In this powerful and refreshingly honest conversation, Dr Nikki Ramskill sits down with Alison Bale, former chiropractor and founder of Mind Insight, to explore one of menopause’s most misunderstood emotions: anger.
Alison shares her personal experience of hitting menopause while running a busy healthcare clinic, and how unexpected bursts of rage left her questioning who she’d become. Together, Nikki and Alison unpack why so many women feel shame around anger, how suppressed emotions can resurface during perimenopause, and why learning to notice your feelings rather than fix them, can be deeply healing.
They discuss:
The hidden link between hormonal change, identity, and suppressed rage
How anger can signal unmet needs rather than “bad behaviour”
Practical ways to work with, not against, your emotions
The power of curiosity, journaling, and self-compassion in midlife
Why “doing less” and listening to your body is sometimes the real growth
Alison also explains her therapeutic approach through Mind Insight, offering compassionate support for women navigating anger, burnout, and emotional overwhelm, particularly around menopause and fertility loss.
🌐 Website: www.mindinsight.online
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @mindinsightonline
✉️ Email: alison@mindinsight.online
Don't forget to follow the team:
Dr Nikki: @femalehealthdoc
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Dr Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
Nina: @soullaunndry_womenshealth
The Podcast: @theprematuremenocast
This month on The Premature Menocast, Nikki takes the reins solo for a special conversation with psychotherapist Jennie Canty, founder of the Chiltern ADHD Clinic. With diaries busier than ever, this episode is a one-to-one deep dive into how ADHD shows up for women, particularly around menopause, perimenopause, and POI (premature ovarian insufficiency).
Jennie shares her expertise on:
Why ADHD in women often looks very different from the “traditional” male-based diagnostic criteria.
How perimenopause and menopause can amplify ADHD symptoms such as forgetfulness, overwhelm, and mental hyperactivity.
The importance of thorough, adapted ADHD assessments and therapy approaches.
Practical treatment options — from stimulant and non-stimulant medications to adapted CBT and lifestyle strategies.
This conversation is packed with insight, compassion, and real-world advice for women navigating both ADHD and hormonal change.
✨ Connect with Jennie and the Chiltern ADHD Clinic: chilternadhdclinic.co.uk
Dr Nikki: @femalehealthdoc
Dr Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
👉 Don’t forget to follow the podcast: @theprematuremenocast
In this inspiring episode of the Premature Menocast, we welcome Jess Harvey, founder of The Female Mentoring Alliance, to share her incredible journey from the high-pressure world of corporate banking to a life dedicated to coaching and empowering women.
Jess’s story is one of courage, transformation, and purpose. After climbing the corporate ladder to Managing Director at JP Morgan, Jess realised that success didn’t feel the way she expected. When her husband’s sudden illness prompted a life reset, she left her high-flying career to follow her true calling: helping women reconnect with themselves, rediscover their passions, and embrace their full potential.
In this episode, we discuss:
Jess’s journey from corporate banking to women’s mentorship
The challenges and realities for women in male-dominated workplaces
How menopause and hormonal changes impact confidence and careers
Finding your true purpose and aligning with your values
Overcoming imposter syndrome and breaking free from “good girl” conditioning
Practical tools like “powerful pauses” and stakeholder mapping to regain control of your life and career
Jess shares heartfelt insights, personal stories, and actionable advice for any woman feeling stuck, lost, or ready to embrace her next chapter.
🔗 Connect with Jess Harvey:
Instagram: @thefemalementoringalliance
LinkedIn: Jess Harvey
Sign up for her Sunday Forecast newsletter and explore her Career Audit and Career Accelerator programs.
Whether you’re navigating early menopause, POI, career transitions, or just feeling that pull for “something more,” this episode is a warm, empowering reminder: you are allowed to become the truest version of yourself.
Enjoy!
Love from,
Dr Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
Nina: @soullaunndry_womenshealth
Dr Nikki: @femalehealthdoc
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Don't forget to follow us! @theprematuremenocast
Dr Hannah Short wrote the POI info bible: The Complete Guide to POI and Early Menopause: Practical Advice and Support for Living with Early Menopause and POI
It is well worth a read if you're suspecting POI or have just been diagnosed with it.
Here is our interview with the lady herself - enjoy!
Until next time,
Dr Nikki: @femalehealthdoc
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Dr Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
Nina: @soullaunndry_womenshealth
Don't forget to follow us! @theprematuremenocast
Hello!
Excuse the * in our title for this one... we don't want any bots to stop us spreading the word on this highly important topic!
GSM, or genitourinary syndrome of the menopause affects women with POI too, and it is definitely something we need to talk more about.
It can also be tricky to bring POI up in a relationship conversation, especially in the early days, how do you do it?
The research that Kate suggested is unfortunately now closed to new applications, but look on The Daisy Network's Site here: https://www.daisynetwork.org/news-events-and-research/research/ for further information on other trials and research.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
Speak soon,
Nikki, Kate, Nina and Siobhan
@theprematuremenocast
@femalehealthdoc
@fertility_menopause_support
@soullaundry_womenshealth
@mylifeonpausepoi
It's been aaaages since we released an episode, and this is mostly Nikki's fault (!)
If you didn't know, she adopted 2 girls in the summer of 2024, so podcasting went on the back burner a bit, but she's back and we've planned what we want to say in 2025.
This episode is giving you an update on where we all are and what we plan to do over the course of the next 12 months for season 2.
We also invite you to plan with us and drop us any topic ideas you love to hear us cover here: prematuremenocast@gmail.com
And finally, Kate is an author! Her book, Progesterone and Me is coming out soon and is available on pre-order here: https://olympiapublishers.com/book/progesterone-and-me
Phew... that's enough for now. We hope you enjoy this episode and we look forward to sharing the next season with you.
Nikki - @femalehealthdoc
Siobhan - @mylifeonpausepoi
Kate - @fertility_menopause_support
Nina - @soullaundry_womenshealth
Follow our account on instagram too - @theprematuremenocast
In this special episode of The Premature Menocast, we bring you a recording from the recent Daisy Day event hosted by The Daisy Network, a charity supporting women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Unfortunately, our co-host Nikki couldn’t join us as she’s busy with her newly adopted daughters, but she sends her love and looks forward to being part of future events.
During the event, hosts Nina, Kate, and Siobhan interviewed four incredible women—Priya, Emma, Lucy, and Jess—sharing their unique journeys with POI. The episode highlights diverse perspectives and experiences, from healthcare professionals to personal stories, creating a supportive and educational space for listeners worldwide.
The podcast team shares how they came together after meeting at a conference, where Siobhan presented her inspiring book about her POI journey: "My Life On Pause".
Recognising the need for an engaging and informative podcast dedicated entirely to POI, they created The Premature Menocast, blending personal experiences with professional insights to reach a global audience.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via email at prematuremenocast@gmail.com or on social media.
@femalehealthdoc - Nikki
@soullaundry_womenshealth - Nina
@fertility_menopause_support - Kate
@mylifeonpause - Siobhan
Enjoy the episode!
In this episode Siobhan and Nikki talk about their experiences being childfree and adoption children.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact prematuremenocast@gmail.com
Make sure to follow us on instagram too! @theprematuremenocast
Fertility is a huge topic when it comes to POI - you could argue it is THE TOPIC for many women going through this.
We don't want you to lose hope though - there are options, but emotionally, it can take it's toll. There is no "easy" option, but the best thing to do is to seek help ASAP from a fertility specialist so you can get started with what is right for you.
Feel free to reach out to us with questions/comments: prematuremenocast@gmail.com
And you can follow us all on instagram at:
Nikki @femalehealthdoc
Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Nina: @soullaundry_womenshealth
As promised, here are your comments we asked you to provide in episode 2. We wanted to dedicate a whole separate episode to them because the topic is too important!
If you'd like to add to them, feel free to email us at prematuremenocast@gmail.com or send us messages on instagram:
Nikki - @femalehealthdoc
Nina - @soullaundry_womenshealth
Siobhan - @mylifeonpausepoi
Kate - @fertility_menopause_support
The more people sharing stories like this, the more the culture will (hopefully) shift and that improves healthcare for all of us.
We're back with another episode!
This time we're looking at how to treat premature ovarian insufficiency.
HRT is the main way that treatment is given, and if you have a womb you need both oestrogen and progesterone.
You can have this in combined pill form or through the skin - there are lots of combinations and you need to find an option that works for you.
Sometimes you need to try multiple options before you get the right one.
Feel free to reach out to us with questions/comments: prematuremenocast@gmail.com
And you can follow us all on instagram at:
Nikki @femalehealthdoc
Siobhan: @mylifeonpausepoi
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Nina: @soullaundry_womenshealth
Welcome to episode 2!
Here's some handy shownotes for the session:
POI is usually diagnosed by your GP or healthcare professional and may include the following:
No periods for more than 4 months
An elevated FSh blood level of 25IU/l on two separate occasions taken at least 4 weeks apart
A full medical history
Any relevant family history
Symptoms of POI:
Symptoms of POI can vary, here are a few of the most common symptoms:
Hot flushes and night sweats also known as vasomotor symptoms
Irregular periods
Cognitive symptoms
Genital Urinary Symptoms of menopause – such as vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms
Difficulty sleeping
Infertility
Useful Guidelines:
ESHRE Guidelines - https://www.eshre.eu/Guidelines-and-Legal/Guidelines/Management-of-premature-ovarian-insufficiency.aspx
NICE Menopause Guidelines – https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23
How to contact us with your stories of how healthcare professionals have spoken to you through your diagnosis...
Email – prematuremenocast@gmail.com
Follow us all on Instagram!
Nikki - @femalehealthdoc
Nina – @soullaundry_womenshealth
Kate - @fertility_menopause_support
Siobhan - @mlop_poi
For more support:
The Daisy Network – https://www.daisynetwork.org/
It's our first ever episode!
The 4 of us met through the Daisy Network, a support group for people diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).
POI is diagnosed when a woman goes through the menopause before the age of 40. It can start as young as 13 when periods don't start at all.
This diagnosis is not well known, yet it effects an estimated 3% of women under 40.
Clues can be mood changes, hot sweats, difficulty conceiveing and periods becoming irregular or stop altogether. For women under 40, menopause is the last thing that is often thought about.
We want to raise awareness, educate and hopefully entertain along the way!
For questions/comments/feedback, email prematuremenocast@gmail.com.
Follow us all on instagram!
Nikki: @femalehealthdoc
Nina: @soullaundry_womenshealth
Kate: @fertility_menopause_support
Siobhan: @mlop_poi
Resources mentioned:
My Life On Pause Book by Siobhan O'Sullivan
Join the campaign and sign the petition! #nottooyoung - https://www.change.org/p/nottooyoung-for-menopause
See you in the episode!
Nikki, Kate, Siobhan and Nina x