The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Changes with Purpose, Power and the Facts

The New Menopause is a powerful and empowering resource for women - middle-aged and up! - that encourages us to take the reins of our health and our journeys through perimenopause and into menopause. Women's health has always been deemed by society and the medical profession as less than, receiving a glaring lack of support, importance and research considering women make up half of the world's population.

Misinformation, doctors not formally trained in menopause and a lack of resources are sadly (and maddeningly) the status quo for women struggling to understand what is happening in our own bodies. We need to educate ourselves about how to navigate the information and therapies that can help greatly impact our physical and mental quality of life.

This book is a HUGE step in the right direction. This is a 'one-stop shop' for everything you need to know to arm yourself with knowledge and options to live through the perimenopause years. Down-to-earth (albeit with more of a 'doctory' feel in the first half), this is a must read for anyone whose end game will be menopause. The journey doesn't have to be rough, suffered alone or in silence. There IS true power in knowing you are not alone and that you have options. Dr. Haver encourages us to not accept the 'it is what it is' mentality and arm ourselves with knowledge so we can actively advocate for ourselves and insist on accurate information from the medical field and our own health care professionals

Many women have received 'substandard care and weak support. Many patients felt invalidated or reported that they hadn't been provided with any help or even given access to information that would allow them to understand the cause of their symptoms. (p4)

Personally, this book got me to finally book an appointment with my doctor. Going into the appointment with a clearer understanding of my symptoms and perimenopause helped a lot and allowed my doctor (who is amazing) and I to jump right into the conversation. I left the appointment elated that I was listened to and taken seriously (while simple these are both powerful!) and that we had set a plan in motion. For me that included trying Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). 

I hope that this book gets into many women's hands. We have been fed misinformation or outright neglected by the medical community, but with the facts, support and a sense of community, women can choose how they will navigate these years and understand our amazing bodies which will lead to a better quality of life.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Mary Claire Haver, M.D.

Genre: Nonfiction, Women's Health

Type and Source: Hardcover, Personal copy

Publisher: Rodale Books

First Published: April 30, 2024

Read: started September 2024 (had a BIG break) 

& finished March 20, 2025

Book Description from Amazon.ca: Filling a gaping hole in menopause care, everything a woman needs to know to thrive during her hormonal transition and beyond, as well as the tools to help her take charge of her health at this pivotal life stage.

A NEW YORK POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Menopause is inevitable, but suffering through it is not! This is the empowering approach to self-advocacy that pioneering women’s health advocate Dr. Mary Claire Haver takes for women in the midst of hormonal change in The New Menopause. 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 to 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.

Arming women with the power to secure vibrant health and well-being for the rest of their lives, The New Menopause is sure to become the bible of midlife wellness for present and future generations.