Redefining Menopause: Practical Wisdom For Embracing Change, Finding Balance + Living Well
Menopause can be a difficult transition, and a historic lack of information has often left women unprepared. It doesn’t have to be that way. With the right guidance, care and information, women can find comfort and fulfillment in this new phase of life.
“Aging and the menopause transition are a challenge to us physically and emotionally, professionally and within our families — it doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” says Dr. Rochelle Bernstein, an OB/GYN based in Frisco, Colorado. “It’s important to gather the right information so you can make decisions individualized to you.”
Fortunately, menopause is having a transition of its own, as more information and resources become available. But with the spotlight comes a slew of misinformation and products touting instant relief for all your symptoms. It can be confusing and overwhelming. Even many doctors are unprepared to guide their patients through this time, leaving many women feeling desperate and alone.
This is one reason Bernstein, who has spent decades caring for women of all ages, opened a practice, Purely Menopause, focused on helping women get the information and tools they need to navigate perimenopause, menopause and sexual health into their later years.
As Bernstein points out, most women will spend half their lives in menopause and each person’s experience is vastly different.
“My number one goal when I meet with patients is to give them enough information to move forward on their own and return as needed,” she says.
Jennifer McGeorge, a certified nurse practitioner based in Montrose, also works with women going through menopause at her practice, Oasis Menopause Care. Though more information is available now than ever before, much more research is needed, she says, and finding a practitioner that is trained and knowledgeable in menopause is still not easy.
“Our mission is to empower women to feel healthy, strong and supported,” she says. “One of the most important things for women to know is they don’t have to suffer in silence. That’s been our menopause tradition and that’s really changing.”
Jennifer McGeorge at her practice in Montrose. Photos courtesy of Jennifer McGeorge.
EMPOWERED AGING
We asked Bernstein and McGeorge to offer some wisdom for women as they enter and move through this life transition so that they can find comfort, health and happiness within their changing bodies.
Ideally, your practitioner should be certified by the Menopause Society, they advise. Visit the Menopause Society website to find a practitioner near you. In some places, such as the Western Slope, there may be few, if any, providers, but some practitioners, Bernstein and McGeorge included, offer telehealth visits to reach patients outside their geographic area, even in another state.
Remember: just because a celebrity promises relief from a product doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Learn to discern between evidence-based information and false claims.
With so many symptoms — from hot flashes and night sweats, to lethargy and joint pain, to brain fog and memory issues — it’s no wonder women often feel so discouraged and susceptible to products that claim quick relief. Both Bernstein and McGeorge stress the importance of focusing on all aspects of your health to find a mind-body balance that will carry you into your later years.
“Medications and hormone therapy are really a small part of self-care through menopause and the rest of our lives,” Bernstein says. This means a focus on exercise, sleep, nutrition, yoga, meditation and the like. “There is no magic medicine — whether it’s hormones or supplements. If a product promises revitalization … I would question the product and the provider prescribing it.”
It also helps to take menopause as an opportunity to slow down, she says. “We spend decades chasing our careers, and caring for our partners and our children. The menopause transition is almost a gift. It happens at a time when, generally, it’s okay to prioritize yourself. You don’t have to do as much as you did when you were younger.”
That doesn’t mean you need to give up on your adventures and athletic goals, though.
“By understanding the physiological changes of menopause, you can actually be stronger,” says Bernstein, an avid athlete herself. “You can continue to compete and you can excel, but the way you accomplish that needs to change.”
MENOPAUSE RESOURCES:
MENOPAUSE SOCIETY
menopause.org
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS
acog.org
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF WOMEN’S SEXUAL HEALTH
isswsh.org
Originally published in the winter 2025-26 issue of Spoke+Blossom.