Learn more about the Rediscover You Program here: https://youbydrshaunawatts.com.au/16-week-rediscover-you-menopause-program/16-week-rediscover-you-program/

You’ve been told your blood tests are normal. That it’s stress or it’s aging. But what if the real reason you feel exhausted, anxious, and unlike yourself is perimenopause and it’s being completely missed?

In this episode, Dr. Shauna Watts sits down with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB/GYN, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, Certified Menopause Provider and the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, to break down how perimenopause is actually diagnosed, why so many women are misdiagnosed, and what’s really happening with your hormones in midlife.

This conversation goes far beyond common menopause symptoms. It explains why perimenopause symptoms can show up years before menopause, why standard hormone blood tests often fail, and how declining estrogen impacts your brain, metabolism, sleep, and overall health.

This is the episode to share with any woman who’s been told “everything looks fine” but knows something isn’t right.

What we cover in this episode:

• Why perimenopause symptoms are unpredictable and why hormone fluctuations create chaos in the body

• Why blood tests are not reliable for diagnosing perimenopause and what doctors should look at instead

• The importance of listening to symptoms and why women are often dismissed in healthcare

• Lesser-known perimenopause symptoms like vertigo, tinnitus, joint pain, anxiety, and brain fog

• The truth about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and how the Women’s Health Initiative changed menopause care

• Why HRT risks were overstated and why many women are still not being offered treatment

• The difference between birth control and hormone therapy in perimenopause treatment

• What causes weight gain in perimenopause, including insulin resistance and visceral fat

• Why sleep disruption is one of the earliest and most important symptoms to address

Perimenopause is not just about hot flashes or missed periods. It is a full-body hormonal transition that affects your energy, mood, metabolism, and long-term health.

This episode challenges outdated medical advice and gives you a clearer understanding of what’s happening in your body and what options you actually have..

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Follow Dr. Mary Claire Haver

https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

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https://www.facebook.com/drmaryclaire

https://ph.pinterest.com/thepauselife/

https://www.amazon.com/shop/drmaryclairehaver?ccs_id=301bff2e-33b9-4318-988e-e1026d2192e7

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Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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Chapters

00:00 – Why Perimenopause Is Being Missed

02:10 – It’s Not Just Hot Flashes: Hidden Symptoms

04:00 – Estrogen Affects Your Entire Body

05:30 – Why Doctors Aren’t Trained in Menopause

08:00 – Misdiagnosis and Why Women Are Dismissed

10:15 – Why Blood Tests Don’t Detect Perimenopause

16:50 – What’s Really Happening to Your Hormones

23:30 – How to Actually Diagnose Perimenopause

28:00 – HRT vs Birth Control: What’s the Difference

33:00 – Why Doctors Are Afraid of Hormone Therapy

35:00 – The Study That Changed Everything

40:00 – HRT Risks vs Benefits Explained

41:30 – Weight Gain and Belly Fat in Perimenopause

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Keywords

perimenopause symptoms

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hormone replacement therapy HRT

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women’s health misinformation