unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Afleveringen

1. Told You Can Never Take Estrogen? HRT After Breast Cancer

   27 oktober 2026 · 47 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with breast oncologist Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, author of Beyond the Pink, to take on the dogma that women with breast cancer — or a family history of it — can never take estrogen. They cover why estrogen does not cause breast cancer, who is and isn’t a candidate for hormones, the script for a dismissive appointment, vaginal estrogen and DHEA for survivors, and the NCCN’s shift on testosterone from “contraindicated” to “use with caution.” Lees meer

   Guest links:
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (Website) https://interludecancerstories.com/
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drteplinsky/
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (Substack) https://drteplinsky.substack.com/
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (TikTok) https://www.tiktok.com/@drteplinsky
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/drteplinsky/
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleonora-teplinsky-md-fasco-220aa02
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/@drteplinsky
   Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (X) https://x.com/drteplinsky
   INTERLUDE: Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky (Apple Podcasts) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interlude-cancer-stories-with-dr-teplinsky/id1451816690
   Living Beyond Breast Cancer https://www.lbbc.org/

   Books:
   “Beyond the Pink,” by Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/dr-eleonora-teplinsky-m-d/beyond-the-pink/9781538777145
   “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
   “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

   Never miss an episode—sign up for The ‘Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter

   Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ‘Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical …

2. Painful Sex, Dryness and Menopause with the Vagina Whisperer

   23 oktober 2026 · 43 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with board certified pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Sara Reardon, known on social media as The Vagina Whisperer — and this time it’s the toolkit: what you can actually do, starting today, to protect and rebuild your pelvic floor. They begin with pessaries, the internal support devices so few women are offered, why getting one fitted properly is harder than it should be, and the over-the-counter silicone supports that let women run, lift, and travel leak-free while they strengthen. From there they get into the everyday habits that quietly weaken the pelvic floor: pushing when you pee, straining on the toilet, scrolling past the five-minute mark, and holding your breath while lifting — plus hemorrhoids, what healthy stool should look like, and why a simple toilet stool changes everything. Lees meer

   They then take a deeper dive into genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), why nearly three quarters of women with symptoms never mention them to a clinician, and why hormones alone aren’t enough — you lose urinary sphincter strength every year after age 35, so the muscle training has to happen too. Dr. Reardon covers keeping vaginal tissue healthy with or without a partner, what vaginismus is and why “just relax” fails, the woman who endured ten years of searing pain — and surgery to remove her labia — when the real culprit was a compressed pudendal nerve, the $5 billion vaginal rejuvenation industry, her five free daily pelvic floor habits, and the message she wants every woman to hear: it’s never too late, with patients in their 80s and 90s still getting better.

   Guest links:
   Dr. Sara Reardon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/the.vagina.whisperer/
   Dr. Sara Reardon / The Vagina Whisperer (Website) https://thevagwhisperer.com/
   NOLA Pelvic Health (Website) https://www.nolapelvichealth.com/
   The V-Hive App (The Vagina Whisperer) https://thevagwhisperer.com/membership/

   Books:
   “Floored: A Woman’s …

3. Bladder Leaks, UTIs & Pelvic Floor Health with the Vagina Whisperer

   20 oktober 2026 · 49 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Sara Reardon, board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist, founder of The Vagina Whisperer, and author of Floored, to talk about the muscles 68% of postmenopausal women say no one ever taught them they had. Nearly 1 in 3 women lives with a pelvic floor disorder — urinary leakage, prolapse, pain with sex — and the US spends over $20 billion a year managing it rather than fixing it, while women are offered a device, surgery, or “just live with it.” Dr. Reardon explains why leaking isn’t just part of being a woman, why diapers aren’t your destiny, and why these symptoms are treatable at every age. Lees meer

   Dr. Reardon walks through what happens at a pelvic floor PT appointment (you can self-refer in every US state, covered by insurance), why over 50% of women do Kegels incorrectly — and why Kegels alone were never the answer — the difference between a weak and a too-tight pelvic floor, and stress vs. urge incontinence. They dig into night-time bathroom trips and the fall-and-fracture risk nobody connects to them, why vaginal estrogen should be prescribed proactively — including the study showing it cut recurrent UTIs from 5.9 infections per patient-year to 0.5 — the truth about prolapse (half of women over 50 have some degree of it), what to ask before consenting to any prolapse repair, and the vaginal mesh scandal. Framed throughout by Mary Claire’s own mother’s story: three failed incontinence surgeries, decades of leaking, and the hip fracture after which she never walked again.

   Guest links:
   Dr. Sara Reardon / The Vagina Whisperer (Website) https://www.thevagwhisperer.com/
   Dr. Sara Reardon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/the.vagina.whisperer/

   Books:
   “Floored: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage,” by Dr. Sara Reardon https://www.thevagwhisperer.com/floored
   “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
   “The …

4. Menopause, Hormones and Women’s Sexual Health with Dr. Rachel Rubin; Listen Again

   16 oktober 2026 · 53 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, pulled from the archive because it’s one worth hearing again, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Rachel Rubin, board-certified urologist, nationally recognized expert in sexual medicine, assistant clinical professor of urology at Georgetown University, and a lead advocate behind the 2025 American Urological Association guidelines on genitourinary syndrome of menopause. The conversation starts with the number that explains everything: three training programs in the last three years even acknowledge women’s sexual health — men have more than 27. The reason your doctor doesn’t know how to talk to you about libido, arousal, orgasm, or pain is that no one ever taught them. Lees meer

   Dr. Rubin delivers the anatomy lesson medicine skipped — why the clitoris and penis are the same tissue, why the cervix is triply innervated despite being taught as nerve-free, and why “my orgasm changed after my hysterectomy” is biology, not psychology. They cover why sex should never hurt and pain always deserves a diagnosis, the vulvar vestibule tissue most doctors were never taught to examine, the hormone changes that start in your 30s — not at menopause — and the case Dr. Rubin has built her career on: vaginal estrogen and DHEA prevent more than half of UTIs and could save Medicare an estimated $6–22 billion a year. Plus the medications that quietly affect sexual function, the two FDA-approved drugs for low libido most women have never heard of, and the five hormone options every woman deserves to know are on her menu.

   Guest links:
   Dr. Rachel Rubin (Website) https://www.rachelrubinmd.com/
   Dr. Rachel Rubin (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drrachelrubin/
   Dr. Rachel Rubin (X) https://x.com/drrachelrubin

   Books:
   “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
   “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

   Never miss an episode—sign up for The ‘Pause Life Newslette…

5. Estrogen Patch Shortage: Who Profits From Your Prescriptions with Mark Cuban

   13 oktober 2026 · 58 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with entrepreneur Mark Cuban, cofounder of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, to unpack the estrogen patch shortage and why so many women in perimenopause and menopause struggle to find and afford hormone therapy. Holding up her own patch, Dr. Haver asks the question her patients keep asking: why is this so hard to get? Mark explains why the shortage hit so hard — patches require specialized manufacturing that pills don't, demand surged after the black box warning was removed, and supply couldn't keep up — plus how Cost Plus Drugs has worked to buy every patch manufacturers can produce, and who gets served first when a generic drug runs short. Lees meer

   Then they take apart how drug prices are really set: how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) decide what your insurance covers, how rebates drive list prices higher, and why a handful of conglomerates now own the insurer, the pharmacy, the PBM, and the physician practice all at once. They compare what a generic estradiol patch costs to make against what many women pay at retail, cover Dr. Haver's case for vaginal estrogen as one of the most affordable treatments in menopause care, why there's still no FDA-approved testosterone for women, how untreated symptoms push women out of the workforce, and the playbook for lowering your prescription costs — from 90-day supplies to comparing cash prices with your copay.

   Guest links:
   Mark Cuban Companies https://markcubancompanies.com/
   Cost Plus Drug Company https://www.costplusdrugs.com/
   Mark Cuban (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/mcuban/
   Mark Cuban (X) https://x.com/mcuban

   Books:
   "The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
   "The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

   Articles:
   Menopausal Hormone Therapy Use Among Postmenopausal Women (JAMA) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2823976

6. Women’s Health Issues Doctors Too Often Miss with CNN’s Pamela Brown

   9 oktober 2026 · 48 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Pamela Brown, CNN anchor and chief investigative correspondent, and host of the network's new women's health streaming series Body Language by CNN — born from an experience Pamela nearly kept hidden. In the same year she lost her mother, while covering the White House, she was blindsided by postpartum OCD: intrusive thoughts that grew louder and scarier, hidden from everyone — including her husband — while she reported live on air. Dismissed when she flagged the highest score on a postpartum screening form, she finally found her own diagnosis through an article online, and turned the experience into an eight-part series covering perimenopause, GLP-1s, egg freezing, PCOS, thyroid disease, the fourth trimester, and Alzheimer's. Lees meer

   Pamela and Dr. Haver dig into what the series uncovered: why intrusive thoughts are not psychosis — and why that distinction matters so much for new mothers — with Dr. Haver sharing her own postpartum intrusive thoughts as a young resident, and what the Andrea Yates case changed for her generation of OB-GYNs. They cover the "GLP-1 babies" boom and why fertility rises on these medications, the GPS protocol (GLP-1, protein, strength training), the telemedicine revolution in menopause care and its limits, the FDA hearing on testosterone for women — including both women's own experience using it — the estrogen patch shortage and the letter-writing campaign that forced the FDA to respond, and why Dr. Haver believes vaginal estrogen could prevent half of UTIs in older women, along with the falls and fractures that follow. The episode closes with why the postpartum system fails mothers — one six-week appointment — and what needs to change.

   Guest links:
   Pamela Brown (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/pamelabrowncnn/
   Pamela Brown (X) https://x.com/PamelaBrownCNN
   Pamela Brown at CNN https://www.cnn.com/profiles/pamela-brown-profile
   Body Language by CNN https://www.cnn.com/videos/titl…

7. How Menopause Changes Your Gut Health with a Leading Gastroenterologist

   6 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 26 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, recorded on location at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Trisha Pasricha, neurogastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and author of the new book You've Been Pooping All Wrong. Women in perimenopause and menopause who describe bloating, new constipation, or digestion that suddenly feels unfamiliar are often told it's stress or age — Dr. Pasricha explains the real biology, starting with the estrogen receptors inside the gut's own nervous system, and makes the case for treating the gut as a second brain rather than plumbing. She breaks down why IBS affects women about twice as often as men, and why women with gut pain are so often told it's all in their heads — in her words, it's not the stress causing the symptoms, it's the symptoms causing the stress. Lees meer

   They cover the less obvious causes of bloating — including pelvic floor dysfunction — accidental bowel leakage after menopause and how it's treated, the link between smartphones in the bathroom and hemorrhoids, what to expect from GLP-1s, and why women treating iron deficiency can often take oral iron every other day to ease constipation. Then it's the serious part: the four colorectal cancer red flags women should stop normalizing, which stool colors need attention, why colonoscopy is the only screening option that prevents colorectal cancer, and why new bloating after menopause should always be evaluated. The practical takeaways include daily fiber targets, the case for psyllium and fermented foods, why ramping up fiber slowly prevents gas and bloating, a realistic approach to cutting ultra-processed foods — and the habit Dr. Pasricha asks of her own patients: look at your stool every day, because knowing what's normal for you is how you notice when something changes.

   Guest links:
   Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Website) https://www.trishapasricha.com/
   Dr. Trisha Pasricha (BIDMC Gut-Br…

8. Menopause Skin Treatments: Botox, Lasers and Lifestyle

   2 oktober 2026 · 35 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Erica Kelly, board-certified dermatologist, Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and founder and director of UTMB's Cosmetic Dermatology Division and this time it's the practical half: sunscreen, routines, treatments, and hair. Dr. Kelly settles the questions filling everyone's feed — chemical vs. mineral sunscreen, whether the endocrine-disruption fears are backed by evidence, why some filters are banned in the US but not Europe — and explains why the best sunscreen is simply the one you'll actually wear, every day, including the spots everyone forgets: scalp, ears, and lower lip. Mary Claire also shares her own recent diagnosis: a squamous cell carcinoma on her nose — which Dr. Kelly removed. Lees meer

   Guest links:

   - Dr. Erica Kelly at UTMB Health Aesthetics https://utmbhealth.com/aesthetics/about/erica-kelly

   - Dr. Erica Kelly (UTMB Health) https://doctors.utmbhealth.com/profile/005428

   Recommended Books:

   - "The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book

   - "The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

   00:00:00 – Mineral vs chemical sunscreen

   00:02:16 – Are sunscreens endocrine disrupting?

   00:04:56 – Do you need sunscreen every day?

   00:06:28 – The ideal morning and evening skincare routine

   00:07:19 – What a dermatologist actually uses on her skin

   00:10:17 – Supplements and the evidence for collagen

   00:12:43 – When professional skin treatments make sense

   00:13:22 – The four approaches to cosmetic treatment

   00:15:02 – How menopause changes lasers and Botox

   00:17:01 – How to choose a safe cosmetic provider

   00:19:18 – When to start Botox

   00:22:22 – Menopause changes across the whole body

   00:24:49 – Diet, sleep and skin aging

   00:27:02 – Does red light therapy work?

   00:28:25 – What actually helps menopausal hair l…

9. Menopause Skin Changes and the Science of Skincare

   29 september 2026 · 47 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Erica Kelly, board-certified dermatologist, Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and founder and director of UTMB's Cosmetic Dermatology Division — and the first physician who ever connected the dots for Mary Claire between estrogen, collagen, and what happens to women's skin in midlife. Dr. Kelly explains why so many women feel their skin change almost overnight in their 40s and 50s — the sudden dryness, sensitivity, sagging, easy bruising, and acne all at once — and the mechanism behind it: women lose around 30% of their skin's collagen in the first five years after menopause, while estrogen receptors throughout the skin lose the hormone that kept the barrier, moisture, and elasticity working. Lees meer

   Dr. Kelly walks through what's really happening layer by layer — why skin gets rough and pores dilate, why moisturisers you've used for years suddenly cause reactions, why acne and wrinkles show up together, the truth behind itchy ears, hyperpigmentation, and rosacea — and the "your face has gotten too small for your skin" anatomy of midlife sagging. Then it's the evidence: what the research actually shows about systemic hormone therapy and skin aging, her deep dive into topical estrogen creams (including why she uses estriol on the face and how long results take), and the skincare ingredients worth your money — why retinoids and sunscreen are "light years ahead of everything else," plus the honest verdict on hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin C, exfoliating acids, peptides, and growth factors. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

   Guest links:

   Dr. Erica Kelly at UTMB Health Aesthetics https://utmbhealth.com/aesthetics/about/erica-kelly

   Dr. Erica Kelly (UTMB Health) https://doctors.utmbhealth.com/profile/005428

   Books:

   "The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book

   "The New Menopause," by Dr. Mar…

10. Building Muscle in Menopause: Protein, Creatine and Strength Training with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

    25 september 2026 · 1 uur 1 min

    Afspelen
    In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, board-certified family physician, founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, and bestselling author of Forever Strong — this time with the practical roadmap for building muscle in your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. Dr. Lyon explains why your first meal of the day matters most and why 30–50 grams of protein at that meal can change your body composition on its own. She breaks down anabolic resistance — why the diet and training that worked at 20 stops working at 58 — and the research showing it's reversible: women over 60 got no muscle response from 15 grams of protein, but at 30 grams responded just like 20-year-olds. Lees meer

    They get specific: what a 50-gram breakfast looks like, why two eggs won't stimulate aging muscle, how essential amino acids and creatine fill the gap, why the protein RDA is a floor rather than a target, the truth about red meat and saturated fat, the honest state of the evidence on hormones and muscle, and Dr. Lyon's warning about GLP-1 medications and accelerated sarcopenia. Plus: why progressive overload should really be progressive stimulus, where a woman who has never lifted should start, and why getting bulky isn't the risk — becoming frail is.

    Guest links:
    Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Website) https://drgabriellelyon.com/
    Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
    Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/drgabriellelyon

    Books:
    "Forever Strong," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4VSDWQ2
    "The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL32CJ81
    "The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
    "The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

    For full show notes, please visit: [BIT.LY LINK]
    Never miss an episode—sign up for The 'Pause Life Newsletter: https://thep…

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