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Peri & Pause The Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Peri & Pause
The Peri & Pause Podcast is for women in midlife who know something in their body has changed—but haven’t been given real answers, or have been left overwhelmed by conflicting information. Hosted by Jamie Gallagher, DNP, FNP-C, MSCP, a nurse practitioner specializing in perimenopause and menopause care, the show explores hormones, metabolism, mental health, sleep, sex, weight changes, and chronic conditions through an evidence-based, deeply practical lens. We unpack the physiology of midlife alongside the lived experience of women navigating careers, relationships, finances, and identity during this transition. Every woman deserves this conversation—and the clarity, language, and confidence to advocate for better care. Because “Your Labs Are Normal” Is Not the Whole Story.
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- 4 weeks ago9 min
What Actually Works for Menopause Weight Gain
In this follow-up episode of Perimenopause the Podcast, Jamie Gallagher moves beyond the "why" behind menopause weight gain and inflammation and focuses on the "how."After explaining the science behind hormonal changes, inflammation, belly fat, insulin resistance, and metabolic slowdown in the previous episode, Jamie now shares practical strategies women can use to interrupt the cycle and regain control of their health. This episode explores resistance training, high-protein nutrition, the Mediterranean diet, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), GLP-1 medications, and why traditional approaches to weight loss often stop working during perimenopause and menopause.If you've been doing all the "right things" but still struggling with weight gain, inflammation, low energy, or changes in body composition, this episode offers a science-based roadmap for navigating this transition. 00:00 – Welcome back and recap of the previous episode00:45 – Why understanding the "how" matters01:15 – Pillar One: Rebuilding your metabolic engine01:45 – Why endless cardio isn't the answer anymore02:00 – Resistance training and reducing inflammation02:30 – HIIT workouts and visceral fat reduction03:00 – Why protein becomes more important during menopause03:30 – Protein recommendations explained03:45 – The Mediterranean diet and obesity prevention04:15 – Alcohol's impact on belly fat and metabolism04:45 – Pillar Two: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)05:15 – How estrogen influences fat distribution05:45 – Hormone therapy and inflammation reduction06:15 – What happens when hormone therapy stops06:30 – Pillar Three: GLP-1 medications explained07:00 – Semaglutide, tirzepatide, and women's health07:30 – Why women often respond differently than men07:45 – Protecting muscle while losing weight08:00 – The importance of strength training during GLP-1 use08:15 – Building a complete weight-loss strategy08:30 – The role of nutritionists, trainers, and clinicians08:45 – Changing your strategy instead of blaming yourself09:00 – Final thoughts and encouragement
- Jun 23, 20269 min
Why Menopause Weight Gain Isn't Your Fault
In this episode of Perimenopause the Podcast, Jamie Gallagher tackles one of the most frustrating and misunderstood challenges women face during perimenopause and menopause: weight gain and inflammation that seem to appear out of nowhere.If you've found yourself eating the same foods, exercising the same way, and still noticing stubborn belly fat, increased inflammation, joint aches, brain fog, or changes in your metabolism, you're not imagining it—and you're not alone.Jamie breaks down the science behind hormonal changes, estrogen decline, FSH spikes, insulin resistance, visceral fat accumulation, muscle loss, and chronic inflammation. Most importantly, she explains why this transition is not a failure of willpower or discipline, but a biological shift happening inside the body.This episode is packed with practical insights and validation for women who have been blaming themselves for changes that are often driven by hormones, metabolism, and immune system changes beyond their control.00:00 – Introduction to today's Ask Us Anything episode00:45 – The frustration of midlife weight gain and inflammation01:20 – Why this isn't a willpower problem01:45 – The connection between inflammation and weight gain02:00 – Estrogen's role in metabolism and immune health02:30 – The body's "internal thermostat" explained03:00 – Why women feel puffy and inflamed during perimenopause03:15 – Understanding follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)03:45 – How FSH contributes to belly fat accumulation04:15 – Why weight gain often begins before menopause04:30 – The vicious cycle of visceral fat and inflammation05:00 – How belly fat acts like its own endocrine organ05:20 – Insulin resistance and blood sugar changes06:00 – Why normal labs don't always tell the full story06:30 – Muscle loss and metabolic slowdown07:00 – Sleep disruption, cortisol, and cravings07:30 – Why you're not lazy, broken, or failing08:00 – The power of resistance training and muscle building08:20 – Why lifting weights helps fight inflammation08:40 – Changing your strategy, not blaming yourself08:55 – Preview of next episode: practical solutions
- Jun 16, 20266 min
Hormone Testing During Menopause: What Every Woman Should Know
Women often hear conflicting information online about estrogen, progesterone, and hormone testing. Jamie explains why hormone levels fluctuate dramatically during perimenopause, why a single blood test rarely tells the full story, and why symptoms often provide more useful information than lab values alone.This episode also covers stopping birth control pills in midlife, hormone testing after pregnancy, when hormone testing is appropriate, and why some women may still benefit from lab work in specific situations.If you've ever wondered whether hormone testing can confirm perimenopause or menopause, this episode will help you understand what hormone tests can, and can't, tell you.00:00 – Welcome back to Perimenopause the Podcast00:25 – Listener questions about hormone testing00:55 – Should women routinely check hormone levels?01:15 – Why hormone levels fluctuate so dramatically01:40 – Understanding hormone changes during perimenopause02:00 – Why symptoms matter more than a single lab test02:15 – Stopping birth control in your 40s: what to expect02:40 – How birth control affects hormone testing02:55 – Could birth control be masking menopause?03:10 – Hormone testing after pregnancy and childbirth03:35 – When hormone testing may be appropriate03:50 – Testosterone monitoring and hormone therapy04:10 – New research on estrogen and bone health04:35 – Why hormone testing is trending online04:50 – The better question to ask about your symptoms05:15 – Final thoughts and listener questions
- Jun 9, 20266 min
Surgical Menopause: The Missing Piece Many Women Never Hear About
In this Ask Us Anything episode of Perimenopause the Podcast, Jamie Gallagher answers a heartfelt question from Tammy, a woman struggling to feel like herself after a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes).One and a half years after surgery, Tammy describes feeling like her hormones and body are "a wreck." Jamie explains the difference between natural menopause and surgical menopause, the health impacts of ovary removal, and why many women continue to struggle when the right hormone therapy has not been explored.This conversation covers estrogen therapy, long-term health risks, surgical menopause recovery, and practical ways women in rural communities can access menopause specialists through telehealth and professional networks.If you've experienced ovary removal, hysterectomy, surgical menopause, or persistent hormone symptoms, this episode offers education, validation, and hope.00:00 – Welcome to Ask Us Anything00:30 – Tammy's question: "My hormones are a wreck"01:15 – What is a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy?01:50 – Why the reason for ovary removal matters02:30 – Understanding surgical menopause03:00 – Long-term health effects of ovary removal03:45 – Heart health, bone health, brain health, and libido04:15 – Why estrogen therapy matters04:45 – The hormone Tammy didn't mention05:00 – Why you don't have to accept feeling miserable05:20 – Finding menopause specialists through telehealth05:40 – How to use Menopause.org to find care05:55 – Why it's not too late to feel better06:15 – Final encouragement and closing thoughts
- Jun 2, 202631 min
From Military to Menopause: A Partner's Perspective
In Part 2 of the Meet the Founder series on Peri & Pause, Jamie is joined by her husband and co-founder, Stu, to discuss his background in international business and a 26-year military career, his transition into civilian life, and how mission, purpose, and service shape his leadership. They explore what Stu saw in Peri & Pause early on, the parallels between military mission-focus and building a menopause care company, and the persistent midlife women’s health care gap he witnessed through his mother’s experience and Jamie’s own perimenopause. Stu describes how perimenopause can strain relationships when symptoms are misunderstood, emphasizes addressing root causes rather than just symptoms, and encourages partners to show patience, seek help, and support women through care that can improve families, work, and overall quality of life.00:00 Meet Stu Intro01:33 Military Roots03:17 Leaving Service04:47 Vision For Peri Pause06:10 Mission Parallels07:47 Care Gap Reality09:32 Partner Perspective13:40 Mom And Family Impact17:39 Advice For Partners18:31 Thick Skin and Support18:55 Men Asking for Help20:39 Building Together Talk22:51 Napkin to Launch23:58 Balancing Risk and Caution26:17 Mission Bigger Than Us28:06 Scaling the Impact30:11 Gratitude and Outro------This podcast exists to normalize, explain, and elevate the midlife healthcare conversation—so women feel informed, believed, and empowered to demand better care for their bodies and lives.Visit https://periandpause.com for more info
- May 19, 202634 min
Empowering Midlife Health: The Origin of Peri and Pause
Kristen wraps the nurse practitioner series and launches the founder series with Peri & Pause founder Jamie Gallagher, who shares what drew her into nursing, her critical care background, and why she became a nurse practitioner and later earned her DNP. Jamie explains how time limits, metrics, and fragmented, symptom-by-symptom care pushed her to rethink how midlife women are treated, especially after her own perimenopause experience revealed a major healthcare gap. She describes Peri & Pause’s model as relationship-driven, evidence-based whole-woman care through the perimenopause/menopause lens, including proactive prevention, collaboration with other clinicians, and referrals when needed. Jamie discusses misinformation and clinician shaming around hormones, the need for better clinician education, core values like integrity and humility, and her vision for continued growth to meet ongoing demand.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:09 Jamie Nursing Origins02:47 Becoming Nurse Practitioner04:46 Healthcare System Friction08:27 Perimenopause Wake Up Call11:13 Seeing the Bigger Pattern13:11 Biggest Care Gap14:20 Founding Peri and Pause18:25 Building Patient First Practice19:21 Whole Woman Care Approach20:20 Coordinated Care Promise20:46 Preventive Deep Dives21:56 Proactive Treatment Mindset22:19 Patient Wins That Matter23:12 Word of Mouth Growth24:12 Building a Mission Business25:41 Imposter Syndrome and Connection26:57 Misinformation and Clinician Shame30:00 Why Education Still Lags31:13 Values Purpose and The Future36:45 Closing Thoughts and Wrap Up
- May 5, 202627 min
Breaking the Silence: Women's Healthcare Insights with Jaime Davis
In this Meet the Nurse Practitioner episode of Per and Pause, nurse practitioner Jaime Davis shares how her background in primary care and labor and delivery shaped her patient-centered approach and her focus on midlife women’s care. She discusses how perimenopause is often missed because symptoms can look like stress or anxiety, and highlights early signs such as brain fog, insomnia, word-finding difficulty, and menstrual changes influenced by hormone fluctuations like declining progesterone. Jaime recounts her own experience of years of severe pain after a traumatic C-section that was initially dismissed, later diagnosed as subcutaneous endometriosis and resolved with a short surgery, underscoring the importance of trusting your body and finding providers who listen. She explains her commitment to connecting symptoms, tailoring plans to patient goals, and helping women feel heard, supported, and empowered.00:00 Meet Jaime Davis00:54 Labor and Delivery Lessons02:24 Path to Midlife Care03:50 Why Perimenopause Gets Missed06:47 Dismissed Pain Story11:08 Finding the Real Cause13:29 What Listening Really Means15:27 Beyond Rigid Guidelines16:56 Early Perimenopause Clues17:06 Brain Fog Sleep Anxiety19:46 Symptoms Are Connected21:29 Menopause Education Gaps23:45 Care After Dismissal25:10 The Peri Pause Experience26:15 Closing Thanks Farewell------This podcast exists to normalize, explain, and elevate the midlife healthcare conversation—so women feel informed, believed, and empowered to demand better care for their bodies and lives.Visit https://periandpause.com for more info
- Apr 21, 202626 min
Empowering Women Through Midlife Transitions: A Conversation with Amanda Maingi
On Peri and Pause the podcast, host interviews women’s health nurse practitioner Amanda Maingi, who shares why she chose women’s health, her education at Georgetown, and how menopause and perimenopause received limited focus in training despite women spending a third of life in this stage. Amanda describes noticing gaps while working in a fast-paced traditional GYN clinic, where time constraints and protocol-driven care could miss the “whole woman” experience. She contrasts younger patients’ typically more straightforward visits with the complexity of midlife, highlighting under-research, life stressors, and chronic conditions. Common perimenopause symptoms often mislabeled as anxiety or depression include sleep disruption, heart palpitations, brain fog, irritability, overwhelm, and feeling out of control. The episode emphasizes validation, individualized high-touch care beyond algorithms, and addresses misconceptions that hormone therapy is inherently dangerous, stressing risk-benefit tailoring and comprehensive evaluation.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:53 Why Womens Health02:17 Academic Journey Highlights04:09 Menopause Education Gap05:24 Clinic Reality and Missing Care08:57 Midlife vs Younger Patients13:14 Symptoms Mistaken for Anxiety17:43 Beyond Protocols Individual Care19:34 Patch And Pill Problem21:21 Telehealth Versus High Touch22:56 Layered Whole Woman Care26:03 Validation First Visit28:42 Hormone Therapy Myths30:07 New Patient Expectations31:53 Outro And Sign Off32:23 Recording The Closing Script34:16 Final Takeaway Message------This podcast exists to normalize, explain, and elevate the midlife healthcare conversation—so women feel informed, believed, and empowered to demand better care for their bodies and lives.Visit https://periandpause.com for more info
About Peri & Pause The Podcast
The Peri & Pause Podcast is for women in midlife who know something in their body has changed—but haven’t been given real answers, or have been left overwhelmed by conflicting information. Hosted by Jamie Gallagher, DNP, FNP-C, MSCP, a nurse practitioner specializing in perimenopause and menopause care, the show explores hormones, metabolism, mental health, sleep, sex, weight changes, and chronic conditions through an evidence-based, deeply practical lens. We unpack the physiology of midlife alongside the lived experience of women navigating careers, relationships, finances, and identity during this transition. Every woman deserves this conversation—and the clarity, language, and confidence to advocate for better care. Because “Your Labs Are Normal” Is Not the Whole Story.
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