Podcasts have risen in popularity over recent years, with celebrities and even YouTubers taking on the creative role of a Podcast host. Topics can range from gaming, TV and movies, to well-being, health and life in general. One Podcast that has been known to help women in their years of need, is Postcards from Midlife.
Trish Halpin and Lorraine Candy / Picture Credit: Neil Cooper
Hosted by Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin, who have over 30 years of experience editing women’s glossy magazines between them, as well as years of journalistic experience, Postcards from Midlife sees a plethora of topics discussed.
The podcast began in January 2020, and was aimed towards women between 40 and 55 (more or less), and has focused on thing such as living with teenagers, looking after aging parents while keeping a steady career, and having the time and energy for a sex life.
When life throws peri-menopause (the time in which menopause is likely to occur) at you, Postcards from Midlife is there to guide you through it, while maintaining a positive, helpful attitude that listeners can feel comfortable with.
Lorraine and Trish are adored for not only their advice and welcoming podcast, but due to their loving friendship that is made clear within every episode. The duo’s warm, witty personalities make for easy listening and has made their show very popular.
Postcards from Midlife has had 1.8 million downloads since its launch last year (2020), and was the first ever podcast to put the menopausal experience in the centre of conversation; women have felt empowered and rightly educated about what midlife is really like.
Talking about menopause and other womanly topics can sometimes feel taboo – and it definitely shouldn’t. That is why so many women adore Lorraine and Trish’s podcast, as it fills its listeners with the knowledge they might not have had otherwise, and instils confidence in its wonderful listeners.
The pair have spoken to medical professionals, celebrities approaching and living in midlife, as well as nutrition, beauty and wellbeing experts, which has lent the podcast a great deal of authenticity as well as realism, as hearing from those going through relatable issues creates a sense of community.
Some of the podcast’s guests have included TV presenter Anna Richardson, who spoke about her early menopause and her wish for a child at 50 years of age.
Marian Keyes, a best-selling novelist, looks back on her difficult slide into depression within her 40s, which she now puts down to peri-menopause, but had no information or advice to educate her at the time.
Sadie Frost, an actor and producer, has also been on the podcast, speaking about how osteoporosis made her rethink many aspects of her life, such as diet, exercise and lifestyle.
Producer Emma Freud shares her happiness at not trying to endlessly please others when midlife comes around, and how focusing on what you want should be one of your top priorities.
Kate Thornton, TV presenters, also made an appearance on Postcards from Midlife, talking about what it’s really like living in the midst of peri-menopause at its worst.
The podcast really opens women’s eyes and helps them recognise what their own bodies are going through. Menopause should not be a taboo subject, because facts such as these cannot continue to be true:
- 13 million women in the UK are menopausal
- 1/3 of them do not visit their GPs about symptoms
- 2/3 women mistakenly prescribed antidepressants instead of (Hormone replacement therapy) HRT by GPs
- 9/10 women say menopause and perimenopause has had an impact on their working life
- Only 1/10 companies in UK have specific meno policies
- Government figures estimate there are over five million women aged 40-55 in the UK in the workplace and it’s thought 80% of these women will suffer symptoms of menopause transition whilst in employment. fastest growing sector of workforce.
- The Countess of Wessex recently announced that 900K women have dropped out of the workforce due to symptoms, following a survey by Bupa
Postcards from Midlife is a warm, welcoming place for women – whether peri-menopause is at their door or not – to learn about their own bodies, and learn from each other about the hardships and highlights of midlife. New episodes release weekly.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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Tagged in Wellbeing Women's Health Podcast