Episode Details

Why does your body still feel dry, itchy, and irritated in places you never expected, even after starting hormone replacement therapy? I brought back the girlfriend doctor, Dr. Anna Cabeca, because there's an area of our midlife health we just don't talk about enough, and it's costing women their comfort, their confidence, and in some cases, far more than that.

In this episode, Anna and I get into the real reasons behind vaginal dryness, recurring UTIs, and burning that no one can explain, and why so many of these symptoms don't fully resolve even with HRT. We unpack the massive difference between synthetic progestins and bioidentical progesterone, and why so many women who've had a hysterectomy have been wrongly told they don't need progesterone at all. We also go deep on the vaginal microbiome, why it works completely differently from your gut microbiome, and the surprisingly small things, like a single course of antibiotics, that can throw the whole system off balance.

I go deep on the personal side of this too, from Brooks' hotel room debut as an influencer to why I still can't sleep on cycled progesterone no matter how many times Anna tells me to try it.

We Go Deep On:

• Why vaginal dryness and itching often don't improve even with systemic HRT

• The real difference between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins

• Why women without a uterus have been wrongly denied progesterone for decades

• Pregnenolone, the hormone precursor nobody talks about

• Vaginal microbiome and why it works the opposite of your gut

• What vaginal rejuvenation procedures actually require to work

• The mindset shift that keeps Anna consistent with her own health

Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube

Products mentioned:

Julva: https://dranna.com/nataliejill

Balance Cream: https://dranna.com/nataliejillbalance

Mighty Maca: http://dranna.com/nataliejillmaca

Velve: http://dranna.com/natalievelve

Use code NATALIEJILL to save

Learn More About Dr. Anna Cabeca

Instagram ➜ http://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor

Website ➜ https://drannacabeca.com/

Thank you to our show sponsors:

• QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://quantumupgrade.io/start

• THE PATCH METHOD: Vitamins you can wear! Visit https://www.thepatchmethod.com and use code NATALIEJILL to save

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