Hello, I'm Dr. Louise Newsome and welcome to my podcast. I'm a GP and menopause specialist and I run the Newsome Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre here in Stratford-Bron-Avon. I'm also the founder of the Menopause charity and the Menopause support app called Balance.

On the podcast, I will be joined each week by an exciting guest to help provide evidence-based

information and advice about both the perimenopause and the

menopause. So today, as it's in between Christmas and New Year, we thought we'd record a

slightly different podcast, really just reflecting on how the year's been and maybe how the next year is going to be.

Who knows?

So I've got with me my trusted, I was going to say partner, but it sounds a bit weird because I am happily married to Paul, as many of you know.

But my business partner, my mentor, my friend, clinical director at the clinic,

Dr Rebecca Lewis, who's been on the podcast before, and this won't be her last time. So thanks,

Rebecca, for recording this with me. Oh, thank you, Louise. It's lovely being here, as always.

So it's been a busy old time with the menopause and it's interesting isn't it because so many times

I come running into your room or you come running into my room and we either are very happy about

something or we're incredibly frustrated about something and you know we're happier because

the words getting out people are talking about the menopause but I think it's fair to say we're happier because the words getting out, people are talking about the menopause,

but I think it's fair to say we're also very frustrated with the sort of monetisation of the

menopause, the marketing of it. The way that women still aren't being listened to and valued

properly, would that be fair to say? I agree, yes. I mean, we've come a long way,

haven't we, really, in the world of menopause, if you go back 10 years ago, to where

menopause is now. So there's been so much, you know, great achievements. It's being talked

about more and more, which can only be encouraged and, you know, the media have got onto it, and women are beginning to understand what's

happening to them a bit more, which is just fantastic. And, you know, as everyone knows, it's

been a constant goal of yours and mine to just improve the knowledge and understanding and get

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