Pause University: Our Mission

Pause University is dedicated to providing trusted, accessible information about menopause through carefully curated content from leading experts. We believe that quality information should be easily locatable and accessible to all women navigating this important life transition.

What We Do

Pause University collects, organizes, and presents the most valuable clips from podcasts, videos, and interviews with menopause specialists. We make it easy to find exactly what you need, when you need it.

Our platform offers:

Expert-vetted content from healthcare professionals specializing in menopause care
Easy search functionality to find information about specific symptoms or treatments
Organized collections that help you navigate topics like hormone therapy, sleep issues, and more
Accessible format with short, focused clips that respect your time

My Personal Journey

I experienced menopause prematurely and went from being totally unprepared and knowing absolutely nothing, to learning an insane amount in a short time, well into my post-menopausal journey.

At 40 years old, I found myself right on the precipice between premature and early menopause. I hadn't had a period in well over a year when my gynecologist informed me I was already post-menopausal. With premature menopause being relatively uncommon (affecting only about 1% of women), most doctors didn't have experience treating women experiencing it.

As I got into my 40s, I gained what I call "sticky fat" - about 20-30 pounds that were resistant to diet and exercise. Then I started experiencing what I feared was "early onset dementia." I couldn't remember many basic things and started to panic, writing everything down, thinking one day I might forget basic functioning.

My breakthrough came unexpectedly. First, while researching how celebrities maintain their youthful appearance (yes, I was looking into J.Lo!), I discovered many used hormone replacement therapy. Then, while listening to a podcast (The Chalene Show) discussing menopause and HRT, the host (Chalene Johnson) mentioned brain fog - and that was the first time I ever associated my cognitive decline with menopause.

Later, I stumbled across a clip from an episode of the Peter Attia podcast discussing the Women's Health Initiative Study, which further enlightened me about HRT. I went down the rabbit hole of listening to hours of podcasts on hormone replacement tehrapy. After this research, I immediately reached out to a practitioner and got on HRT.

Why We Started

This personal experience showed me how challenging the menopausal transition can be without accurate information or proper support. I realized how difficult it was to find reliable resources when they were most needed.

I created Pause University to help solve this problem by aggregating the best resources from trusted experts and organizing them to be easily accessible when you need them.

Why Specificity Matters

Before I go further, let me clarify something important that often gets confused: Menopause is an event, a diagnosis. It marks the cessation of menstruation when the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. It's diagnosed in retrospect – 12 months without a menstrual cycle.

The period where hormones start to decline leading up to menopause is perimenopause. After menopause occurs, you enter post-menopause.

I emphasize this because no matter where you go, perimenopause and menopause are often used interchangeably. People say they're "going through menopause" as if it's a phase. But you don't go through menopause as a phase – perimenopause is the phase. Sure, the entire period is considered the "menopausal transition," but menopause itself isn't really a phase.

It's always important to clarify whether people are talking about perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause, because specificity matters. The discussion about how we feel, what we're experiencing, and how we are managing it, often shifts significantly between perimenopause and post-menopause.

Our Commitment

We are committed to:

Evidence-based information: We prioritize content from qualified medical professionals and researchers.
Language clarity: We believe in being specific about the stages of menopause to avoid confusion.
Women's empowerment: Knowledge is power, and we believe informed women can make better healthcare decisions.
Community support: Menopause affects everyone differently, and sharing experiences can be as valuable as medical advice.
Ongoing education: The science of menopause is constantly evolving, and we try to stay current with the latest research.

Join Us

Whether you're in perimenopause, or post menopause, or supporting someone who is, Pause University is here to help you navigate this journey with confidence and clarity.

Explore our curated content and discover the information you need from experts you can trust.