Episode 52: Is Hormone Therapy Safe? Navigating Perimenopause & Midlife Health with Dr. Alicia Robbins

Women went from having almost no information about peri/menopause to feeling completely buried in it. Between gimmicky headlines, flashy celebrity endorsements, and conflicting advice, it can be overwhelming to figure out what’s safe, what works, and what’s actually worth your time and money.

Dr. Alicia Robbins, OB/GYN, Menopause Society–Certified Practitioner, and Lifestyle Medicine Specialist, joins sex and relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado this week to separate the science from the hype. Together, they untangle common midlife health myths, make sense of conflicting information about hormone therapy, and discuss ways to address sleep, sex, and pelvic health challenges during peri/menopause and beyond.

Dr. Robbins wants you to remember there’s no badge for suffering. Just because peri/menopause is a “natural part of life” doesn't mean you have to accept feeling terrible. This conversation will help you advocate for the care you need to feel like yourself again.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why conventional sleep hygiene tips and prescription sleep aids often don’t work for peri/menopausal women.

  • How bad data reporting created 20 years of unnecessary fear around hormone replacement therapy (and what current science actually shows).

  • How to use GLP-1s as a science-backed tool for midlife metabolic health without sacrificing muscle mass.

  • How declining estrogen depletes the brain's pleasure pathways, and the relatively simple hormone fixes that can bring back your sex drive.

  • Why your pelvic floor can benefit from "skincare" in midlife, especially for anyone dealing with chronic UTIs or long-term birth control use.

  • What works well for midlife hair loss (and the popular supplement you can probably skip).

Tune in if you’ve ever thought:

  • “I’m snapping at everyone and my anxiety is through the roof, but my period is still regular, so it can’t be perimenopause.”

  • “I’m careful about no screens, red light, and melatonin before bedtime...so why am I still waking up at 2AM every night?”

  • “I only have 10 pounds to lose, so GLP-1s probably aren’t for me, right?”

  • “I hated the Pill in my twenties, so I’m guessing hormone therapy isn’t for me now either.”

  • “I have a family history of breast cancer. Is HRT automatically off the table for me?”

  • “I asked my doctor about HRT, but he told me I’m too young for it and offered me Zoloft instead.”

Helpful resources:

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
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Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
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Episode 51: C-Section Recovery (Pelvic Floor PT Isn’t Just for Vaginal Births)