Choosing joy can be a practice. And in this Season 1 Bonus episode, Martha was a guest on the Navigating Joy Together podcast. In this conversation, Martha and pod host Lauren talk about: ways to cultivate joy in the mundanehow Martha knows when she's allowing joy into her life (and when she's NOT!)how starting her podcast helped Martha get back in touch with joyand why perimenopause is NOT for wimps...but also why it isn't worth attaching your identity to the "suffering" of it allT...

Martha shares the toll unexpected caregiving responsibilities have taken on the show and reveals the plan for going forward.Bonus episodes are on their way. And Season 2 episodes will begin showing up at the end of the summer.In the meantime, treats and updates will be shared via email to MAV Sisterhood members. (Free! So sign up today and don't miss a message!)My Aloof Vagina will remain active on social and welcomes your requests, suggestions, stories, ideas and even topic guest recommendat...

Martha is joined again by Deanna Boyd, Make Up Artist & Photographer, and they discuss the different paths. To HRT or Not to HRT? What is the outlook and perspective of a woman who has decided to manage all this “naturally” - without HRT and or even herbal HRT alternatives?How might someone end up on the HRT path in her early 50s?Which lifestyle change might you feel compelled to make during perimenopause?(Martha's margarita-loving self is resisting the news.)And why might reading up on t...

Martha is joined by her friend Deanna Boyd, a longtime make-up artist and photographer who, through her work & her brand, encourages women to embrace their unique look. Find Deanna: Unfiltered and Evolving Beauty Instagram YouTube In this conversation recorded before the podcast even launched, they compare notes on aging and discuss: What exactly IS clitoral atrophy?What happens to ALL our faces as we get closer to menopause? What do your sleep habits have to do with ...

Dr. Wendy Chorny is back after What Happens to Our Vaginas As They Age & What Does Estrogen Have To Do With It? What do Pavlov’s dogs and your coffee-break and post-commute habits have in common?How can understanding pelvic-floor dysfunction help you slow things down?Do you know the difference between urinary urgency and stress urinary incontinence? And why does it matter? How can you identify early signs it may worsen sooner than it has to? And when is it time to see...

Martha talks with the informative & entertaining Dr. Wendy Chorny about the aging vagina, what that means, why it happens & how you can sustain the hydration & health of those delicate tissues, and:What do the Lion King (and existential dread) have to do with your perimenopause experience?And what’s really important about being 35 & why might you want to text your young friends after you listen to this?Dr. Wendy is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in the treatme...

In this episode, Martha is joined by her friend Certified Sex Educator Ducky DooLittle. They explore important health issues:Why is it particularly essential to reassess your partner in midlife? What menstrual change could indicate uterine cancer and is a reason to get in with your doctor?How can you return to a satisfying sex life after a total hysterectomy?AND what Pro-tip does Ducky have for making colonoscopy prep less agonizing? (Hint! It’s using a common sex accessory you may...

In this Bonus Episode from the Galentine's Day Livestream - the day before Valentine's - or V-day - for VAGINA which was the official launch day of My Aloof Vagina - Martha is joined by Tara, a kink coach she's known for almost 20 years, to celebrate the long-awaited launch of this way overdue podcast.Tara, a favorite guest from episode 2, returned to talk about the ways our desires and experiences change as we age, her top recommended adult toys for women & some fun tips on things you ca...

Martha & Sally talk about the collection of changes that made Sally realize she was in perimenopause, even as her doctors continued to claim that her hormones “looked fine” and they didn’t “think” she was in it yet. Is part of “the change” external and more connected to the messages we’re getting about being “too old” or “past our prime”? (Things that aren’t really reflected in those snapshots of a hormone blood serum draw.) And how do some of those messages contribute to the in...

Martha is joined by her friend Kristen who shares a back-to-back series of alarming symptoms she had.What does it look when you go to even your GOOD doctor with hard-to-document symptoms when they know you have struggled with anxiety in the past?What about when you advocate for yourself, they run tests and the tests show nothing? Or the tests show SOMETHING but your doctor doesn’t seem spurred to action?And SHOULD you avoid consulting Dr. Google before you go?These questions and m...

Martha's friend "Jen" joins her to talk about things she's learned about sex with men as they age. “Jen” blew Martha's mind last fall with her insights about sex with guys after they're 50.That led to this recorded conversation revisiting the revelations and exploring what may be driving the changes we’re noticing in our sexual encounters in the over-50 dating world.What’s the deal with these marathon love-making sessions guys are serving up to us as we get older?What’s a sure sign your...

In this NSFM* ladies-only episode, Martha's friend returns to talk about midlife issues that are top of mind.This shorter episode contains just one side of the conversation about flooding periods during perimenopause, IUDs and IUD removal, and how progesterone is often the first HRT intervention suggested and the first "needed" (by those who choose to go that route)What are some doctors using to manage perimenopause symptoms?Why is being drunk in love dangerous when middle-age is bearing down...

Warning: NSFM* What it’s like to wait for “the menopause symptoms” to show up & then have your “big sign” be your period shifting a little at 55 and just *poof* ending in a span of less than 3 months?Oh. AND mood swings? JUST crazy mood swings! And what ABOUT those periods? What drastic intervention are some doctors offering as a “solution” to heavy periods in our 40s or early 50s? It’s upsetting, but it’s something you should know.In this NSFM* ladies-only episode, Mart...

Martha visits her friend Dr. K who's moved to Arizona and found the desert energy has led to an influx of interested men in her life. This Part 1 episode from their conversation touches on dating in your 50s, learning to trust your instincts, and provides a sneak peek into how massage "Happy Endings" work. This felt like inner-sanctum dude intel and Martha and Dr. K report back breathlessly (and sometimes in hysterics) after getting the 411 from one of their guy friends. He didn't hold back, ...

Martha recalls a harrowing incident with a dangerously full bladder in the cockpit of a tiny plane mid flight. And she and her friends drive themselves to distraction about their over-50 bladder habits & the "easy-peasy" procedure that helped their friend KK with her stress incontinence.Imaginations run wild with the idea that you could go in for a full tune up! Get Bulkamid injections, some Botox, a little filler for your nasolabial folds! Top it all off with the pleasure-boosting O Shot...

Martha talks to her friend Tara, with whom she was a "sex-toy lady" about 20 years ago. They discuss how many of "the ladies" evolved into sex educators and some, like Tara, went on to work more seriously as sexologists later.Tara spills some tea about the life of a dominatrix, fetish parties, and how sex changes as we age. And, with her help, Martha has an epiphany about her journey with (and worries about) her aloof vagina.Other things discussed:Betty Dodson and her Bodysex Workshopsthe Hit...

Martha explains why she is talking PUBLICLY (!!) about perimenopause symptoms and a "malfunctioning" vagina."A midlife hookup surprised me! Nobody warned me to expect THAT at this age. The first thing I did when my vagina let me down was start talking to my friends about it. And, just as important, LAUGHING about it. My lackadaisical labia and clitoris was my 'Canary in the Coal Mine,' my alert that something was up and that something was perimenopause. What was YOUR Canary?" So, i...

Martha & a longtime friend got silly talking about:Botox alternativesand clitoral atrophy (C.A.) Brace yourself!Sight gags in expanded YouTube version on the MAVPod channel.Note: Editing was tough due to having to remove my guest 🤦🏼‍♀️, mic issues & excessive laughter. C.A. info:NIH Study of treatmentsABC Australia on "Use it or Lose it" hysteriaHealthline C.A.'s symptoms & causesFrownies = Save 10% with code MAV10 and get rid of those 11 wrinkles between your brows. (And NE...