I thought perimenopause was just the run-up to the menopause and not a treacherous passage in itself. I had no idea it would make me so furious – or give me surprise periods like tsunamis. In the kitchen at various times during my deranged perimenopausal mood swings I threw: 1) a butternut squash, 2) Nigella Christmas, 3) broccoli, 4) a full butter dish, and 5) blue poster paint at the wall. No one was injured. Indeed, the missiles actually released family tension – and at least the dog began to treat me with more respect. I had no idea that progesterone and oestrogen drained erratically but inexorably away over the course of years in perimenopause, and that symptoms could be mental as well as physical. Overall Winner and Winner of Non-Fiction Lifestyle Book of the Year at The British Book Awards 2023! The start of a movement: to get everyone talking about menopause in every home, GP surgery and workspace I believe the book should perhaps have been titled "Menopausing: How HRT Can Help". Okay, that's a terrible title but something in a similar vein to reflect its heavy focus on hormone replacement therapy being the be-and-end-all solution for some women. That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body.

For too long, women have had to keep quiet about the menopause – its onset, its symptoms, its treatments – and what it means for us. Menopausing will build an empowered, supportive community to break this terrible silence once and for all. By exploring and explaining the science, debunking damaging myths, and smashing the taboos around the perimenopause and menopause, this book will equip women to make the most informed decisions about their health... and their lives.One further thing to note is that parts of this book refer specifically to dealing with the menopause in the UK, for example how it is treated by the NHS and the types of treatments that are available in the different parts of the UK. These sections will obviously be less useful to those living outside of the UK. But, there is still plenty of information in there that would apply to any person interested in learning more about the menopause.

Trespasses (Bloomsbury Publishing) Rhys Stephenson, Louise Kennedy, Paterson Joseph and Lauren Laverne at The British Book Awards 2023 ceremony. Photo: British Book Awards Book of the Year – Non-Fiction, Lifestyle & Illustrated That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body … mic drop.’ That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an INFORMED decision about YOUR life and YOUR body …

Toys

There are oestrogen receptors in every part of your body and if fluctuating hormones are sending erratic electrical signals to your heart and internal thermostat, what messages might they send to your mind? Not long after my mother died after a long haul with Alzheimer’s disease, and I’d juggled going up to Glasgow to help care for her, a full-time job as the Times film critic in London, and raising three children, I suddenly needed to escape all responsibility. I got divorced and I changed career. I just couldn’t cope, waking up at 3am sweating and anxious. It wasn’t just the menopause but midlife unravelling, too, or as psychotherapist Susie Orbach puts it: “The menopause arrives, seeking out our vulnerabilities like a guided missile, just as we need all our strength to cope with daily life.” That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body … mic drop. She said: “I hand on heart know that I wouldn’t voluntarily read Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell – mostly because the last time I read history books was at university. And I sort of felt like you only read history books about 17th century poets when you had an essay to write, not for fun. I’m pleased to report I was totally wrong about that one. I spent a week listening to it on my walk to work and loved it keeping me company.” The menopause gave me my voice’: designer and campaigner Karen Arthur. Photograph: Claire Pepper/That's Not My Age

For too long, women have had to keep quiet about the menopause—its onset, its symptoms, its treatments—and what it means for us. Menopausing will build an empowered, supportive community to break this terrible silence once and for all. By exploring and explaining the science, debunking damaging myths, and smashing the taboos around the perimenopause and menopause, this book will equip women to make the most informed decisions about their health…and their lives. Winner of The British Book Awards 2023 Overall Book of the Year ‘We can’t wait for this.’ Red Menopausing is more than just a book, it’s a movement. An uprising. Lisa Milton, Executive Publisher at HQ, added: ‘Since the launch of HQ, we’ve been looking for the right menopause book for a general audience. Davina’s Menopausing is the perfect book to bring menopause into the mainstream. For far too long, there’s been too little information, now we want to bust the myths, remove the taboo and create the book that every woman wants, and every man should read.’

BookBliss

One glaring issue I found with Menopausing is its repetitiveness. Certain points and concepts are reiterated to the point of redundancy, which I found quite tiresome in my search for new information and perspectives. The more I found out, the more I got incensed by the ignorance, discrimination and disregard for older women’s quality of life. I’m now helping Dr Newson launch The Menopause Charity, and it turns out the safer body-identical HRT isn’t available in all parts of Britain. Micronised progesterone isn’t licensed on the NHS formulary in Scotland, Darlington, Doncaster and most regions in the north, while it’s much more easily available in London. It’s yet another injustice tossed on the pile. The start of a movement: to get everyone talking about the menopause in every home, GP surgery and workspace

Menopausing is more than just a book, it’s a movement. An uprising. Menopause affects every woman, and yet so many approach it with shame, fear, misinformation or silence. Why is no one talking about this? Who has the correct information? And how can we get it? That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body … mic drop. This book tells so many different, but so many similar stories of women with one common theme - we should talk about these things more and we should seek to be heard and be given help and support if we need it. The start of a movement: to get everyone talking about the menopause in every home, GP surgery and workspace. I really appreciate Davina McCall's dedication to breaking the silence surrounding perimenopause and menopause. She has made a significant contribution to raising awareness and inspiring women to understand their bodies better. However, while the book offers valuable insights, it fell short in a few critical areas for me.

For too long, women have had to keep quiet about menopause – its onset, its symptoms, its treatments – and what it means for us. Menopausing will build an empowered, supportive community to break this terrible silence once and for all. By exploring and explaining the science, debunking damaging myths, and smashing the taboos around perimenopause and menopause, this book will equip women to make the most informed decisions about their health… and their lives. We’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m SO so pleased that Dr Louise Newson, the Menopause Doctor (who is the walking encyclopaedia on peri and menopausing) is contributing to this book. Louise is a good friend and as passionate about spreading the message as I am; she will also be on hand to provide her expert scientific advice throughout the book. Lisa Milton and her team at HQ share my passion for positive change, I love that, and I’m excited to see where we take this together. Every woman will experience the menopause, and we need information to make informed decisions about our bodies and ultimately, our lives … mic drop.'