Eps 461: Perimenopause Is Bullsh*t: Body Image, HRT & Chin Whiskers with Jen Laughlin
Perimenopause and menopause can be exhausting, absurd, emotional, and deeply unglamorous. If you are tired of pretending you are handling every symptom perfectly, this episode is for you.
You are not the only woman wondering what happened to her body, why she suddenly has chin whiskers, itchy ears, body-image spirals, sleep changes, or a much lower tolerance for everyone’s nonsense.
This is your reminder that you do not have to navigate midlife alone, silently, or perfectly.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend and midlife creator Jen Laughlin for a candid, funny, and refreshingly real conversation about perimenopause, menopause, aging, body image, hormones, HRT, and all the strange symptoms nobody prepared us for.
We talk about the things women are often embarrassed to say out loud: feeling disconnected from your body, obsessing over weight changes, struggling with the version of yourself in the mirror, drinking the beer, trying the Botox, getting back into running, and attempting to make choices that support your health without turning your life into one giant wellness project.
Jen shares what it was like when her symptoms hit hard, why finding a menopause-informed clinician mattered, and why women deserve to keep asking questions when they do not feel like themselves.
This conversation will not give you a perfect perimenopause routine. It will give you something more important: perspective, laughter, and the feeling of sitting down with a friend who gets it.
If you are experiencing new or postmenopausal bleeding, please speak with a qualified clinician promptly.
IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Why this is the perimenopause rant session we all need
03:11 Jen’s symptoms, HRT journey, and finding better support
07:55 Bodies, beer, and the tug of war around health choices
09:18 How Jen accidentally became a midlife-humor creator
13:23 Why women laugh so they do not cry in the closet
14:00 Botox, FaceTime, and looking in the mirror in midlife
17:42 The power of a comment section that truly gets it
18:31 Chin whiskers and the weirdest midlife symptoms
23:24 Itchy ears and symptoms that deserve attention
25:04 Beer, enjoyment, and deciding how to spend your energy
29:25 Returning to running, strength training, and feeling athletic
35:22 Body image at 51 and what Jen would tell her 18-year-old self
39:43 What “age wildly” means
43:06 Giving fewer f*cks and finally asking for help
45:53 Why you should not accept feeling miserable
48:54 You do not have to perform perimenopause perfectly
CONNECT WITH JEN LAUGHLIN
Instagram: @jenlaughlin_18
CONNECT WITH BRIA
Instagram: @bria_period_whisperer
Website: https://theperiodwhisperer.com
HAVE A QUESTION, WIN, OR NEED IN MIDLIFE?
I would love to hear from you. Leave a voice message with what you are navigating, what has helped, or the topic you want me to cover next.
🎙️ Leave a voice note here: https://www.speakpipe.com/ThePeriodWhisperer
READY FOR MORE SUPPORT THROUGH PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE?
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