In honor of Women’s History Month in March and International Women’s Day on 3/8, we hosted a conversation with three experts who discussed how women can prioritize their wellness throughout different life stages. Whether you’re thinking about a future family, trying to conceive, navigating postpartum, or starting to experience menopause, you deserve to understand your body’s changes. Learn how hormones, lifestyle, and emotional well-being impact your health at each stage, and what you can do to feel your best.
This webinar featured:
- Shannon Coleman, BSN, RN: Menopause Progyny Care Advocate (PCA) and Pregnancy and Postpartum Coach (PPC), Progyny
- Laura Korin, MD, MPH: Primary Care Provider (PCP), One Medical
- Janet Choi, MD, MSCP: Chief Medical Officer, Progyny
- Kate Saunders, LCSW: Vice President of Clinical Strategy, Progyny
What’s preventing women from getting the care they need?
Every stage of women’s health – from fertility and family building, to pregnancy and postpartum, through midlife care & menopause – is marked by stigma that can pose significant barriers to your pursuit of health and well-being. Health issues that predominantly affect women, or those with ovaries, are often subject to social taboos, under researched, and misunderstood, even within the medical system. These negative effects can be even more pronounced for women of color and those who belong to marginalized communities.
Unfortunately, this lack of understanding and stigma can lead to negative effects that start early, from the onset of your first menstrual cycle in your pre-teen or teen years. As this continues through the different stages of life, many women end up suffering in silence because they haven’t received education on how common certain conditions are or how they can advocate for themselves. For women experiencing menopause, the widespread stigma against aging women adds another challenge. This might mean you’re more hesitant to seek care from a provider let alone a properly trained specialist, even when you’re dealing with major disruptions to your well-being which impact both your work as well as home life.
That’s why it’s so important to draw attention to these topics surrounding women’s health and be willing to have open conversations like this one. These are issues that affect so many people – you deserve the help that meets your personalized needs.
What do we mean when we talk about ‘wellness’?
‘Wellness’ as a word is often used to describe many things, so a good starting point is to agree on what it is. First, it’s important to recognize that it’s more than just an absence of disease, although you wouldn’t be alone in thinking that’s all there is to it. If you want to take a holistic approach to supporting wellness, there are four basic pillars you should be addressing: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and mental health.
Another important factor many people forget to consider are hormones, which are closely connected with all the above pillars. Your hormonal health is integral to your overall wellness, with far reaching impacts on areas like your reproductive health, metabolism, bone health, cardiovascular health, and brain function.
When it comes to thinking about our health and wellness, it’s easy to get stuck in the present. But it’s just as important, if not more, to think about how you can optimize your present-day health to prevent future state problems. This includes taking preventive measures, like getting regular screenings and vaccines, with recommendations which will change as you age, and working to mitigate new risk factors which may arise. If you have access to your family genetic history, it’s important to pay close attention to it and share this information with your healthcare provider so that you can be proactive in identifying early signs of certain conditions.
Tips for nutrition and lifestyle habits
Nutrition and lifestyle choices play a pivotal role in women’s health throughout the reproductive years, from trying to conceive and pregnancy to postpartum recovery, to navigating menopause, as it helps support hormonal balance and overall well-being during these phases of life. While we always recommend consulting with your healthcare provider to flesh out a plan that’s tailored to your unique needs, here are some general guidelines that you can follow.
- Exercise and movement: Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity in a week. Implement strength training 2-3 times a week to maintain your muscle mass and bone density, especially as you age. Stretching and flexibility is also very important.
- Nutrition: Focus on whole foods (vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains), aiming to incorporate as much color into your diet as possible. As you age, adequate protein is key for preventing muscle loss. Certain nutrients are also more important at different stages of your life, so you should always consult with a medical professional and/or nutritionist.
- Sleep: Prioritize getting enough quality sleep every night – 7-9 hours is the general recommendation. Good sleep hygiene is so important for the continued maintenance and repair of your body.
- Drinking and smoking: Moderation is good, none (especially in the case of smoking) is even better. Smoking can lead to issues with both fertility and cardiovascular health, and even moderate drinking is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. Of course, for those considering trying to conceive or already pregnant – optimize health by avoiding any alcohol and other substance use.
- Stress management: Chronic stress can impact everything from your hormonal balance to your immunity and your cardiovascular health. Regular stress reduction practices (such as meditation, yoga, breathing exercises) can help offset the negative effects.
Many women particularly struggle with issues surrounding weight gain, even when it’s completely normal or expected. Even if we don’t want to, it’s almost impossible to not have internalized expectations for how our bodies “should” look. As a result, it can sometimes feel like a betrayal when our bodies change in ways that we may not expect or like.
One mental health tool that can be really helpful to employ in moments like these is to change the way you talk to yourself. This might look like going from focusing on how your body looks, to instead focusing on how your body feels and what it can do. It can take a lot of time and continuous practice to change our negative self-talk, especially when it has been ingrained in us since we were young. It is okay to seek the support of others, whether it’s a therapist or a trusted friend, as you go on this journey.
Managing mental health and strengthening support systems
The different stages of life can each bring about their own share of challenges for your emotional and psychological well-being. The specific challenges that come with each stage will differ, but the common thread that connects all of them is the importance of having a strong support system, especially one that understands what you’re going through.
It can be incredibly helpful to work with a mental health professional who can arm you with tools and direct you to any additional help you may need. But the help doesn’t have to stop with a therapist. If you don’t have people in your life who are experiencing similar challenges or you don’t feel comfortable talking about it with people you know, there are also plenty of support groups (in person and online) that you can seek out.
If you’re a Progyny member or have access to the Progyny benefit, your benefit also comes with access to mental health support and guidance from a dedicated Progyny Care Advocate (PCA). In addition to helping navigate care and treatment options, your PCA can be another part of your support system as you tackle the challenges that can come with your different life stages.
If you have any other questions related to this webinar, please don’t hesitate to reach out to education@progyny.com. If you are a Progyny member and have any questions about your benefit or coverage, please call 888.597.5065.