Menopause is a natural phase of life, yet it’s often surrounded by silence, confusion, or even stigma.
Understanding this phase is crucial for every woman’s well-being, and the library is offering a lecture that aims to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to embrace this transition with confidence.
On May 1st at 6.30pm, we present Menopause: Managing the Next Chapter in collaboration with Barnabas Cooperman Medical Center, the West Essex YMCA and the Livingston Health Department.
Join Dr. Chloe Phillips for an insightful discussion on the hormonal changes women experience during these stages. In this talk, Dr. Phillips will cover the key signs and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, as well as provide guidance on how to effectively communicate with your doctor about your health concerns. This session will also shed light on the often-overlooked signs and symptoms that are linked to these transitions, helping you better understand your body. Discover practical tips for maintaining a happy, healthy lifestyle as you navigate these changes.
Registration is required. To register visit the Library event calendar at livingstonlibrary.org
Whether you’re experiencing menopause yourself, supporting someone who is, or just curious to learn more, this event—and some recent reads highlighted below—offer valuable guidance and perspective.
Books
Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts
Actress Watts opens up about the challenges she faced upon reaching early menopause in this empowering, fun, and practical guide to menopause and aging, all based on the latest advice from hormone experts, doctors, and nutritionists.
Generation M : Living Well in Perimenopause and Menopause by Jessica Shepherd
Menopause officially begins after 12 months without a period, typically between ages 49 and 51. But perimenopause, which starts about five to 10 years earlier, can contribute to low libido, brain fog, irregular or heavy periods, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Shepherd describes it as a “dimmer switch slowly lowering as estrogen levels start dialing down.” She is a big proponent of hormone replacement therapy to reduce hot flashes and vaginal dryness, among other things, and explains why. Shepherd suggests making the most of the second half of life by nurturing friendships; finding a sense of purpose; identifying values, beliefs, and strengths; exercising; drinking little or no alcohol; and embracing joy. This reassuring guide is packed with practical advice for making the most of menopause rather than dreading it.
The Hormone Shift : Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and Menopause by Tasneem Bhatia
Dr. Bhatia breaks down what is happening behind the scenes in a woman’s body throughout her life, explains how to prepare for whatever is coming next, and offers plans to keep the body in balance and minimize unwanted symptoms. She uses the wisdom of eastern modalities like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine and integrates modern medical treatments for specialized acute care. There’s so much that women can do in the years leading up to perimenopause and menopause to prepare their bodies for the changes ahead, and make the shift smoother than they ever thought possible.
Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again by Jancee Dunn
Through in-depth interviews with renowned menopause experts and trusted authorities, Dunn peels back the layers on this still-mystifying topic with her trademark humor and unpacks the science on both hormonal and nonhormonal treatments. She provides actionable ways to improve sleep, sex, moods, mental clarity, and skin; details the latest treatments for hot flashes; and explores the best practices to stop “peezing” (that would be peeing when you sneeze, thanks to your new urinary issues).
How to Menopause : Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before by Tamsen Fadal
Fadal offers well-researched, clear advice on handling all of your symptoms-physical and emotional-alongside prescriptions for actionable, achievable goals that enables us to reinvent ourselves in midlife-to get stronger, sexier, bolder, and more centered. She teaches readers how to advocate for themselves, to take control of their bodies, face their fears, learn what to let go of and what to hold onto fiercely.
The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence by Lisa Mosconi
The decline of the hormone estrogen during menopause influences everything from body temperature to mood to memory, potentially paving the way for cognitive decline later in life. To conquer these challenges successfully, Dr. Mosconi brings us the latest approaches — explaining the role of cutting-edge hormone replacement therapies like designer estrogens, hormonal contraception, and key lifestyle changes encompassing diet, exercise, self-care, and self-talk. Best of all, Dr. Mosconi dispels the myth that menopause signifies an end, demonstrating that it’s actually a transition.
The Menopause Companion : A Beginner’s Guide to Owning your Transition from Peri to Post by Sasha Davies
This guide makes the entire landscape of menopause-not just the physiology-more visible. If what you need is a level-headed friend to help walk you through the litany of fears to face, questions to ask, and practical decisions to make throughout the menopause transition, this is the book for you.
Menopause is Hot : Everything You Need to Know to Thrive by Mariella Frostrup
In this guide that doesn’t shy away from any topic, the authors open up about their own menopause journeys, and provide the latest science and advice from America’s leading experts on everything from dealing with hot flashes to pursuing hormone therapy. It dives into the history of menopause up to the present day, with stories from women from across the world at various ages and stages of their menopause journey.
The Menopause Reset : Get Rid of Your Symptoms and Feel Like Your Younger Self Again by Mindy Pelz
A transformational plan for women who find themselves struggling through their menopausal years and who may be experiencing sudden symptoms such as sleepless nights, irritable moods, unexplained anxiety, trouble retrieving words, weight gain, and hot flashes.
The New Menopause : Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Mary Claire Haver
A comprehensive, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience, it covers every woman’s needs: From changes in your appearance and sleep patterns to neurological, musculoskeletal, psychological, and sexual issues, a comprehensive A-Z toolkit of science-backed options for coping with symptoms. What to do to mediate the risks associated with your body’s natural drop in estrogen production, including for diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. How to advocate and prepare for annual midlife wellness visits, including questions for your doctor and how to insist on whole life care. The very latest research on the benefits and side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
The New Rules of Menopause : A Mayo Clinic Guide to Perimenopause and Beyond by Stephanie S. Faubion
The ultimate guide, offering real talk about menopause, straight, honest info for managing symptoms and the keys to optimizing your health for the long run–from one of the top doctors in the field of women’s health and other experts from Mayo Clinic.
Unlock Your Menopause Type : Personalized Treatments, the Last Word on Hormones, and Remedies that Work by Heather Hirsch
Dr. Hirsch helps women cut through the informational noise and learn how to manage their symptoms most effectively by identifying their personal Menopause Type(s). Each type gets a full prescription for exercises, diet and strategies to regain mental focus and make menopause a regulation part of maturity rather than a rollercoaster ride of unexpected symptoms and discomfort.
—Archana, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian