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A very exciting preview of what's to come in the new series of The Dr Louise Newson Podcast.
Be sure to follow @drlouisenewsonpodcast on Instagram for the latest updates and subscribe to the YouTube channel @menopause_doctor to stay informed!
On this week's episode, Charlotte Craig, a hugely successful content creator with nearly one million followers on TikTok joins Dr Louise Newson in the studio to share her journey to recovery from a traumatic injury – the highs, the lows ,and the profound shift in perspective that followed. The pair also touch on the importance of understanding your hormone health at any stage.
In 2022, Charlotte, then a secondary school teacher, saw her life take an unexpected turn. What was meant to be a fun day of paddle boarding ended in a devastating leg injury. Forced to leave teaching behind, she found a new path in content creation, using social media to document her experiences and inspire others to embrace their authentic selves.
Now 27, Charlotte has also become more mindful of what she puts into her body, including her choices around contraception. She admits that when she first got the contraceptive implant, she didn’t fully understand how it worked – an experience many young women can relate to. The conversation delves into contraception, with a focus on the need for better education around the hormones, and the differences between synthetic and natural hormones.
This honest and empowering discussion highlights the importance of asking questions, making informed choices, and owning your decisions with confidence. As Charlotte puts it: ‘My outlook has always been, who cares? Whether it’s not wearing makeup, staying in pyjamas all day, or not shaving your legs, just do what feels right for you.’
To learn more about Charlotte, visit her Instagram here and TikTok here.
We hope you're loving the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Donna Francis, an award-winning Beauty Editor with over 25 years of experience in the industry, having worked with magazines such as InStyle, Company, and Cosmo/Fabulous. Now Beauty Editor At Large at Hello! Magazine, Donna shares her personal experience with perimenopause, opening up about the profound impact it had on her life. She discusses the pressures around alcohol in midlife, how exercise became her mental health saviour, and how addressing her wellbeing helped her regain a sense of self during this challenging time. Now over six months sober, Donna is passionate about supporting women facing similar struggles and is on a mission to rebrand menopause as meno-power!
To learn more about Donna, visit her Instagram: here and check out her podcast, Smiling Gives You Wrinkles, here.
We hope you're loving the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform.
Email dlnpodcast@borkowski.co.uk if you have any suggestions for new guests!
LET'S CONNECT
Instagram: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast (@drlouisenewsonpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: Louise Newson | LinkedIn
Spotify: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
YouTube: Dr Louise Newson - YouTube
LEARN MORE
Sign up to my Menopause Masterclass Here
Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Class Here
Sign up to my Upcoming Webinar Here
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
Content advisory: This episode contains themes that some listeners may find distressing.
Kicking off a brand-new series, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Gina Miller, founder of MoneyShe, co-founder of SCM Direct, who famously took the government to court over Brexit, for a powerful conversation about standing up for yourself, supporting others, and the financial struggles faced by menopausal women.
Gina shares what fuels her determination, the values instilled in her from childhood, and her experiences challenging injustice – whether in politics, finance, or education. She speaks candidly about the backlash she has faced, the importance of resilience, and why she refuses to stay silent in the face of inequality.
Together, Louise and Gina explore why women are often judged more harshly than men, how curiosity and questioning the status quo are essential for progress, and why empowering women is crucial for a fairer society. This inspiring discussion highlights the need for systemic change and the importance of speaking out—even when it’s difficult.
To learn more about the research and insights on closing the gender investment and pension gap discussed in this episode, visit: MoneyShe.com
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
In this podcast, Jill Chmielewski, a nurse, educator and women’s advocate, talks about her mission to guide midlife women to greater wellbeing.
Dr Louise and Jill discuss the powerful and poorly understood role of hormones in women’s health throughout their life, HRT and the importance of women advocating strongly for their own needs. Jill advises women should prepare well in advance for the menopause, as hormonal changes can begin earlier than you may expect.
Jill’s three top tips:
For more about Jill visit her website here and you can follow Jill on Instagram @jill.chmielewski.
Testosterone is an important sex hormone for both men and women (although women have much lower levels) produced by your ovaries and adrenal glands and declines during the menopause.
When it comes to menopause, testosterone is a hormone that can be misunderstood, and many women struggle to access testosterone treatment on the NHS.
Here Dr Louise and her Newson Health colleague, GP and Menopause Specialist Dr Catherine Coward, talk about how it can be a valuable addition to HRT for women around the menopause and beyond.
NICE menopause guidance recommends testosterone can be beneficial for women experiencing low libido where HRT alone hasn’t helped. Yet Dr Louise and Dr Catherine talk how in their clinical experience, testosterone benefits can extend beyond sex drive-related symptoms, with patients reporting improvements including having more energy, and reduced brain fog and anxiety.
In this week’s podcast Dr Louise is joined by Dr Mary Claire Haver, an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor and a menopause specialist in the US. Dr Louise and Dr Mary Claire discuss the challenges of ensuring all women have access to evidence-based information and treatment, and their hopes for change.
Dr Mary Claire shares her three tips to help menopausal women improve their health:
You can follow Dr Mary Claire on Instagram at @drmaryclaire
Click here to find out more about Newson Health
Pre-order the revised and updated paperback edition of Dr Louise’s Sunday Times bestseller The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause here
References to studies discussed in this week’s episode
J Gen Intern Med 2006; 21:363–6
J Gen Intern Med 2004;19:791–804
This week offers a chance to revisit a previous podcast conversation – or perhaps hear it for the first time. Lucy Holtom is an experienced Ashtanga yoga practitioner who has a particular passion for helping with women throughout all cycles of life whether it’s to help manage the fluctuation of hormones during menstruation, postnatal recovery, or perimenopause and postmenopause. In this episode, Lucy and Louise discuss the different types of yoga, individual practices and the benefits they can bring. Lucy explains how her interest and experience in well woman yoga evolved and how she supports women in the perimenopause and menopause.
Lucy’s 3 tips for those interested in trying yoga for the first time:
Visit Lucy’s website at www.livingyouryoga.co.uk
Follow Lucy on Instagram
This podcast episode was first released in October 2019
Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide
We would like to apologise for the sound quality in this episode, which was due to technical issues experienced during recording.
Dr Pooja Saini is a Chartered Psychologist and Reader in suicide and self-harm prevention based at Liverpool John Moores University. Her work has a particular focus in suicide prevention in primary care and developing community-based interventions for high-risk groups.
Since connecting, Louise and Pooja have been discussing the impact of perimenopause and menopause on mood, mental health and suicide and the many research gaps and unanswered questions in this space. In this episode, Pooja explains more about what is known and unknown regarding the effect of hormones on suicidal thoughts and outlines the research plan for a PhD funded by Newson Health Research and Education.
Pooja’s tips for those with suicidal thoughts:
If you need support, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 for free from any phone or email them at jo@samaritans.org
Pooja’s social Channels
Reference for BMJ article discussed
McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R, McIntyre J. Improve coding practices for patients in suicidal crisis. BMJ. 2021 Oct 15;375:n2480. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n2480. PMID: 34654729.
Dr Anna Chiles is a GP and works in an NHS practice in Gloucestershire, In this episode, the experts discuss the range of symptoms that can occur in the perimenopause and menopause and the impact of these on daily life, and they highlight what can be done for women when symptoms persist for many years.
Anna’s three tips for women who have struggled with symptoms for many years:
Margaret Reed Roberts is an experienced social worker and educator who noticed a change in how she felt in her late 40s. Along with more obvious symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flushes and migraines, there came a deterioration in her cognition – she struggled to initiate, plan and complete daily tasks and the mental load became unmanageable. A friend suggested there may be more than perimenopause going on and questioned if Margaret was neurodivergent. Enter ADHD and perimenopause.
In this honest and insightful conversation, Margaret shares of the ‘relief and grief’ of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and the impact she now understands ADHD has on her daily activity, home life and relationships.
Margaret’s three tips for those who have ADHD or think they might have it:
(provided after the conversation)
Follow Margaret on Facebook
Twitter: @geordiereed
Susie Crowe is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who is passionate about advocating for and empowering women to understand their bodies and supporting them to make choices about their medical care and their lifestyle.
In the midst of the pandemic, Susie noticed fatigue creeping in and put it down to burnout from her busy job. When she began having night sweats and saw her doctor, the menopause was the initial diagnosis suspected but there were no other symptoms of perimenopause occurring. Susie became more unwell and after months of having normal blood tests, further investigations revealed that she had non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. In this episode, the experts discuss women’s experiences of sudden onset menopause after treatments for cancer and the benefits and safety of HRT.
Susie’s advice to healthcare professionals:
Farhana is an accredited family law specialist and mediator working with Beck Fitzgerald in London. During her 20-year career, Farhana often noticed an unspoken element at play when helping women through divorce, but it wasn’t until she identified perimenopause within her peer group and those close to her that she appreciated the extent of the problem and was able to professionally decipher the impact of menopause on relationship breakdown. Farhana launched the Family Law Menopause Project to see whether any other colleagues in family law were factoring in this important element and to raise awareness of perimenopause and menopause when it comes to family cases dealing with divorce, splitting the assets, children issues or domestic abuse.
Farhana’s tips for family lawyers:
Visit Farhana’s family law practice at Beck Fitzgerald
Follow Farhana on Twitter at @ShahzadyLaw or @LawMenopause and @LawMenopause on Instagram
Until a few years ago, Jill was in denial about her age, the menopause and what that meant for her future health. She had worked for 30 years as a fitness instructor and sports massage therapist; she was incredibly fit and had never given her heart health a moment’s thought. This abruptly changed in 2021 when Jill had sudden and severe pains in her chest and after some doubt and misdiagnoses by the medical team in A and E, she was found to have had at least one significant heart attack, possibly more. Since then, Jill has had ongoing intermittent chest pain, especially when having hot flushes, and she realised her continued cardiac symptoms were potentially linked to her changing hormones.
Dr Louise Newson explains the link with oestrogen deficiency and cardiac symptoms, and the increased risk of heart attacks after menopause. Together they discuss gender bias in heart research, the difficulties diagnosing heart attacks in women, the possible reasons for poorer outcomes compared to men and the cardiovascular benefits of HRT.
Jill’s tips to women if worried about your heart:
Follow Jill on social media:
Facebook – @JillMcLagganMassage
Twitter – @JillMcLaggan
Instagram – @thesmilestarter
Victoria Jones is a community pharmacist at Bonnybrook Pharmacy in Coolock, Dublin. She received very little education on the menopause when training and became more interested in hormone health after her sister experienced severe symptoms at 40 and began taking HRT. The dramatic return of her sister’s health and wellbeing prompted Victoria to move away from running a chain of pharmacies to set up her own independent pharmacy with a focus on women’s health. When Victoria experienced her own perimenopause and she saw the profound benefits of HRT for herself, her passion escalated and Victoria now takes a very active role in raising awareness in her community with the public and local healthcare professionals, and in educating others through her social media.
Victoria’s advice to women:
Dr Heather Hirsch makes a welcomed return to the podcast this week. Heather is an internal medicine physician, specialising in women’s health and menopause care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts, USA. Her clinical work and research centres on inequalities or unanswered questions in the field of women’s health, specifically in menopause education.
In this episode the menopause experts discuss the bigger picture of menopause care as a gender issue, women’s role in society and in the workplace, perceptions of women’s suffering and the menopause as a medical specialty. Louise and Heather share the challenges they each continue to face to educate and inform the public and healthcare professionals on the perimenopause and menopause and the benefits and safety of HRT.
Heather’s 3 tips:
Follow Heather at:
Instagram @heatherhirschmd
Website: heatherhirschmd.com
YouTube: Health by Heather Hirsch
Podcast: Women’s Health by Heather Hirsch
On this week's episode, Charlotte Craig, a hugely successful content creator with nearly one million followers on TikTok joins Dr Louise Newson in the studio to share her journey to recovery from a traumatic injury – the highs, the lows ,and the profound shift in perspective that followed. The pair also touch on the importance of understanding your hormone health at any stage.
In 2022, Charlotte, then a secondary school teacher, saw her life take an unexpected turn. What was meant to be a fun day of paddle boarding ended in a devastating leg injury. Forced to leave teaching behind, she found a new path in content creation, using social media to document her experiences and inspire others to embrace their authentic selves.
Now 27, Charlotte has also become more mindful of what she puts into her body, including her choices around contraception. She admits that when she first got the contraceptive implant, she didn’t fully understand how it worked – an experience many young women can relate to. The conversation delves into contraception, with a focus on the need for better education around the hormones, and the differences between synthetic and natural hormones.
This honest and empowering discussion highlights the importance of asking questions, making informed choices, and owning your decisions with confidence. As Charlotte puts it: ‘My outlook has always been, who cares? Whether it’s not wearing makeup, staying in pyjamas all day, or not shaving your legs, just do what feels right for you.’
To learn more about Charlotte, visit her Instagram here and TikTok here.
We hope you're loving the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Donna Francis, an award-winning Beauty Editor with over 25 years of experience in the industry, having worked with magazines such as InStyle, Company, and Cosmo/Fabulous. Now Beauty Editor At Large at Hello! Magazine, Donna shares her personal experience with perimenopause, opening up about the profound impact it had on her life. She discusses the pressures around alcohol in midlife, how exercise became her mental health saviour, and how addressing her wellbeing helped her regain a sense of self during this challenging time. Now over six months sober, Donna is passionate about supporting women facing similar struggles and is on a mission to rebrand menopause as meno-power!
To learn more about Donna, visit her Instagram: here and check out her podcast, Smiling Gives You Wrinkles, here.
We hope you're loving the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform.
Email dlnpodcast@borkowski.co.uk if you have any suggestions for new guests!
LET'S CONNECT
Instagram: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast (@drlouisenewsonpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: Louise Newson | LinkedIn
Spotify: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
YouTube: Dr Louise Newson - YouTube
LEARN MORE
Sign up to my Menopause Masterclass Here
Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Class Here
Sign up to my Upcoming Webinar Here
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
Content advisory: This episode contains themes that some listeners may find distressing.
Kicking off a brand-new series, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Gina Miller, founder of MoneyShe, co-founder of SCM Direct, who famously took the government to court over Brexit, for a powerful conversation about standing up for yourself, supporting others, and the financial struggles faced by menopausal women.
Gina shares what fuels her determination, the values instilled in her from childhood, and her experiences challenging injustice – whether in politics, finance, or education. She speaks candidly about the backlash she has faced, the importance of resilience, and why she refuses to stay silent in the face of inequality.
Together, Louise and Gina explore why women are often judged more harshly than men, how curiosity and questioning the status quo are essential for progress, and why empowering women is crucial for a fairer society. This inspiring discussion highlights the need for systemic change and the importance of speaking out—even when it’s difficult.
To learn more about the research and insights on closing the gender investment and pension gap discussed in this episode, visit: MoneyShe.com
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.
Dr Devika Patel joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode of the podcast to share how a chance encounter when overhearing an educational webinar on the menopause was a light bulb moment for her practice as a psychiatrist. Devika takes us through her journey of how this knowledge from learning about menopause has transformed the psychiatric care she now offers to her patients.
Devika’s 3 tips for those with mental health challenges who are in perimenopause/menopause:
Follow Dr Patel on social media:
Instagram @drdevikapatel
Twitter @drdevikapatel
GP and menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Ball, makes a record fifth appearance on the podcast this week to discuss her work exploring experiences of menopause care in women who have had breast cancer.
The experts discuss findings from a recent survey carried out by Sarah and the Newson Health team to highlight how things have improved in recent years and identify some of the ongoing needs.
Nina McGowan is a visual artist, Bikram yoga practitioner and biohacker from Ireland who discovered freediving while on holiday in Egypt when she was in her mid-forties. Shortly after she turned 50, Nina secured a world record dive of 43 metres in the No Fins category that involved holding her breath for 2 minutes and ten seconds.
In this episode, Nina explains how her yoga practice helps her freediving and she outlines the benefits of eating well, sleeping well and clearing your mind to focus on your breath to you in the here and now. Nina also shares some of her own personal experience with her hormone journey and seeking out the right support.
Nina’s three priorities for a positive lifestyle change:
Follow Nina on Instagram and visit her website here.
Dorothy Byrne returns to the podcast this week to discuss her previous role as former Head of News and Current Affairs for Channel 4 television and the commissioning of and reaction to the menopause documentaries. She also updates us on her new role as president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University – one of only two higher education institutions in the UK for women only – and how she hopes to inspire young women especially in the fields of medicine and science.
During the conversation, Dorothy shares some of her experiences of how a menopausal lack of sleep affected her at work, why she continues to take HRT in her 70s, and the ongoing systemic gender discrimination in medicine and the workplace.
Dorothy’s advice to women who are struggling to get menopause treatment:
How do you work out what the right dose of HRT is for you and balance the benefits with any potential risks?
In this episode, Dr Louise talks about HRT doses with Corinna Bordoli, who began experiencing menopausal symptoms when she was just 10 years old.
Corinna shares her experience of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) – menopause before the age of 40 – and of the challenges she faced in getting a prescription for a higher dose of oestrogen to help both her symptoms and future health.
Dr Louise and Corinna discuss why hormone needs and absorption can vary from woman to woman, particularly for those with POI.
Corinna’s three tips for those who may suspect they have POI:
1. Keep track of your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms so that you have evidence when you go to see your doctor.
2. If you are diagnosed with POI, make sure you seek out a specialist in the condition to get the best care.
3. If you have POI, find a community of other people with similar experiences for support, such as through the Daisy Network. Sharing your story and hearing other people’s stories can make a huge difference and be healing.
Find out more about the charity the Daisy Network mentioned in the podcast here, or on Twitter @thedaisynet.
The Dr Louise Newson Podcast is celebrating two huge milestones this week: not only is the podcast five years old, we’ve hit six million downloads since Dr Louise started her podcast back in March 2019!
Making a welcome return to the podcast this week is world-renowned neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi, PhD. Her new book, The Menopause Brain is released on 21 March and in it Dr Lisa shares some of the fascinating changes that occur to the brain during menopause.
In this episode, Dr Lisa explains how our understanding of the importance of hormones’ role in the brain is relatively new – man was walking on the moon almost 30 years before scientists realised that the hormones that play an important part in ovarian function also have a fundamental role in the brain.
She explains that she wrote her book to empower women with the information they need to navigate the menopause – by understanding why your brain might feel foggy and the science behind it, she hopes to reassure and enlighten.
You can follow Dr Lisa Mosconi on Instagram @dr_mosconi
Click here to find out more about Newson Health
This week Dr Louise is joined by Aoife O’Sullivan, a family medicine doctor who trained in Dublin before completing a second family medicine residency at the University of Maryland.
After taking some time out to complete extra training in perimenopausal and menopausal care, including Newson Health’s Confidence in the Menopause course, Dr Aoife is passionate about providing more comprehensive and holistic care to women during midlife.
Dr Aoife share the ways clinicians, and all people, can educate themselves in order to improve the health of women in the US, and across the world:
You can follow Dr Aoife on Instagram @portlandmenopausedoc
Find out more about the Confidence in the Menopause course and click here for more about Newson Health.
This week on the podcast Dr Louise is joined by Dr Felice Gersh, who is double board-certified in OB-GYN and Integrative Medicine, and specialises in female health, with a focus on managing female hormonal dysfunctions.
She is the author of the book PCOS SOS: A Gynecologist’s Lifeline to Naturally Restore Your Rhythms, Hormones, and Happiness, and recently published a paper on oestrogen and cardiovascular disease, and a 2021 paper on HRT.
Here she talks about the family of oestrogens and the important role of hormones on the heart. Finally, she shares three tips on improving heart and whole body health:
You can follow Dr Felice on Instagram @dr.felicegersh and Facebook @felicegershmd.
Click here for more about Newson Health.
Dr Louise Newson is an award-winning physician, respected women's hormone specialist, educator, and author committed to increasing awareness and knowledge of perimenopause, menopause, and lifelong hormone health. Each week, Louise dives into the newest research, treatments and hot topic issues, providing accessible, evidence-based information to empower your future health. Joined by fellow experts and special guests, with answers to your burning questions, Louise explores how hormones impact every aspect of our lives.
Described as the "medic who kickstarted the menopause revolution", Louise aims to empower a generation of women to have a greater understanding, choice and control over their treatment, bodies, minds and future health through their hormones. She is the creator of the award-winning free balance app, a Sunday Times bestselling author and the founder of the Newson Health clinic. With over three decades of clinical experience, Louise is a member of the Royal College of Physicians, a Fellow of the Royal College of GPs, a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge, a regular contributor to academic journals including the Lancet and the British Journal of General Practice, and has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Health from Bradford University.
