Postcards From Midlife

In the last episode of Series 2, best-selling writer Caitlin Moran chats to Lorraine and Trish about how heading into peri-menopause took her completely by surprise, when she thought she knew everything there was to know about being a woman. Find out how she coped when her daughter battled an eating disorder, why witches are cool and how she finally gave in to yoga...  Plus: What to do w...

Not being able to drift off and waking up in the 3am worry zone, poor sleep is the bane of many women's lives (especially when you throw in a hot flush or two). Lorraine and Trish talk to sleep psychologist Kathryn Pinkham about what we need to do to break the cycle and get a good night's rest every night. Plus: talking money with teens, the cool new way to get dressed and in praise of Keanu Reeve...

Trish & Lorraine meet health and beauty coach Karen Cummings-Palmer to find out the lifestyle tweaks and changes for diet, skin and exercise that will have us feeling and looking our most gorgeous in no time. Plus: at last, the teens go back to school, books we're loving, natural deodorants and why we'll never forget 1996. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @ po...

TV presenter Anna Richardson joins Lorraine and Trish for a rollercoaster ride of riotous laughs and moving moments, as she reveals how she feels to be turning 50, finding love with another woman, the shocking moment she discovered she was infertilie and her tragic family history of depression. Plus: teenage milestones, protein balls tried and tested and being a secret shot put champion...

Physical, emotional and hormonal changes can all play havoc with your sex life. To find out how to get back in the pleasure zone, Lorraine and Trish talk to Dr Shahzadi Harper about vaginal health, libido boosts and favourite sex toys.   Plus: When we do and don’t need to parent boys and girls differently, the best glow products for luminous skin, learning French and revisiting the culin...

Trish and Lorraine get the lowdown from specialist Dr Louise Newson on getting the right treatment for you during perimenopause, as well as the other health checks we should all be doing in midlife.   Plus: Why we should be proud of our Gen Z teens, badly behaved pets, DIY tinted eyebrows and a walking plan to beat muffin top. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us...

Trish and Lorraine delve into midlife hair issues, from thinning to greys and the impact of oestrogen deficiency. Plus, teen-parenting expert Alicia Drummond tells us how to set boundaries and tackle the most tricky and sticky situations our adolescent children put us through.    And not forgetting some fashion and beauty chat about kimonos, facial massage and tubby terriers. To get in t...

Trish and Lorraine team up with actress Tamzin Outhwaite to discover what it’s really like dating a (20 years!) younger man when you’re hitting perimenopause, and why she’s finding midlife a time of great freedom.   Plus: Silly billy teens and the illogical things they get up to, teeth whitening tried and tested, and why we will always love Kate Bush …   To get in touch, ask a question o...

Lorraine and Trish talk to their old magazine buddy and best-selling author Mike Gayle about what’s going on for midlife men, what they know about menopause and how turning 50 is an emotional milestone for them too.   Plus, generational parenting styles: how the way you were brought up impacts the way you parent; Lorraine models a chin strap; and Trish does some positive thinking …   To...

The nutritionist Jane Clarke joins Lorraine and Trish to explain why things can go barrel-shaped with our bodies once we hit our forties, and why we just can’t cut it on the lady petrol (aka rosé) any more. Find out how to write a food diary and the tweaks you can make to boost your mood and energy levels.   Plus: how to be a role model for your teens, at-home juicing, fake tans tried and tes...

From fear of failure and emotional stress to social pressures and financial strains, Trish and Lorraine explore the symptoms of the new midlife crisis for generation X women with American author Ada Calhoun, whose latest book explores why you’re waking up in the 4am worry zone and what to do about it.   Plus: how to react when you catch your teen lying, the ultimate hi-tech face mask, re...

Joining Lorraine and Trish to kick off series two, bestselling novelist Marian Keyes shares her remarkable midlife story. Find out how she is rocking her fifties after overcoming severe depression, accepting she won’t have children, redefining work on her terms and becoming a proud Botox and HRT devotee. Plus: what to do with teenagers who have turned into summer sloths; amazing mascaras and DIY g...

Postcards from Midlife will be back for Series 2 from Sunday 5th July! Here's a sneak peek of what's coming up... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today something different for you - an edition of our new free daily podcast Stories of our times. It takes you to the heart of the stories that matter, with exclusive access and reporting. Published for the start of your day, it is hosted by Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch. If you want to hear more please search for Stories of our times and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Today - Cou...

Welcome to the final episode in this series of Postcards from Midlife, and with some uncertain times ahead, Lorraine and Trish share the tips and tricks they'll be using in self-isolation and get some expert advice from menopause specialist Dr Shahzadi Harper. We're all glued to our phones at the moment, but how do the gadgets affect our children? They talk to psychologist Suzi Godson ab...

Dry skin, frown lines, dark spots, saggy jowels, menopausal acne – the list of midlife skin issues is not the prettiest. But as Trish and Lorraine discover, with the help of dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting, there are plenty of ways to get your glow back and feel great about your skin. Plus: Mothers-Day memories, the family dynamics of food and making new friends. If you’d like to join the conver...

Ahead of her Sport Relief ultra-marathon, BBC presenter Louise Minchin talks to Lorraine and Trish about becoming a triathlete during her peri-menopause, and how hot flushes in front of the cameras led to the BBC’s menopause awareness week.   Plus, keeping everyone in the house calm during exam season, old lady hands and being a Smiths fan   To get in touch, ask a question or share your...

In the middle of bringing up children at one end and helping with ageing or sick parents at the other? Welcome to the sandwich generation. Lorraine and Trish talk to Jane Caldwell about the lessons she learned – and the advice she wished she’d had – while caring for her mother Olivia after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.   Plus, midlife fashion fixes, cloud inspiration and our favourite family memb...

Professor Michael Baum is a world expert on breast cancer, while his daughter Katie Taylor is the founder of the menopause support group and website the Latte Lounge. Together they separate fact from fiction about HRT and breast cancer, look at the issue of female pain, as well as Katie’s menopause story and experience of hysterectomy. Plus, what’s going on with teenage hormones, 80's workout gear...

Have life’s routines and responsibilities left you feeling like you’re stuck in a midlife rut? That you’ve achieved as much as you’re going to, and it’ll be a slow and steady downward drift from here? That’s how journalist and broadcaster Kate Garraway felt before she entered the celebrity jungle. She tells Trish and Lorraine how the experience has led her to reset her life at the age of 52. Plus,...

Telling it like it is, the activist and entrepreneur Meg Mathews shares her menopause story, from misdiagnosis to osteoporosis, with Lorraine and Trish. Find out how she coped when severe anxiety took hold, and how HRT, diet and exercise have made her strong again.   Plus: helping stressed teens, cleansing balms and the joys of cold-water swimming.   To get in touch, ask a question or sh...

You feel like the same person you were in your twenties and thirties, so why does society portray menopausal women as the grey-haired, cardie brigade? Lorraine and Trish talk to Britpop star Louise Wener about reforming her band, Sleeper, in her fifties, how style and sex appeal evolve and why you’re never too old to wear leopard print. Plus, how to cope when teens discover booze and partying; the...

Want to know the secret to getting through your peri-menopause without going insane? Lorraine and Trish talk to Dr Shahzadi Harper about exactly what’s happening with your hormones, the symptoms you shouldn’t ignore and how to get the right help from your GP. Plus: rowing with your teens, the power breakfast and getting a good night’s sleep.   To get in touch, ask a question or share your mid...

Busting the “have it all” myth, Lorraine and Trish discuss the realities of building a successful career or business while bringing up a family with the straight-talking entrepreneur, C-suite consultant and mother of 10 (yes, 10) children, Danusia Malina-Derben. What are the qualities that make some women great mothers as well as great leaders, how do we ask for help and what might a menopause-fri...

How do you cope as a parent when two pairs of hands become one? Lorraine and Trish talk to the television and radio presenter Beverley Turner about her experience of parenting after divorce, from the everyday practicalities to the sometimes overwhelming emotional labour. Plus: midlife muffin top (weight gain and appetite during menopause), Top of the Pops and piercings. To get in touch, ask a ques...