Perimenopause Explained: Symptoms, Hormones, and What No One Tells You

Perimenopause can feel confusing, overwhelming, and often misunderstood— but you’re not alone. In this episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Cheldin Barlatt, CEO of This Is It Network, and Mary Pierce, former professional tennis champion, to talk openly about their experiences navigating perimenopause. Together, they share what this stage of life really looks like—from the symptoms that caught them off guard to how they’re managing hormonal changes, advocating for themselves, and finding what works. If you’ve ever wondered whether your symptoms could be perimenopause, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we cover: • What is perimenopause • Common perimenopause symptoms (and the ones no one talks about) • Hormonal changes and how they impact your body • How to manage symptoms and feel like yourself again • When to talk to a doctor • How to advocate for better care ______________________________________________ Stay Connected Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode: https://healthstartswithher.com Subscribe to the channel for more conversations about women’s health, reproductive health, hormones, and medical issues impacting women worldwide. Follow us on Instagram: @drshirazian @healthstartswithher ______________________________________________ Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health: Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy cerene.com Saving Mothers savingmothers.org Sumitomo Pharma sumitomo-pharma.com Stay connected with Health Starts With Her: Sign up for our newsletter: healthstartswithher.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:47 – Meet Cheldin Barlatt Rumer & Mary Pierce 02:00 – Symptoms of perimenopause (what to look for) 06:35 – What is Perimenopause? 07:15 – Where you prepared for this period of life 15:30 – “Is this normal?” How to know it’s perimenopause 16:30 – Navigating symptom changes 19:30 – Navigating doctors 20:00 – Advocating for yourself 22:15 – Treatment options based on lifestyle and goals 31:30 – Treatments that work 42:50 – Advice for women entering this stage