Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Health, and Science for Women 35+ BONUS: Practical Solutions to Manage Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
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Oct 6, 2025 
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB/GYN and founder of Mary Claire Wellness, shares her expertise in managing perimenopause and menopause. She discusses chaos from hormone fluctuations and the factors hastening ovarian aging. Dr. Haver explains the critical distinctions between hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, alongside the role of vaginal estrogen. She highlights the need for better research funding on women's health and introduces practical wellness tips, including the 30-plant challenge for nutrition.
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Perimenopause Is A Zone Of Chaos
- Perimenopause becomes a 'zone of chaos' because ovarian response to brain signals becomes unpredictable as egg supply declines.
- Hormone levels spike and crash irregularly, so symptoms and labs vary by day and require clinical history over single hormone tests.
What Hastens Ovarian Aging
- Multiple factors hasten ovarian aging including genetics, stress/trauma, radiation, smoking, hysterectomy, and tubal ligation.
- Even partial hysterectomy can shorten ovarian lifespan by about four years and tubal ligation by ~1–1.5 years.
Contraception Choices In Perimenopause
- For perimenopausal contraception and heavy bleeding, favor a progesterone IUD to stop heavy periods and provide contraception with minimal systemic progesterone.
- Counsel patients that tubal ligation is non-hormonal but may shorten ovarian lifespan and requires closer monitoring later.
