My Aloof Vagina, A Cheeky Guide to Perimenopause

Choosing joy can be a practice. And in this Season 1 Bonus episode, Martha was a guest on the Navigating Joy Together podcast. In this conversation, Martha and pod host Lauren talk about: ways to cultivate joy in the mundanehow Martha knows when she's allowing joy into her life (and when she's NOT!)how starting her podcast helped Martha get back in touch with joyand why perimenopause is NOT for wimps...but also why it isn't worth attaching your identity to the "suffering" of it allT...

Martha shares the toll unexpected caregiving responsibilities have taken on the show and reveals the plan for going forward.Bonus episodes are on their way. And Season 2 episodes will begin showing up at the end of the summer.In the meantime, treats and updates will be shared via email to MAV Sisterhood members. (Free! So sign up today and don't miss a message!)My Aloof Vagina will remain active on social and welcomes your requests, suggestions, stories, ideas and even topic guest recommendat...

Martha is joined again by Deanna Boyd, Make Up Artist & Photographer, and they discuss the different paths. To HRT or Not to HRT? What is the outlook and perspective of a woman who has decided to manage all this “naturally” - without HRT and or even herbal HRT alternatives?How might someone end up on the HRT path in her early 50s?Which lifestyle change might you feel compelled to make during perimenopause?(Martha's margarita-loving self is resisting the news.)And why might reading up on t...

Martha is joined by her friend Deanna Boyd, a longtime make-up artist and photographer who, through her work & her brand, encourages women to embrace their unique look. Find Deanna: Unfiltered and Evolving Beauty Instagram YouTube In this conversation recorded before the podcast even launched, they compare notes on aging and discuss: What exactly IS clitoral atrophy?What happens to ALL our faces as we get closer to menopause? What do your sleep habits have to do with ...

Dr. Wendy Chorny is back after What Happens to Our Vaginas As They Age & What Does Estrogen Have To Do With It? What do Pavlov’s dogs and your coffee-break and post-commute habits have in common?How can understanding pelvic-floor dysfunction help you slow things down?Do you know the difference between urinary urgency and stress urinary incontinence? And why does it matter? How can you identify early signs it may worsen sooner than it has to? And when is it time to see...

Martha talks with the informative & entertaining Dr. Wendy Chorny about the aging vagina, what that means, why it happens & how you can sustain the hydration & health of those delicate tissues, and:What do the Lion King (and existential dread) have to do with your perimenopause experience?And what’s really important about being 35 & why might you want to text your young friends after you listen to this?Dr. Wendy is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in the treatme...

In this episode, Martha is joined by her friend Certified Sex Educator Ducky DooLittle. They explore important health issues:Why is it particularly essential to reassess your partner in midlife? What menstrual change could indicate uterine cancer and is a reason to get in with your doctor?How can you return to a satisfying sex life after a total hysterectomy?AND what Pro-tip does Ducky have for making colonoscopy prep less agonizing? (Hint! It’s using a common sex accessory you may...

In this Bonus Episode from the Galentine's Day Livestream - the day before Valentine's - or V-day - for VAGINA which was the official launch day of My Aloof Vagina - Martha is joined by Tara, a kink coach she's known for almost 20 years, to celebrate the long-awaited launch of this way overdue podcast.Tara, a favorite guest from episode 2, returned to talk about the ways our desires and experiences change as we age, her top recommended adult toys for women & some fun tips on things you ca...

Martha & Sally talk about the collection of changes that made Sally realize she was in perimenopause, even as her doctors continued to claim that her hormones “looked fine” and they didn’t “think” she was in it yet. Is part of “the change” external and more connected to the messages we’re getting about being “too old” or “past our prime”? (Things that aren’t really reflected in those snapshots of a hormone blood serum draw.) And how do some of those messages contribute to the in...

Martha is joined by her friend Kristen who shares a back-to-back series of alarming symptoms she had.What does it look when you go to even your GOOD doctor with hard-to-document symptoms when they know you have struggled with anxiety in the past?What about when you advocate for yourself, they run tests and the tests show nothing? Or the tests show SOMETHING but your doctor doesn’t seem spurred to action?And SHOULD you avoid consulting Dr. Google before you go?These questions and m...