HOW TO BE A WOMAN

If you are pregnant, or hoping to be, the headlines about maternal deaths can be frightening to read. Many women are asking the same quiet question: will I be safe? In the UK, maternal mortality is now around 20% higher than it was fifteen years ago, and the risk is unequal. Black women are almost three times more likely to die in pregnancy or the year after birth than White women. The gap is narr...

Sleep disturbance affects between 40 and 60 per cent of women during the menopause transition. Hormones account for some of it. Age, mood and undiagnosed sleep disorders account for much of the rest. In this episode, consultant neurologist and sleep physician Dr Oliver Bernath explains what oestrogen and progesterone actually do to sleep, what HRT can realistically improve, and why waking in the n...

Episode Introduction Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, and yet for decades it has been studied and treated as though women are simply smaller men. The symptoms we are most likely to experience are still labelled atypical, despite the fact that women are half of the population. We tend to get disease within the smallest vessels of the heart, where a standard a...

For some women, what happens during pregnancy is so much more than just a chapter in their journey to motherhood. It’s a preview of what their physiology is capable of under stress, and a map of where the fault lines lie. The data we need to understand a woman’s long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic ill health, and hormone sensitivity can...

Two thirds of people living with dementia are women. It is the leading cause of death for women in the UK and Australia, and a significant proportion of those cases are preventable. In this short extract from our recent episode on women’s brain health, Dr Natalie Hutchins asks Professor Cassandra Szoeke, neurologist and principal investigator of the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project, one direct quest...

IVF is one of the most emotionally loaded journeys a person can take. By the time most couples walk into a fertility clinic, they have already spent years trying, months grieving, and countless hours searching the internet for answers. That combination of hope and desperation is, in many ways, what makes navigating the IVF landscape so difficult. Vulnerability and high-stakes decision-making do no...

It is one of the most common questions women bring to the clinic. Do I need to test my hormones? And it is one of the questions that generates some of the most misleading answers online. In this focused extract from our menopause controversies episode, Dr Natalie Hutchins is joined by Mr Vikram Talaulikar , consultant gynaecologist, menopause specialist and researcher, to give an honest, evidence-...

Episode Introduction Dementia is a women’s health issue, but it is rarely framed in that way. Two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and yet it is not something we tend to talk about in those terms. Women’s health has long been synonymous with reproductive health, and of course reproductive conditions can affect women profoundly, but they are not what most of us will die o...

If your skin has started to feel like it belongs to someone else - drier, duller, slower to recover - you’re not imagining it. In this In Focus episode, Dr Natalie Hutchins sits down with consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Hextall to talk through what is happening to skin in midlife, and why. They cover the science of collagen loss around menopause, the role oestrogen plays in skin hydration, ela...

If you’ve spent any time looking up menopause information online, you’ll know that it’s anything but a calm and coherent space. You’ll find one clinician saying you must start HRT as soon as perimenopause begins. Another says hormones are for symptom relief only. One influencer insists testosterone is essential for energy, cognition, and mood. Another suggests the evidence is not yet there. Other...

Worrying that your baby is not getting enough milk is one of the most common anxieties in early motherhood. And often, it can become a source of guilt and self-doubt long before anyone has properly explained what is actually happening. In this gateway episode, Dr Natalie Hutchins is joined by Dr Mythili Pandi , a family physician and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), to u...

If your skin suddenly feels more sensitive, drier, duller or less “bouncy” than it used to, you’re not imagining it. Midlife brings real changes to the skin — from collagen loss and hormonal shifts to increased sensitivity, pigmentation and inflammation. Add social media skincare advice into the mix, and it’s no wonder so many women feel overwhelmed. In this episode, Dr Natalie Hutchins sits down...

Labour does not always move in a straight line, and one of the most stressful moments for women can be hearing that progress has slowed or stopped. In this clip from How To Be A Woman , Dr Natalie Hutchins speaks with consultant obstetrician Jess McMicking about what doctors are really assessing when they monitor labour progress, when waiting is still appropriate, and when intervention becomes nec...

Breastfeeding is often held up as the gold standard of early motherhood. Natural. Instinctive. Best. And yet, for many women, it is one of the hardest and most emotionally loaded parts of the postpartum experience. In this conversation, Dr Natalie Hutchins is joined by Dr Mythili Pandi , a family physician and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), who supports mothers through...

You’re doing everything right. And still gaining weight. This is one of the most frustrating and misunderstood parts of PCOS. In this conversation, Dr Bassel Wattar explains why weight loss in PCOS isn’t simply about calories, discipline, or willpower, but about underlying metabolic and hormonal dysfunction. What emerges is a much more nuanced picture, one that challenges the advice many women are...

Birth today often involves medical interventions, yet many women enter labour without fully understanding what those interventions are, why they are used, and how they may influence the course of labour. In this episode of How To Be A Woman, Dr Natalie Hutchins speaks with consultant obstetrician Jess McMicking about the most common birth interventions, including induction of labour, epidurals, as...

Why do so many mothers feel blindsided by the emotional reality of having a baby? In this focused clip from our episode on Matrescence, perinatal psychotherapist Dr Silvia Wetherell explains why the transition into motherhood is often far more complex than women are led to expect. From intrusive thoughts and postpartum rage to the profound identity shift that comes with becoming a mother, many wom...

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects up to 1 in 10 women. And yet many still leave consultations unclear about what it actually means for their body. It’s often reduced to irregular periods, “cysts,” or difficulty getting pregnant. But PCOS is not simply a reproductive diagnosis. And the consequences of misunderstanding it extend far beyond fertility. In this week’s episode of The Woman’s Handbook, I...

Motherhood is often portrayed as instinctive, blissful, and immediately fulfilling. But for many women, the transition into motherhood is far more complex; emotionally, psychologically, and relationally. In this episode of The Woman’s Handbook Podcast: How To Be A Woman, I’m joined by Dr Silvia Wetherell Ph. D., a perinatal counsellor and psychotherapist specialising in maternal mental health. We...

Endometriosis affects an estimated 200 million women worldwide, yet research has historically framed it as a purely gynaecological problem — managed mainly through surgery or hormonal suppression. In this clip from How To Be A Woman, Professor Andrea Maier suggests a different perspective: what if endometriosis is also connected to the biology of ageing? She explains how hallmarks of ageing — such...

Longevity medicine has an image problem. For many people, longevity has become synonymous with social-media trends, expensive supplement stacks, IV drips, and unregulated interventions; much of which is poorly evidenced and driven more by hype than science. That perception isn’t wrong. But it is also not the full picture. Behind the noise is geroscience and precision geromedicine: an evidence-base...

Does sugar really “feed” cancer? Should you be fasting during treatment? And do diets like keto actually improve outcomes — or just add more stress during an already overwhelming time? In this focused episode of How to Be a Woman, Dr Natalie Hutchins is joined by medical oncologist Dr Steven Tucker to unpack the evidence around nutrition, metabolism, and breast cancer. This conversation cuts throu...

Breast cancer rates are rising in younger women, yet confusion about screening and prevention is at an all-time high. In this episode, UCLA-trained Medical Oncologist Dr. Steven Tucker breaks down exactly what you need to know to lower your risk. We discuss the truth about mammograms (do they cause cancer?), the link between alcohol and recurrence, and whether fasting or Keto diets actually help d...

(Focused Episode) What exactly is the pelvic floor — and why does it matter so much to your everyday life? In this abridged episode of How to Be a Woman, Women’s Health Physiotherapists Monica Donaldson and Tamara Gerdis focus on two essential parts of pelvic health: understanding what the pelvic floor actually does, and how devices and aids can support it — without surgery. We break down the anat...

Experiencing leaking, heaviness, or pain? In this episode, women’s health physiotherapists Monica Donaldson and Tamara Gerdis explain why pelvic floor dysfunction is common but NOT normal—and how to fix it without surgery. We discuss the truth about Kegels (and why they might be making your symptoms worse), how to manage prolapse, and why menopause changes your pelvic health. ⚠️ MEDICAL EDUCATION:...