The Five Best Books On Menopause

Since there?s a good chance that you?re wondering the same thing, I thought I?d share my recommendations for five books, that in my opinion, do an excellent job of explaining, in a thorough and unbiased way, the many medical and emotional issues that occur during the menopause years.

Do what I do and check these books out of your local library to first see which one you like the best, then purchase it for your own personal library. That way, you?ll always have good, reliable information at your fingertips for years to come.

The first?Our Bodies, Ourselves?was?written for us in the early 70s. It was a landmark book that helped fuel the women?s liberation movement with its frank discussion of a woman?s body. The publishers, the?Boston Women?s Health Book Collective, caught up to us again six years ago with this edition on Menopause, which I find equally progressive. They cover the basics of Menopause (?What?s Happening in Our Bodies?), which I think women just entering the perimenopausal phase will find particularly helpful.

What makes this book stand out??I like the way the authors have included a discussion of non-medical, emotional issues that have to do with our ?changing selves,? in chapters on body image, sexuality, and family life and the workplace.

You can read excerpts from this book and view additional content on the?publisher?s website.

The Smart Woman?s Guide to Midlife and Beyond: The No-nonsense Approach to Staying Healthy After 50,? is authored by Drs. Janet Horn, a gynecologist and Robin Miller, an internist who specializes in integrative medicine.? They?re both in their 50s and have been friends since their med school days, so their close rapport is reflected in the way they provide information and advice. They talk about their own experiences, share patient stories and conclude each chapter with a ?chat? that makes you feel that you?re among friends who are dealing with the same mid-life changes as you.

What makes this book stand out?? What?s especially interesting, and valuable to the reader, is the fact that one of the authors takes hormones and the other doesn?t and ?never will!? so their ?conversations reveal the issues of the HRT debate in a way that?s not didactic. It?s a brilliant way to show that there?s more than one way to get through menopause and every woman has to decide what works best for her.

The Everything Health Guide to Menopause?is chock full of information about the mid-life transition beginning with a thorough explanation of the initial, peri-menopausal phase. It?s written by? Kate Bracy Kalb RN, a women?s health care practitioner, with a technical review by a gynecologist,?Kathryn Arendt, MD.? It?s quite extensive, but well organized and easy to read. I?d bet that whatever question you have about the changes you?re experiencing will be answered in these pages.

What makes this book stand out?? I applaud the author for bringing up the need to find a doctor whose qualifications match your?new?needs.? This one thing can make a big difference in how well you navigate the menopause years. In her chapter titled, ?A Partner on the Path ? Choosing a Health Care Provider,? Ms. Kalb encourages readers to explore your options early in the menopausal process and then, once you?ve found the right practitioner, take charge.

Since it?s publication date two years ago, I?ve been recommending Ellen Dolgen?s book,?Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness?to my younger friends in the sputtering stage of menopause (aka perimenopause), who don?t have a clue about what?s happening to their bodies or what to expect in the years ahead. The author covers a lot of ground ? from HRT and hot flashes to memory lapses and vaginal dryness ? in an intimate, girlfriend-to-girlfriend voice that makes this book instructive and engaging.

What makes this book stand out? ?Like Kate Bracy Kalb in her book (above), Ellen Dolgen writes about the need to find a great gynecologist who specializes in women?s midlife health, who can be your partner in this decade-long journey. She offers suggestions for how to research and then interview prospective candidates for this important job. (She also offers a directory on her website.)

Finally, I highly recommend Dr. Susan Love?s Menopause and Hormone Book.?It?s an important book that, besides the basics, covers weighty issues such as the medicalization of menopause, understanding research when it comes to prevention and risk of disease and women?s cancers.

What makes this book stand out??Dr. Love is one of the most respected women?s health specialists in this country. ?With this book, she can be a trusted resource for evidenced-based, unbiased information.

I?d love to know about books that you have found particularly helpful in your menopause journey and welcome your suggestions in the comment box below.

Source: http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2012/11/28/the-five-best-books-on-menopause/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-five-best-books-on-menopause

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