The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change

When used as a companion to her book, it's great. [of course!;)] I used it for charting patterns to show to my physician. That really helped. It also helped me gain more respect, I think, because I walked in with this organized journal from a well known source, rather than a list made on a legal pad. It showed I am interested in taking charge of my own health, not just blindly following. Highly recommend.

Not only is this journal full of valuable information, you actually have a place to write in your own thoughts, feelings and ideas. Dr. Northrup knows how to connect with her readers in a warm, available style. I'm very impressed with the informative content and the interactive format. In addition, the spiral bound aspect makes it easier to write in because it opens up flat. I highly recommend this book. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond

Dr. Northrup's book, The Wisdom of Menopause, provides women with a clearly marked roadmap for making the biologically scripted transition to menopause from an informed, confidant position. Her carefully considered discussions about hormone replacement--bioidentical or synthetic, foods & supplements, libido issues, osteoporosis, breast and heart health, as well as the "Resources" section brimming with detailed information on each major topic, help arm women with the understanding and tools needed to intelligently consult with their physicians about this perfectly natural process. The pharmaceutical industry tends to encourage the misguided view that menopause is a "disease" best treated with standarized doses of synthetic hormones; ones that bolster company profits--naturally! Yet, as Doctor Northrup makes clear, transition is not a "one size fits all" experience. Women's bodies and life experiences differ tremendously; hence the logic of individualized, holistic transition programs. Thanks to caring doctors like Christiane Northrup, gone are the days of blind deference to physicians who think that a pat on the head and a prescription for synthetic hormones will get you out of their hair! Bravo Doctor Northrup! Her book should be required reading for any woman (or man, for that matter) over the age of 35.

I feel this book is head and shoulders above most of the other menopause guides on the market, for two reasons: (1) Northrup is a practicing physician as well as an author and teacher, and she has years of experience working with women going through menopause. So her recommendations about what works, what doesn't, and where conventional wisdom may be wrong are based on considerable experience with REAL, LIVE women. Her ample use of stories drawn from her practice, and those sent in by readers of her newsletter, helps to give weight to her opinions. (2) She makes the vitally important point that every woman's menopause is different -- your menopause is YOURS, not your mother's, or your sister's, or your best friend's. The medical profession, in general, has tended to apply "one size fits all" remedies, e.g., prescribing Premarin to every woman whose hormones seemed to need tweaking. Northrup, by contrast, points out that hormones are a delicately balanced system that may take several years to stabilize after "the change," so it's best to determine as precisely as possible WHICH hormone(s) need tweaking, and do the minimum to prevent problems and increase comfort. I found her discussion of other menopause-related conditions (e.g., osteoporosis) thorough and helpful too. My doctor has been pressuring me to take a synthetic hormone to prevent bone loss; my instinct has been to say no and address my (slight) problem by other means, and Northrup gave me some very useful information that supports my decision. I questioned some of her suggestions -- e.g., while soy helps many women, it's more problematic if one is hypothyroid. And I think she goes overboard where dietary supplements are concerned. Still, she doesn't present herself as the all-knowing physician but as a woman who's addressing many of these same issues herself (and who sometimes makes mistakes), and I felt that that gave her much more credibility. I didn't have a problem with the occasional "new age" references: she talks about using the Tarot (for example) as a means of self-knowledge, and it's as good a tool as any for stimulating reflection. I felt, too, that her frankness about her assumptions and beliefs was a courtesy to the reader: I've had highly infuriating experiences with doctors who were NOT aware of, or honest about, how their beliefs affected the way they treated their patients (e.g., "once a woman is past childbearing, she's useless")! In general, I felt Northrup had her feet firmly on the ground, and she's compiled a wealth of information into an easy-to-read and comprehensible volume.