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For the past three years, we’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of women from all walks of life. We’ve heard your stories. We’ve shared intimate conversations with you. And we’ve learned a lot.

We’ve learned the Gennev community is global. Your skin color is beautifully diverse. Your symptoms are varied and complex. Your age range is wider than we realized. Your perspective on how you want to manage your health, run the gamut. Some of you like more guidance with a supportive community. Others are solo thinkers and desire a “do-it-yourself” plan for dealing with changing hormones.

And yet, despite these differences, our community is a lot alike.

You have no time to pause in life for the health changes menopause throws at you. You’re professionals, caregivers, makers, and doers. You are shaping the world around you, caring for your families and parents, and trying to care for yourself.

You want control of your health. Menopause is a normal change; what’s not normal is how we mask it from others. And by covering, we disempower ourselves from accessing the types of solutions that will put us back in the driver’s seat of our health and well-being.

Gennev has grown up with you. We’ve learned from your stories. We’ve evolved our solutions based on your requests. And we’re coming into our own as a brand, as a team, and as your community for the second half of life.

That’s why I’m delighted to share some exciting news: We’re introducing a new Gennev brand and membership that better serves us as strong, powerful, modern women as who are shaping the world around us, and for whom this stage of life is #NoTimeToPause.

You’ll notice that we dropped the final “e” on Gennev, to be a name that easily rolls off your tongue, making it easier to share with your friends without second-guessing how it’s pronounced.

We’ve heard that while the Gennev Menopause Assessment is informative, it left you wanting a real, personalized plan for what to do next.

That’s why we’re unveiling a new membership called Gennev HealthFix that brings you on-demand health coaching and menopause programs for improving hot flashes, nutrition and weight, mood, and sleep, for just $10 per month. Our first program to launch is for hot flash relief, and more programs will arrive over the months ahead.

We were the first to offer $35 telemedicine appointments with menopause-trained OB/GYNs and nutritionists, and today we’re expanding our services from 8 states to 30 in the U.S. with plans to be in all 50 in 2020.

And our line of health and wellness products as starting at just $12.95 as will continue to grow with new curated products coming in the next few months.

Gennev is your digital companion for all-things menopause with a goal to prepare you for the second half of life. The same free educational content, community, and Menopause Assessment are at the ready when you need them.

Gennev may look different, but our soul, our purpose and our mission remain the same: to empower women to take control of their health.

We’ve been hard at work at this update for months and we are so excited to share the new Gennev with you!

You with me? Let’s do this!

Jill Angelo

 

 

 

Jill

P.S. Here’s my top 3 favorites of the new Gennev

 

 

Last weekend, I participated in a weekend women’s retreat.

This wasn’t your basic 9-5 workshop or even a weekend at a spa. Instead, six women gathered at friend’s house, eager to dive into deep topics about personal passions, invigorating our spirituality and applying what we’ve learned about ourselves to our daily lives. We skied, we hiked, we ate incredible food. We had long talks as both structured and unstructured as and marveled at what we had learned about life.

It was 4 days of therapy for the soul.

One of the session topics that dug deep for me was living your soul’s purpose. In preparation for this session we had to ask five people from varied backgrounds and whose opinions would matter, to name the things you are good at or attributes they observe about you.

My answers started coming in last Thursday. I read them, thanked the person for their feedback, and filed them in preparation for the Sunday session.

To begin the talk, our leader had each of us explain how the attributes we received about ourselves made us feel. One by one, the other women in the group explained how the feedback empowered them, made them feel happy, confirmed the things they love about themselves.

When it was my turn, I was unprepared for how I would respond.

The only words that I could squeeze out in between tears were, “Really? They think that about me?”

I’m one of those people who has had to learn how to take compliments with grace. Saying “thank you” when someone says something nice. It doesn’t come naturally.

Well, at 45 years old, I’m still working on it.

The people who responded to my request for feedback said things like resilient, trusted, level-headed, kind, loyal, positive, bad-ass, discerning and courageous.

Getting to work on Gennev every day fills my soul. I think I’ve found my soul’s purpose. But what if you don’t believe that you deserve it? The luxury of doing something you love; something that fills your soul? Or that you have the talents and tools to pull it off? Or even have the right to do so?

Women’s Empowerment Coach, Writer, Speaker and Leader, Tara Mullarkey says, “I believe that if we all live our soul’s purpose, we would all be a lot happier, less stressed, less diseased, and more peaceful.”

If I was living my soul’s purpose, why wasn’t I more peaceful?

My self-confidence to pull off this thing called Gennev hasn’t kept up with my will to do so.

I’m not going anywhere, and Gennev is here to stay! But I learned in those four days that our soul’s purpose doesn’t just involve listening to what our heart is telling us or dreaming about what we would do if money were no object; it must be matched with the confidence and the comfort that you’ve got what it takes to pull it off.

As women in midlife, we doubt ourselves in all sorts of ways. Believe me, you just heard about the major dose of self-doubt I struggle with all the time.

We so easily allow those doubts to hold us back; to resist what we really want to do. One of my favorite books is the War of Art written by Stephen Pressfield. In an interview with Oprah he states, “Resistance is a form of self-sabotage“.

No more sabotaging me. Midlife is a time for creativity. For bringing all that awesome wisdom we’ve accumulated over the years. And for living our soul’s purpose.

If you have books, podcasts or resources you’ve used related to this topic, share them in the comments, in the Gennev community or email me at jill@gennev.com.

Bye for now”¦

genneve CEO Jill Angelo

 

 

 

Jill

 

Fatigue is prevalent in today’s 24/7 world. You’re constantly on, juggling work, family, friends, volunteering, and much more. It’s no surprise that your energy levels feel like they’re constantly low. But perimenopause can make it feel like your energy has bottomed out. Some days, it isn’t just “I don’t want to exercise today” tired, it’s “I’m not sure I can get out of bed today” tired.

Feeling fatigued all the time regularly tops the list of symptoms every time we survey women. About 85 percent of women report experiencing exhaustion that isn’t relieved with more sleep. Of those 66 percent said fatigue interfered with their quality of life.

What causes fatigue during menopause?

Like so many symptoms, menopausal fatigue is due in a large part to hormone changes and the downstream effects.

The levels of estrogen and progesterone are changing all at once and these interact with the endocrine hormones associated with energy from the adrenal and thyroid. This instability can be hard for the body and can lead to crushing fatigue.

Your brain has a lot of estrogen receptors, and when estrogen declines, so does some of the regulation that it provides. For example, estrogen helps control cortisol, the stress hormone. When that regulation is weakened, the increased stress response can result in crushing fatigue.

And feeling tired goes hand-in-hand with another common perimenopausal symptom””trouble sleeping. When you’re waking up frequently at night or have trouble falling asleep, it’s little wonder that the next day you feel drained.

How to improve fatigue in menopause

Like so much else in perimenopause, fatigue is likely temporary, but that temporary can be years long. Here are some ways to feel more energized in the meantime.

Get moving. It’s probably the last thing that you want to do, so start with just a simple walk. Being physically active raises your energy levels and helps you sleep better (just don’t do strenuous workouts within a few hours of bedtime). It can also boost the feel-good hormones that may be in short supply at this time. And you don’t have do a body-drenching workout. Yoga and tai chi have been found to help with menopausal fatigue, according to research in the journal Maturitas.

Hydrate. Even low levels of dehydration can leave you feeling drained. “I slam two big glasses of water in the afternoon to fight fatigue,” says Laura Boulay of One Million Women Walking. And then, not surprisingly, she goes for a walk. Water is your best choice for hydrating. In addition, eating more fruits and veggies””many are over 80 percent water””can add some serious fluids along with important nutrients.

Keep your blood sugar levels even. Unfortunately, some of things you might do when you’re feeling exhausted””grabbing a doughnut or sipping a sugary-laden coffee drink””can upset your blood sugar levels and your energy. Refined carbs (white bread, crackers) and sugar cause spikes in blood sugar that result in a burst of energy. But it’s short lived, and you quickly crash, often feeling worse. To keep your blood sugar””and energy””levels on an even keel, eat plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and healthy fat. Aim to have a mix at each meal.  Eating smaller meals more frequently might also help keep your energy up.

Rediscover naps. Maybe you haven’t napped since your mom made you, but now might be the time to reinstitute nap time. While you should still take steps to get enough sleep, during this time when a good night’s rest may be elusive, a quick snooze during lunch may be the pick-me-up you need. Research shows that naps can improve your energy and mood and increase alertness and performance.  Just keep them to under 30 minutes so you’ll be less groggy when you wake up.

Get a blood test. A variety of nutrient deficiencies can lead to fatigue or conditions that cause it like anemia (low iron levels). Heavy and/or more frequent periods can put you at risk for anemia. Low levels of  vitamin D, omega 3s, B vitamins, and magnesium can also lead to fatigue.

Check your meds. Some prescription and over-the-counter medications, or combinations of, may be making you tired.

When to see a doctor about fatigue  

There are other issues that could be causing or contributing to your fatigue, such as thyroid problems, autoimmune disorders like arthritis or chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, or heart conditions. If fatigue is extreme, a recent onset, or generally disrupting your day-to-day life, check with a doctor to identify and treat all the factors.

We can help you with fatigue in menopause

 

The information on the Gennev site is never meant to replace the care of a qualified medical professional.  Hormonal shifts throughout menopause can prompt a lot of changes in your body, and simply assuming something is “just menopause” can leave you vulnerable to other possible causes. Always consult with your physician or schedule an appointment with one of Gennev’s telemedicine doctors before beginning any new treatment or therapy.

Type 5s, you are women of mystery!

For the past four weeks, we’ve been defining some of the key stages of the perimenopause-to-menopause journey, helping women locate themselves on the path and take steps to take control of their health. Last week, we took on Type 4.

This week is all about our Type 5s, or as we like to call them, our “Women of Mystery”!

Different factors can make it difficult to pinpoint where you are in your menopause journey. Perhaps you take hormonal birth control pills or have a hormonal IUD. Or you’ve had a hysterectomy that removed your uterus but left one or both ovaries (meaning you’ll go through a menopause hormonally but you’ll have no bleeding signals). An ablation to stop heavy period flows or medications for certain hormonal cancers can also confuse the picture.

What is Type 5?

Type 5 is a general category for women who don’t follow the typical path through perimenopause to menopause. Hormonal birth control may mask many of the symptoms of perimenopause, and since the bleeding that comes during the “sugar-pill” week isn’t a true period, even that doesn’t tell us anything.

Younger women who have certain cancers like breast cancer may even go through menopause twice: once from medicines that suppress estrogen, then again later, as their bodies go through the natural decline of hormones.

If you’re a Type 5, that doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you. It just means your place in your menopause journey may not be identifiable.

Can I find out my place in menopause?

In some circumstances, you can learn your place in the journey. If you’re on birth control pills, taking a few months off will bring back the bleeding signal (but use some other, non-hormonal birth control!). You can have the IUD removed for the same reason. It may take several months to get a good picture of what your cycle does naturally.

For others, pinpointing their place may not be possible. Stopping medications that help prevent breast cancer recurrence is not a good idea. And for those with ablations or hysterectomy, you may have to depend on other signals, like symptoms.

Some may suggest you get a hormone test to determine your place “” we really don’t recommend that, as results will be skewed by any hormones or hormone-blockers you’re taking. And for those not taking medications, hormone tests still only give a picture of a moment, not an overall view.

Type 5 pain points

Because you’re all over the board, your symptoms are likely to be as well. Or you may not be having significant symptoms because hormones in the Pill or IUD are helping to keep you level.

So it makes sense for you to deal with the symptoms you have and not really concern yourself too much with where you are in the journey. And of course, it always makes sense to do what you need to do to get and stay healthy for the post-menopausal years ahead.

Gennev’s suggestion for you is to start with a consult with one of our menopause-specialist OB/GYNs. A detailed discussion with a doctor who understands menopause and menopause care will shed some light on where you are and why you’re there. Because your situation is unique, a one-to-one conversation about your particular history, health risks, and current experience is necessary. You’ll also get a clearer understanding of your options moving forward.

Depending on your reason for landing in Type 5, you may have different nutritional needs than other women of your same age. If you’ve had cancer, the right nutrition can help you recover more quickly from treatment and even help fight recurrence. Exercise can help you maintain bone and muscle when medications promote bone loss and fatigue “” coaches can help you find activity that you can safely enjoy and keep you accountable to doing it.

Sleep interruption and anxiety are common in midlife, and women who have other health concerns frequently just don’t get the rest they need. Our AM/PM pack are great for promoting better nights so you can have stronger days.

Consider taking a nutritional supplement like our Vitality multi-vitamin pack. Good nutrition is best, but lives are busy and full, and gaps in our healthy eating happen. Vitality can fill in the holes to help you build and maintain a strong immune response.

Yes, Type 5 is its own set of challenges, but like all the other types, Gennev has got your back. Talk with one of our doctors, and get on the path to thriving through menopause and beyond!

Are you a Type 5, or do you have a Type 5 woman in your life? Come join us on the Gennev Community forums, where women share all kinds of useful information and support each other through the challenges!

With all that is happening in the world today, plus the common increase in anxiety and depression in perimenopause and menopause “” it’s no surprise a record number of women are asking our physicians, dietitians, and in our community about behavioral changes and taking care of their emotional health.

First, we’d like to make very clear that any woman who is depressed, considering suicide or self-harm, anyone who feels their emotional state is putting them or someone around them in danger, needs to contact a mental health professional right away.

The information in this article is meant to help those with mild or moderate symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. It does not replace care from a licensed health care provider.

We talked with our dietitians who coach women in menopause, to see what sorts of questions they were hearing from women, and the resources and advice they were sharing.

Jessica Gingrich, Gennev Dietitian, told us that yes, there is definitely an uptick in women asking for mental and emotional health resources. Common questions include:

Is this anxiety I am feeling normal?

Most likely, yes! As Jessica says, it’s important to normalize the idea that perimenopause often causes an increase in anxiety. Considering the extra concerns we have in 2020, increases in emotions are totally understandable. It’s also important for people to understand that the use of medications for the short term to support a feeling of an emotional “steady state” is normal, healthy, and safe.

What can I do with my nutrition to support my roller coaster emotions?

To help with this, Jessica suggestions we focus on fueling throughout the day to prevent menopause diabetes, blood sugar spikes, and valleys that can impact mood (if you have kids, you know how being hungry can effect emotions). Also, consider reducing foods that stimulate energy but come with a “crash” afterward, like sugar, refined carbohydrates, or caffeine. And cut back on anything that disrupts sleep, like alcohol or eating too late.

What type of exercise is most important to help with stress?

Jessica loves this question because exercise during menopause can be such a potent de-stressor. But, she emphasizes, the type of exercise that is most helpful for stress is the exercise you do and enjoy doing. Restorative exercise like yoga, walking, or stretching can be particularly helpful for calming the mind, while more intense cardio can be helpful for “getting the yayas” out.

Other tips from Jessica

Katie Linville, Gennev Dietitian, has also noticed many more women looking for relief from emotional symptoms on their coaching calls. Here are some of the things she’s been hearing:

I feel like my emotions are harder to regulate, and I find myself getting frustrated and angry more easily, along with my increased anxiety. Is this normal?

Not just more emotion, but more difficulty regulating emotion generally is, as Katie says, totally normal, even if it’s exacerbated by the challenges of 2020. One way to try to regain control is by figuring out where the emotional response is coming from: is it hormonal? Is it the stress of having kids at home rather than at school? Is it because you haven’t been able to go to your gym? If you can figure out the trigger, you have a better chance of finding a solution to match. Understand that triggers and coping techniques will vary widely from person to person.

How can I become stronger not just physically but emotionally during menopause?

Katie says often when women ask this question, they’re beating themselves up that they’re “not doing enough.” It’s important to first work through any feelings of guilt and shame they may be burdened with. She also suggests women consider therapy “” even if feelings of not being “strong enough” are mild or aren’t apparently interfering with life, therapy can still be really beneficial. Seeking help is a normal, healthy response, and if it helps a woman deal with the challenges of 2020 and/or menopause, why not do it?

Other tips from Katie

Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk has also been helping more women than usual handle emotional stress and pain. Even when stress is moderate, it’s constant, and that is wearing people down after months and months of COVID-19 worry.

I feel like no matter where I turn there is always something else I need to deal with.

The unrelenting stress is a common theme among her clients””a moment of Zen might be all they need to get back on track, but enough time to take a deep breath is hard to find. Her advice? “Be kind, gentle, and give yourself some grace. We know we are in unprecedented times, and menopause doesn’t make this easier. Remember that all women in menopause currently have never endured menopause AND a pandemic. There is not rule book for this; things WILL feel differently than before. Know that whatever you give each day can be enough, if you let it.”

Other tips from Stasi

If you’re looking for additional help, Stasi has some apps she likes:

  1. Serenity meditation is great for beginners looking to start practicing meditation. It helps users achieve mindfulness, sleep better, and relax as all of which are so good for your health.
  2. Insight timer Is another great app for guided meditation. Its library of free guided meditations has more than 65K to choose from, from 9,000 teachers, so you’re sure to find one or many that work for you.
  3. And for the Type As who really CANNOT relax unless everything is, if not completed, then at least accounted for, the Panda Planner has been recommended by one of Stasi’s Health Fix clients. Being organized can mean having a lot more time in the day to concentrate on you.

When is it time to ask for help?

Finally, it’s important to know when your emotional issues are serious enough to consult with a professional. As Stasi says, “If you are feeling anxiety, depression, and/or emotions that are too extreme, and you have tried many of the strategies listed above without any noticeable improvement, it’s time to reach out to a mental health provider. These practitioners are trained to support you, and when it comes to mental health, we all deserve support.”

If you’re struggling with emotions that just feel out of control, or you feel you could use some support, please come join the conversation in our Gennev Community. You’re not alone “” many of us are feeling overwhelmed and stressed to our limits, and now’s the time to lean on each other and give and get strength from one another.

And remember, if your concerns just feel too heavy to handle, there is no shame in seeking professional help: The National Suicide Prevention Lifelife phone number is 800-273-8255. You can also chat via the web at suicidepreventionlifeling.org/chat/.

 

Have you ever heard from your general practitioner that menopause is just “something you’re going to have to deal with”?

Did you feel the brush off?

This week I’m feeling a little punchy. I recently had an appointment with my GP and asked about getting a Mirena IUD to deal with the crazy menstrual cramps I’m having in perimenopause. I’m starting to feel the pangs, and if there’s a solution to the problem you can bet that I’m going to check it out. I run a menopause company, after all.

She wasn’t a fan. In fact, she said that it [the Mirena IUD] would introduce too many hormones into my body and that the Women’s Health Initiative study found risks with all hormone therapies for women entering perimenopause.

You all know how I feel about hormone replacement therapy for menopause, so I won’t belabor the point.

I left that visit feeling dismissed. Even with my work at Gennev, I didn’t have the energy to argue my point.

What I’ve heard from so many of you is that menopause starts with a conversation.

 

 

You want a practitioner who is willing to hear you out as the mood swings, hot flashes, inability to sleep. You want a practitioner who is willing to ask you about your sex life, and actually listen while you bumble through embarrassing details that might not be something to brag about but are the reality of what you’re facing.

In the last few months, menopause has become trendy.

Seriously, there are a number of companies popping up with products, assessments and remedies for women’s health in menopause.

This is good news! Menopause is on the map. People are realizing how underserved women have been for years, and they’re doing something about it.

And yet, I see too many websites and services that are in a hurry to get a product into your hands. Even prescription products that really require a real, live conversation with a practitioner.

At Gennev, we’re grounded in the notion that menopause starts with a conversation. You need a chance to explain what’s going on in your mind, body and spirit as because menopause can touch all three. And that starts with access to experienced menopause practitioners or a community that can empathize with what you’re going through.

I was reminded of the importance of open conversation with regards to menopause yesterday at a meeting I was attending. As 25 of us went around the room introducing ourselves, I mentioned that I run an online clinic for women in menopause.

Immediately a woman shouted from the other side of the room, “where were you 5 years ago?” I love hearing that. It reminds me that we need one another. We need trusted practitioners who will listen. We need to be heard.

So what do you need? Is Gennev filling that void? If not, how can we do a better job? Here’s your chance to speak your mind, freely, to me. Email me at jill@gennev.com. Or, voice your opinions and needs in the anonymity of the Gennev community.

Menopause starts with a conversation as whether that’s with a physician or a friend. Let’s take charge of our health in this journey, together.

genneve CEO Jill Angelo

Jill

 

Really satisfying sex is all about communication: yes, between partners, but also all up and down the tingling, zinging xylophone that is your central nervous system (CNS). The better the communication, the better the sex.

During sex, your body is talking to your brain, delivering updates, prompting greater blood flow and lubrication to the areas that need it, preparing your parts to accommodate intercourse.

A lot of information comes from the pelvic floor muscles, which hold the bladder, vagina, uterus, and bowels in place. Healthy pelvic muscles = good communication within your body = stronger, longer orgasms. I asked our PTs Meagan and Bri to walk us through it.

What role do the pelvic muscles play in a woman’s orgasm?

“The pelvic floor muscles are intricately tied in with the sexual organs,” Meagan says. “Blood flow and tissue health contribute to the amount of sensation and overall neurological input going to a woman’s central nervous system.”

The spasms of pelvic floor muscles are the heart of the Big O, so naturally, the healthier those muscles are, the better they communicate with your CNS, and the more pleasurable climax can be.

What causes weak communication from the pelvic muscles?

According to Bri, the clients they see with this issue tend to fall into two categories: low tone and high tone.

Low-tone pelvic floor muscles are a bit flabby. Women with this issue may have weak or no orgasms and may also have incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Low-tone muscles aren’t able to communicate well with the woman’s CNS, says Meagan. “If there isn’t enough oomph behind the pelvic muscles, they’re just whispering to the nervous system, which might not be enough to get her to orgasm.”

Then there’s high-tone pelvic floor muscles. Women with this issue often have trouble with intercourse because their pelvic muscles are in constant spasm or are too tight to allow penetration. And when sex hurts, orgasms aren’t likely to happen.

What causes high- or low-tone pelvic muscles?

Several things can affect tone: Prior vaginal delivery of a baby can cause lower tone, Bri says, especially if the birth involved cuts or tears in the perineum. Extra body weight can weaken pelvic muscles. Athletes often have high tone issues, particularly if their sport involves pressure on the perineum area, as with cyclists or equestrians. Oh, yeah, and those crunches. It is possible to over-exercise the pelvic floor muscles, so ease up on the crunches. I mean seriously, which would you rather have: a six pack? Or great sex?

How to have better sex—and better orgasms?

As Bri says, start with the usual lifestyle stuff: eat right. Sleep. Exercise. Practice good hydration and urination. Do your kegels and do them right. If you have pain during sex, try some lubrication and see if that takes care of the problem. Be smart and consistent about these, and you may find you can reach orgasm better even without any professional help.

If you do need help having better sex, there are lots of ways a physical therapist can help you. If high-tone muscles in the vagina make things feel too tight for your comfort, a series of dilators can use the body’s natural elasticity to widen it. Vibration applied to the area stimulates blood vessels and helps bring healthy blood and oxygen to where it’s needed. Education to learn to do kegels correctly, including when to stop to avoid injury or overuse, can also help maintain the muscles of the pelvic floor for optimal function and optimal pleasure.

One great way to have better sex? Have more sex. It’s one of life’s more pleasant “use it or lose it” rules as sex promotes blood flow, stretching and hydration of tissue, and muscle contractions. “It’s sport-specific training!” says Meagan.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to bring up the topic with your doctor. We know this isn’t always easy, but you’re entitled to have a happy, healthy sex life, and sometimes that takes a little outside help. Your doc has probably heard it all, so don’t be ashamed to mention that you want to learn how to orgasm better if your sex life isn’t fully satisfying.

“When women first come to me, they stand at my door, scowling, saying, “‘OK, PT for my hoohah, what are you going to do to me?'” Meagan says, “We really want people—men and women—to be educated on what physical therapy can do for them. Because here’s the good news: you have so much more control than you think you do. We’ll give you some tools, some strategies to heal and avoid problems, but mostly what we’re going to give you is information.”

“Too many people assume what’s happening to them is normal,” says Bri. “I hear, ‘My mom had painful sex, my grandma had painful sex, it’s just genetic.’ Well, no, no, it isn’t. Your pelvic floor is your pelvic floor. We want to educate people on what’s normal and healthy, and if they’re outside that range, what they can do about it. Because there’s a lot we can do.”

If you’ve worked with a PT or taken other steps to improve your sex life, how about sharing what worked (or didn’t!) with the Gennev community? Shoot us an email (we may share your ideas but NOT your name, we promise) or catch us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  

Pelvic floor health impacts your quality of life, whether you know it or not. Actually, when it stops being healthy, you’ll know it.

Peeing, pooping, sexual satisfaction as being successful at these things requires a healthy pelvic floor, and as we age, the muscles that make up that floor can weaken. Because it’s so important to keep this “hammock” of muscles strong and responsive, we talked to physiotherapist Dr. Susie Gronski, “your doc for all things down there.” She gave us the low down on our down-unders: what happens when things are out of whack and how to get them back.

Have a listen to part I of this conversation, “to your pelvic health, our talk with dr. Susie Gronski, part 1.” Then continue on below, where Jill talks to Dr. Susie about pain, the role our pelvic floor plays in our sexual health, and the Big Os:

1:18 Orgasms, pain, and pelvic floor health

Experiencing sexual pleasure all the way to orgasm can be more challenging for women, and nearly impossible if there’s pain involved. We asked Dr. Susie how women can relieve the pain and get their desire back. Spoiler alert: help is out there. Dr. Susie fills us in on bringing pleasure and intimacy back into our lives.

6:08 Dr. Susie’s 6-day course for pelvic health

In this hands-on (yep), one-on-one course, Dr. Susie teaches students to explore their bodies, interpret what they see and feel, and ultimately, treat and heal themselves. With Dr. Susie’s expert guidance, students learn what the muscles look like, what they do, and how to heal the pain they’re experiencing. Transformation is tough, says Dr. Susie, and everyone should have a support system to get through it.

10:22 Pelvic floor health: giving your body 6 days

We wanted to know how the course worked as is it in-person, or can it be done virtually? The six days are in person, Dr. Susie says, because it’s necessary to touch the person, show them how to touch themselves, what to feel for, what they’re feeling when they find it, and so on.

11:15 What do women need to be mindful of when it comes to pelvic floor health?

Dr. Susie says, remember, you’re not the only one who leaks in Zumba class! Incontinence and other issues are common, and there’s help. Also, it’s not all about kegels; there’s a network of things happening throughout your body, so it’s important to learn beyond kegels (if you want to try, we recommend Elvie Kegels). Finally, Dr. Susie reminds us that we can’t be shy when seeking help. It’s your quality of life on the line as get over your “vagina phobia!”

Here’s to happy private parts!

Thanks again to Dr. Susie for her expert information on how to keep or regain your healthy pelvic floor. You can find more from Dr. Susie on her website.

Have you had professional help and training to regain pelvic floor function? We’d love to hear about it and how it helped you get your quality of life back. Please share with us in the comments below (you’re welcome to comment anonymously), email us at info@gennev.com, or let us know on Gennev‘s Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, Gennev’s closed Facebook group.  If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Part 1 of the series.

 

 

In 2019, nearly 60 million working women in the U.S. were either approaching or in menopause. In their mid-40s and 50s, these are women in the prime of their careers. They’re employees who tend to be rich in experience and knowledge, making significant contributions, and ascending to or already in pivotal leadership roles. In other words, they’re the employees you’ve invested in and want to keep. The employees your competitors would love to snatch up.

More and more, companies are combating attrition by anticipating, then meeting, the needs of their employees. If you offer paid time off for family leave, set aside a lactation room for nursing mothers, provide wellness programs or fertility benefits, or allow employees to work flexible hours, your company is in good company. If you’re looking for new ways to retain some of your most valuable employees””women in their mid-40s and 50s””it’s smart to turn your focus to menopause. And if you do, you’ll be among the vanguard of this emerging trend.

Why menopause?

Marking a woman’s transition to the post-childbearing years, menopause is really just a date””the 1 year anniversary of a woman’s last period. Most commonly, this falls around age 51. But in the 5 or so years leading up to that (known as perimenopause) and the 10 or more years following it, the fluctuations in a woman’s estrogen and progestin levels can cause a host of symptoms that can be disruptive to both her personal and professional life. Or not. Some women sail through the transition easily. Others have a few symptoms, but they’re not troubling enough to amount to much. But others””84% of women surveyed by the AARP“” struggle with some combination of hot flashes/night sweats (a.k.a. vasomotor symptoms), insomnia, mood swings, migraines, anxiety, brain fog, or more, and said they disrupted their lives, including work.

Those symptoms can come at a cost to employers. A 2015 study looking at those costs found that women with untreated vasomotor symptoms used significantly more healthcare resources:

These women also had 57% more indirect work productivity loss days, which amounted to an annual incremental indirect cost per patient of US$770.

What makes navigating these symptoms that much more troubling for women is that menopause isn’t a common topic of conversation, especially at the office. Unless someone has gone through it, they don’t really understand it. And that lack of understanding can make people feel uncomfortable hearing about it. And women experiencing the symptoms can fear they will be sidelined if they’re vocal about them. So they “buck up” and often suffer in silence.

Imagine you’re at the top of your game in your career, and how the following scenarios might impact your job satisfaction if you had no support from your employer:

What would it look like if your employer had policies in place to support you in these moments and more?

What your company can do

If you’re not sure how to support employees experiencing menopause symptoms, you’re not alone. Menopause policies are somewhat new here in the US, although some recommendations are emerging. Employers in Europe have developed a number of policies meant to support and retain these workers. Here are several:

Menopause Discussion Groups – Just like any special interest group at a company, this brings together women in perimenopause and menopause to talk about their experiences and learn from each other. It’s a safe place to share the good, the bad and everything in between.

Access to Information – Marks & Spencer in England created a Manage your Menopause micro-site on their employee wellness site. Yours could house videos, tips, product information, links to articles and books, etc.

Menopause Training – When managers understand menopause, they can better support employees who are impacted by it.

Paid Leave and Flexible Working Arrangements – On days when menopause symptoms cause an employee to feel unable to work in the office, offer her paid leave or the ability to work remotely if she’s not already, and/or flexible hours.

Menopause-conducive Workspaces – A broadcaster in the UK, Channel 4, implemented menopause policies last year that included private, cool, quiet workspaces and annual workspace assessments to ensure needs continue to be met.

Coverage for Expert Menopause Care – Most women don’t know who to turn to for help in managing their menopause symptoms. And it’s not their fault. According to that same study conducted by AARP, 80% of gynecology residency programs in the US spend exactly 0 hours on menopause education. So even a woman’s trusted OB-GYN might not be up to speed on the latest treatments.

Add to that the fact that menopause symptoms are wiley. Just when one of them is responding to a new treatment, a new symptom may pop up. And one treatment may work for a while, then stop working and need to be adjusted. So menopause care requires an ongoing relationship with a physician who is well versed in the intricacies of all of the symptoms and the nuances of their various treatments. Gennev provides this level of menopause expertise and care to women via video visits with doctors who specialize in menopause, care-team messaging, and access to ongoing menopause education, treatments, and tips.

The headline here is that women in peri/menopause can absolutely stay at the top of their game at work. And they’ll likely stay with employers who help them find the medical support they need to do so.

Let’s tackle this together

If you’re a working woman in perimenopause, you understand that things like brain fog, fatigue, hot flashes, heavy periods and lack of sleep can make the day feel very long. Gennev is now offering trusted treatment and solutions for the workplace. We want to help your employers support you better. If you’re interested in getting your employer more information about Gennev Menopause Wellness Solutions, click here.

How many times have you been on a health food kick, walked into the grocery store with your list feeling motivated, and walked out feeling deflated because you spent your “whole paycheck” on just a few days’ worth of healthy groceries? With all of the imperative messaging from the media and marketers around which healthy foods we need to be buying now, the importance of buying organic, etc., it’s hard not to get caught up in and confused by this health food frenzy.

Several years ago, I was fed up by another whole-paycheck outing and realized I had to stop the excessive spending and take a back-to-basics approach to healthy eating. After all, I had grown up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania during the iceberg lettuce generation of the 80s and always managed to stay fit and healthy on a limited grocery budget. I knew I could do better!

I’m not suggesting we eat iceberg lettuce (although I do love a good blue cheese wedge every now and again!). Rather, I think we could all benefit from ignoring some of the advertising/social media chatter around must-eat foods in order to curtail some of our spending. After my epiphany, I created a set of grocery shopping guidelines that help protect my pocketbook but allow me and my family to continue to thrive.

Take these tips with you to the grocery store the next time that you shop, and I promise, you won’t feel like you’ve fallen victim to the Whole Paycheck Phenomenon again.

  1. Shop the bulk aisle. There are so many healthy goodies in this aisle, and you can buy just what you need, as opposed to the often oversized packages of some foods that end up going to waste. Check out our list of bulk food favorites.
  2. Know when you need to buy organic produce, and when you can skimp. This list from Eating Well of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and veggies you should be buying organic is a great go-to.
  3. Buy organic protein, but challenge yourself to buy only half of what you might ordinarily eat. Sure, organic meat is a must for meat-eaters, but it is so expensive and can eat away at your budget. Here’s how to cut back:
  4. Cut down on your meat consumption by cutting your normal portion size in half and crowd the rest of your plate with greens, veggies and fiber-rich starches like sweet potatoes or whole grain rice. Have you seen the size of a chicken breast lately? One breast is enough for three people sometimes, so chances are, you won’t miss what you cut out!
  5. Find less-expensive sources of protein like eggs, beans, and tofu, and substitute these for meat several days a week.
  6. Shop the frozen section. How many times have you bought fruit and let it go bad? Buying fruits like berries and peaches in the frozen section allows you to use what you want and avoid waste. Frozen veggies like edamame are also particularly great go-to’s, as you can toss a handful onto salads and into stir-fries and still have some to spare. Green Giant just introduced a line of frozen Riced Veggies that I’m crazy about like their Cauliflower Medley.
  7. Buy generic whenever possible. There is no shame in buying generic foods, only savings to be had. Be careful to read labels, though, as some less-expensive brands can sneak additives into our foods. Whole Foods has done a great job with their 365 product line, and we’re loving the 365 Market they’ve opened here in Seattle.
  8. Establish a short list of healthy, affordable, go-to staples, and make it a normal part of your weekly shopping list. Having a list helps to streamline your waistline and pocketbook because it helps you to avoid making impulse purchasing decisions.

And finally a quick reminder: you don’t have to shop at fancy markets to be healthy. Don’t get me wrong, these places can be inspiring and generally feel-good environments to be in, but your local grocery store carries most everything the more upscale market does. You just have to know what you’re looking for, which is why these guidelines can be so helpful to you.

Cheers to your health!
Michelle

 

Transitioning into parenthood: what to expect from a first time pregnancy

“All of a sudden, all these medical professionals are like, “˜Have fun with your baby, see ya!’ And the hospital door shuts behind you, and you have no idea what to do.”

This may sound familiar to a lot of first-time parents. The risks are so high, yet many new moms and dads feel like they’re missing vital information that would make adjusting to parenthood easier.

Chris and Josh Gourley had their little girl Michaela 15 months ago. Says Chris, “Having a child””especially a first child””is opening the door to a whole new world where this tiny person hands you grubby things to eat”¦.and you eat them because you want your kid to know it’s good to share. Who knew that was going to happen?!”

“Being a parent is a huge adjustment, especially for women: If you’re a dad, your whole life just changed. If you’re a mom, yep, your life changed, but so did your body, so did your hormones. That has a huge impact. But we don’t talk about it. We talk about pregnancy and the time up to the childbirth, and we talk about going through the birth of the child, but we don’t talk about what comes after. No one prepares you for what’s coming.”

So we asked Chris what she learned that might help others in the transition to parenthood:

  1. Buy the biggest maxi-pads you can find, and buy them in bulk. You’re about to have the worst period of your life. “It makes sense, really; the placenta is, like, 10″ in diameter, so you have this big wound in your uterus that’s going to bleed and slough for a while. You don’t want to wear tampons because you want everything to come out, and a menstrual cup won’t fit because your cervix is all wonky. Be prepared. When they send you home with those funky, one-size-fits-all stretchy panties, that’s why.”
  2. Vaginal dryness is a real thing. You can fix it. “After that six-week period from hell was finally over, all of a sudden it was like sandpaper between my legs. You’re walking around like, oh my god, what’s happening, because you have to figure out what’s going on. I know what a runny nose feels like, or a cold, or when I cut myself, but this”¦I didn’t know vaginal dryness was going to happen and that it was going to be so severe! Just sitting on the couch or stretching hurt. For the first time in my life, I used a vaginal lubricant just for personal reasons, and it made a huge difference. You hear that after a baby sex will be “˜different’ because of your hormones, but the difference is really significant.”
  3. Breastfeeding is hard, but it can be easier than the alternatives. “Apparently, it takes a day or two for the milk to come in, and you feel like you’re starving your baby. No one tells you that’s normal, so you just feel like a failure. Oh, and then when it does start, there’s a period known as the “˜let down’ when the milk comes extremely hard and fast. Suddenly my baby was choking and gurgling, and she cried and cried, and I didn’t know what was wrong. Now I know it’s normal and you can solve it by catching the initial flow in a rag, but you have to know what’s happening to know what to do next. I’ve never known a woman who breastfed who didn’t go through it, but no one told me it was going to happen.”Breastfeeding may be challenging, but there’s one big benefit no one really talks about: “It’s super convenient,” Chris says. “I don’t have to boil anything or prepare anything, it’s milk on-demand! A lot of women tell me they don’t breastfeed or they stopped breastfeeding because it’s so hard. And it is, but there are ways of making it easier on yourself. You can use formula during the day and nurse at bedtime, for example. You have choices, but no one tells you that. I had to just keep asking questions until I had all the information I needed.”
  4. Be prepared for wonky hormones. “Everyone warns you about postpartum depression, which is a real thing that really happens. But it happens differently to different women. For me, it was about four months after Michaela was born. It was pretty mild, but I went to a counselor because it helped to talk about it. For my friend, postpartum depression came out as rage. One day her husband asked, “˜Do you want me to make you some tea?’ and she screamed, “˜Of course you should make me a cup of tea, why wouldn’t I want a cup of tea, but I don’t want peppermint, I want cinnamon!’ Because I was a few months ahead of her, I had told her about my experience and the four-month mark, so she was a little more prepared. And she said she was more willing to go to a counselor because I’d told her how it helped me. That’s why talking about this stuff is so important.”
  5. External support matters. “I’m in a breastfeeding support group, and that’s really helpful. We share breastfeeding stuff, like how your supply can drop when you have your period or if you start back on birth control, and how you might not have that postpartum period until you stop breastfeeding, but then break out the stretchy panties! These are things you might not hear from your doctor. But other new moms will fill you in. Friends and family are great, and you’ll need them, but I also really needed people going through what I was going through.”
  6. Adjustment happens. “When you have a baby, everything is all out of whack for a while. Your hormones show no semblance of normalcy, maybe not until after you stop breastfeeding, but even if you don’t nurse, your body can take weeks to level out. There’s a lot going on in there, and it’ll take time to bounce back. You may never be the person you were before, and that’s OK.”
  7. The most important lesson she learned? Change happens daily. “The best advice I got came from my pediatrician: “˜Don’t get used to anything because tomorrow it’ll change.’ Michaela may sleep tonight, but she might not sleep tomorrow. Today she doesn’t want to eat; tomorrow she will. You just never know. But that’s what makes it fun.”

Many thanks to Chris for sharing her experience and learnings from her Adventures in Motherhood. What did you have to learn when you became a parent for the first (or second or third) time? Share your expertise with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

 

Raising awareness about domestic violence

Quick question: what do you call a white men’s tank top?

Did you say “wife-beater”?

No judgment if you did; it’s still in our modern vernacular, after all.

But how about we stop making that language acceptable. Now. Now is good.

On Sunday, September 18, I rolled out of bed at the derrière-crack of dawn, struggled into a pair of Lycra shorts and a sports bra, and with a couple of thousand other women, headed out to take up the challenge of ending domestic violence.

Because wife-beaters.

Because 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will endure physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Because that works out to 20 people a minute being physically, emotionally, verbally attacked by their partner. Because the site I got this information from has a heartbreaking safety exit tab to “quickly exit the site if in danger.”

Because just reading about domestic violence can put someone in danger.

The rising tide

Cycle the WAVE (Women Against Violence Everywhere) is a non-competitive bike ride to raise awareness and funds and help bring domestic violence to its long-overdue end. The WAVE is a hugely supportive event, with enough woman-power circulating to light up a city, great food, amazing volunteers, your choice of several gorgeous Pacific Northwest routes, and fun extras like getting handed boxes of Hot Tamales by (several gorgeous Pacific Northwest) firefighters and sample packets from Gennev, my awesome company, in the goodie bags.

The WAVE is a women-only ride, not to exclude men, who are there in number””on the sidelines with the kids, as “Guys on Bikes” riding in a support capacity, driving around in a van full of spare inner tubes and Allen wrenches, making sandwiches, etc.””but to celebrate women.

For me, making it women-only helps me remember the strength there is in women, in being a woman. The strength to demand healthy relationships, supportive partners, and safety. To insist on being shown the respect we’ve earned. The strength to demand equal treatment in our workplaces and streets, in public and in our homes.

“Lucky” me

I guess I should say I’m one of the “lucky” ones. I’ve never been abused by a partner, and the fella I landed with is so supportive he’s practically a bra.

But”¦. But.

I ride because “lucky” doesn’t feel right. It shouldn’t have anything to do with luck. Everyone””EVERY ONE””has the right to feel safe in their home, in their bed, in their life. The fact that some people’s homes are places of fear and dread and violence makes rolling out of my warm bed in my safe and happy home the very least I can contribute.

The WAVE Foundation provides grants to organizations that benefit victims of abuse and teach kids and adults how to have healthy relationships. According to its mission statement, the Seattle-based non-profit is “built on the idea that strengthening women helps to end domestic violence.”

I’m too lumpy for Lycra. My hair is chaotic on its best days; don’t get me started on the horrors of helmet hair. But I ride the WAVE because in 2016, it’s still culturally acceptable to call a men’s t-shirt a “wife-beater.”

We can do better than this. We can recognize the value of individuals, regardless of gender. We can celebrate strengths, respect points of view, honor accomplishments, and see people as the sum of their parts””not as some of their parts.

We can call them “tank tops.”

Let’s ride.