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Midlife & Beyond ConversationsMidlife is not a crisis, it's a time of transition and change. Like all transitions, it can be messy and sad, and glorious all at once, leaving many midlife women feeling rather alone. I'm Jo Blackwell and this podcast is part of my business, The... Author: Jo Blackwell
For women 50 navigating change with courage and curiosity, wanting to feel confident, grounded, and inspired. Join Jo each week for a conversation about confidence, menopause, reinvention, wellbeing, relationships, and ageing well. Real stories. Practical wisdom. joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com Language: en Genres: Education, Personal Journals, Self-Improvement, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Pelvic Health After Menopause: What Women Need to Know
Tuesday, 13 October, 2026
There are some parts of women’s health that many of us were simply never taught to talk about.Pelvic floors. Vaginal dryness. Prolapse. Bladder leakage. Painful sex. Even wind.For many women of our generation, these subjects were either whispered about or dismissed as simply “women’s problems”. And perhaps that’s one reason so many women quietly put up with symptoms for years.In this episode of Midlife & Beyond, I’m joined by pelvic health physiotherapist Melody Norton-Evans for an open, practical and reassuring conversation about what really happens to our pelvic health as we move through menopause and beyond.Never miss a new episodeMelody’s message is wonderfully clear: these problems may be common, but that doesn’t make them normal – and there is often something we can do about them.We talk about:• What actually happens to the vulva and vagina as oestrogen declines• Why vaginal dryness and discomfort can develop after menopause• Bladder urgency and stress incontinence• The different types of pelvic organ prolapse• Why constipation can have such an impact on the pelvic floor• Vaginal oestrogen and why it differs from systemic HRT• Vaginal moisturisers versus lubricants• Why simply being told to “do your Kegels” isn’t always enough• How pelvic health physiotherapy can help• Why some women actually need to learn to relax their pelvic floor• Whether running, jumping and other exercise should be avoided• The simple everyday habits that can help protect our pelvic health as we grow olderPerhaps most importantly, we talk about the embarrassment that still surrounds this part of women’s health.Some women live with symptoms for ten years or more before seeking help. They adapt their lives around finding toilets, avoiding journeys, worrying about leakage or putting up with painful sex.We shouldn’t have to quietly make our lives smaller.As Melody says, ageing is inevitable. Frailty isn’t.This is one of those conversations I wish women had been encouraged to have much earlier.Ageing Wonderfully Well: The Good News About Midlife and Growing Olderhttps://geni.us/AgeingWonderfullyWell Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe
