for men) due to menstruation stories you DEFINITELY don’t want to hear. 😂 Instead, please listen skip to the Viagra episode for some all-gender commiseration and laughs. It's a “sexier” less-likely-to-traumatize-you episode. You’re welcome!
And get your own deck of Martha's inappropriate affirmation cards.
MAV Tip: There are many ways to navigate the hormonal roller coaster of perimenopause, from diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits to hormonal interventions, natural and pharmaceutical. If you need birth control in your forties, maybe a hormonal IUD could be right for you. Vasectomies, of course, are also useful. :) Even if you don't go the IUD route, if you're experiencing flooding periods your doctor can explore options with you. If they don't take your heavy periods (or excessive breast tenderness) seriously, seek out other medical opinions - even if it means finding a non-gyno menopause practitioner. NAMS (the North American Menopause Society) offers a searchable directory of Menopause Practitioners they certify.
*Unnecessary is in the eye of the beholder. You do you, boo. You get to choose.
How Can I Tell If I'm In Perimenopause If I Have A Mirena? Can IUDs Help With Menopause? And That One Time Martha Almost Removed Her IUD Herself (With A Little Help From Her Drunk Boyfriend)

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this Bonus Episode from the Galentine's Day Livestream - the day before Valentine's - or V-day - for VAGINA which was the official launch day of My Aloof Vagina - Martha is joined by Tara, a kink coach she's known for almost 20 years, to celebrate the long-awaited launch of this way overdue podcast.
Tara, a favorite guest from episode 2, returned to talk about the ways our desires and experiences change as we age, her top recommended adult toys for women & some fun tips on things you can do to spice things up with things from around your house.
You'll never look at a spatula quite the same way again. Join us to see what's cooking!
Tara also shared:

• changes some men experience at our age that are not erectile dysfunction, but can be confusing and upsetting
• the reason we shouldn't JUST be masturbating our clitoris
• why someone as literal-minded as Martha might miss out on available fun

As promised during the show, here are the best-selling and highly recommended vibrators she shared:

• A FAVE comes with a warranty, high-end materials, discreet and a MIND-BLOWING treat for your clitoris. (No C.A. here! And no need for a womanizer! This is the one. Clitorally mindblowing!)
• Tara's very favorite toy! Dual stimulation sonic "massager" ;) You get all of the above from her FAVE, plus penetration, and, for our health, we really need to be doing that, too.

MAV Tip: Everything is pervertable! Sex is really just adults at play. If you can maintain a playful outlook you can ride the waves of midlife change, evolving and adapting as you go. And if you MUST role play, remember: do it with enthusiasm and play along as if it's improve. Over act if you must!

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha is joined by her friend Kristen who shares a back-to-back series of alarming symptoms she had.

• What does it look when you go to even your GOOD doctor with hard-to-document symptoms when they know you have struggled with anxiety in the past?
• What about when you advocate for yourself, they run tests and the tests show nothing? Or the tests show SOMETHING but your doctor doesn’t seem spurred to action?
• And SHOULD you avoid consulting Dr. Google before you go?

These questions and more are covered in this episode.

Products & details mentioned
The iron supplement and blood builder that finally reversed Martha's anemia. She was able to tolerate it and stay on it long enough to increase her ferritin and blood iron. She buys the 180-count bottle and that last 6 months, but it's available in 30 -count to try.
Before that she had success and results with this liquid iron, a similar nutritional profile, but stopped using it because it stained her teeth unless she drank it with a straw in some orange juice...and that just wasn't sustainable with her routine (plus hard to travel with)
Kristen is using these raw iron tablets.
MAV Tip: This too shall pass! But in the meantime, if you’re concerned, seek medical attention. And if the medical personnel you seek attention from don’t seem to “get it” consider seeking practitioners who understand perimenopause and menopause and will work with you to find you some relief. (Even if that means you end up with some quacks in your life.)

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dr. Wendy Chorny is back after What Happens to Our Vaginas As They Age & What Does Estrogen Have To Do With It?

• What do Pavlov’s dogs and your coffee-break and post-commute habits have in common?
• How can understanding pelvic-floor dysfunction help you slow things down?
• Do you know the difference between urinary urgency and stress urinary incontinence? And why does it matter?
• How can you identify early signs it may worsen sooner than it has to?
• And when is it time to seek professional help?

Dr. Wendy is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in the treatment of pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, perimenopause, and more. She is an educator and author, affiliated with the University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Program & currently doing research on Diastasis Recti in Women.

https://www.wendychorny.com/
Disclaimer: Though she is a doctor she is not YOUR doctor. As always, please consult a local professional for your particular medical and legal needs and circumstances

Huberman Lab Podcast with guest Dr. Sara Gottfried
- NYT Mag HRT Story
- Stress Urinary Incontinence
- Detrusor & trigone bladder muscles
- Interstitial cystitis
MAV Tip: You're not alone. There is help available. And hiding or feeling shame (or taking "logical" steps to reduce the frequency of your urinary urges) will only make it worse. Seek support, even if it's just plugging into an anonymous community to learn (like the MAV Sisterhood) or following VETTED pelvic-floor experts on social to get a feel for the things nobody very taught us!

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.