Menopause naturopath support, from perimenopause onwards

Starting from where you are now

Whether your cycle has only just started to shift or your periods stopped a while ago, we begin with where you are today.

In your first 60-minute consult, we talk through:

• How your cycle has changed, including timing, flow and anything new
• Sleep, including night-time waking and night sweats
• Hot flushes, and when they tend to show up
• Energy, focus and how you're feeling day to day
• Digestion and gut comfort
• What you eat and drink, including caffeine and alcohol
• Stress, movement and what a usual week looks like

If you've already talked to your GP or had blood tests, bring the results along, so your plan builds on what you know.

When you're ready, you can book a first consult at a time that suits you.

Your gut, skin and mindset in midlife

My 4-pillar approach looks at gut, hormones, skin and mindset together, and I bring all 4 into a menopause consult.

So alongside your hormones, I ask about bloating and digestion, since your gut is part of the picture (more on gut health).

Skin changes come into the conversation too, and I draw on my skin health work for that.

Stress and mood are part of it as well, so we look at both.

If you were diagnosed with PCOS earlier in life, bring that history along too, since it's part of your hormonal story.

Hormone testing, as an option

Testing is optional, and your plan can start without it.

Where more detail could help us plan, I may suggest blood tests through functional pathology, or the DUTCH hormone test, an at-home test I can arrange and talk through with you.

It looks at your sex hormones and their metabolites, along with your daily cortisol pattern.

Before you decide, I'll go through what each test covers and what it costs, and we'll choose together.

What your plan may cover

I like to turn off the dripping tap instead of placing a bucket underneath it, so your plan looks at what may be driving your symptoms.

It's built to fit around work, family and everything else on your plate, and it may include:

• Food and nutrition ideas for this stage of life, built around what you enjoy
• A wind-down routine to support your sleep
• Ways to fit movement and rest into your week
• Support for your gut, where digestion is part of the picture
• Where it suits you, natural medicines, explained clearly and checked against any medication you take

Every body responds in its own way, so your plan is built around you and reviewed as we go at your follow-up consults.