My Aloof Vagina, A Cheeky Guide to Perimenopause – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Choosing joy can be a practice. And in this Season 1 Bonus episode, Martha was a guest on the Navigating Joy Together podcast. 

In this conversation, Martha and pod host Lauren talk about:

•  ways to cultivate joy in the mundane
• how Martha knows when she's allowing joy into her life (and when she's NOT!)
• how starting her podcast helped Martha get back in touch with joy
• and why perimenopause is NOT for wimps...but also why it isn't worth attaching your identity to the "suffering" of it all

They touch briefly on the concept of "The Pain Body," which they both know about through Eckhart Tolle. 

And how some things in our lives that we think of as "chores" may be worth re-examining.

You can listen to the full uncut interview and episode here or anywhere you listen to podcasts:  Episode 27 of the Navigating Joy Together podcast "Sharing JOY through 'My Aloof Vagina' with Martha McBride"

It's a sweet show with practical tips on how to stay connected to joy as a family. Definitely worth a listen if you're hoping to be more mindful about your mindset and want to cultivate and choose joy with your family.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha shares the toll unexpected caregiving responsibilities have taken on the show and reveals the plan for going forward.

Bonus episodes are on their way. And Season 2 episodes will begin showing up at the end of the summer.

In the meantime, treats and updates will be shared via email to MAV Sisterhood members. (Free! So sign up today and don't miss a message!)

My Aloof Vagina will remain active on social and welcomes your requests, suggestions, stories, ideas and even topic guest recommendations. Just reply to any MAV Sisterhood email and Martha will get your message.

A request: Martha’s STILL looking for the right longevity expert to bring to you. DM her on Instagram or reply to any Sisterhood email to make suggestions. I’m looking for someone fun. May be too much to ask. Who knows?

MAV TIP: Developing resilience will serve you throughout your life. Both the ability to roll with the punches when everything changes. (Humor helps!)  AND physical resilience in the form of flexibility, strength & balance. You deserve a long, healthy less-physically-precarious life and NOW is the time to take those steps. (More on this in Season 2, I promise!)

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha's friend "Jen" joins her to talk about things she's learned about sex with men as they age.  “Jen” blew Martha's mind last fall with her insights about sex with guys after they're 50.

That led to this recorded conversation revisiting the revelations and exploring what may be driving the changes we’re noticing in our sexual encounters in the over-50 dating world.

What’s the deal with these marathon love-making sessions guys are serving up to us as we get older?

What’s a sure sign your man is using Viagra and not telling you?

And what’s the way forward, navigating our aging sexual organs together?

 The answers to these questions and more are in this episode.

MAV Tip: Communicate. It's basic, I know. And doesn't JUST apply to aging members, but it sure does make everything in the bedroom better. So, if you're not communicating, learn from my mistake and avoid my oblivious situation by being open about what's going on with you and trusting that the GROWN UP you are getting naked with can deal with life. No pussy footing around - leave that over-accommodation to yours truly.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this NSFM* ladies-only episode, Martha's friend returns to talk about midlife issues that are top of mind.

This shorter episode contains just one side of the conversation about flooding periods during perimenopause, IUDs and IUD removal, and how progesterone is often the first HRT intervention suggested and the first "needed" (by those who choose to go that route)

What are some doctors using to manage perimenopause symptoms?

Why is being drunk in love dangerous when middle-age is bearing down on you?

 Get the answers to these questions in this episode.

* Are you one of my male listeners? This episode is marked NSFM (NOT suitable for men) due to menstruation stories you DEFINITELY don’t want to hear. 😂 Instead, please listen skip to the Viagra episode for some all-gender commiseration and laughs. It's a “sexier” less-likely-to-traumatize-you episode. You’re welcome!

And get your own deck of Martha's inappropriate affirmation cards.

MAV Tip: There are many ways to navigate the hormonal roller coaster of perimenopause, from diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits to hormonal interventions, natural and pharmaceutical. If you need birth control in your forties, maybe a hormonal IUD could be right for you. Vasectomies, of course, are also useful. :) Even if you don't go the IUD route, if you're experiencing flooding periods your doctor can explore options with you. If they don't take your heavy periods (or excessive breast tenderness) seriously, seek out other medical opinions - even if it means finding a non-gyno menopause practitioner. NAMS (the North American Menopause Society) offers a searchable directory of Menopause Practitioners they certify.

*Unnecessary is in the eye of the beholder. You do you, boo. You get to choose. 

How Can I Tell If I'm In Perimenopause If I Have A Mirena? Can IUDs Help With Menopause? And That One Time Martha Almost Removed Her IUD Herself (With A Little Help From Her Drunk Boyfriend)

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Warning: NSFM*   What it’s like to wait for “the menopause symptoms” to show up & then have your “big sign” be your period shifting a little at 55 and just *poof* ending in a span of less than 3 months?

Oh. AND mood swings? JUST crazy mood swings! 

And what ABOUT those periods? What drastic intervention are some doctors offering as a “solution” to heavy periods in our 40s or early 50s?

It’s upsetting, but it’s something you should know.

In this NSFM* ladies-only episode,  Martha & Stacy talk about unnecessary hysterectomies, the canaries in the coal mine that tip you off that you’re in perimenopause, and flooding periods.

Related: Here's Martha's TikTok from the "Convention Incident" (Men...be forewarned...this story isn't really for you!) 

And finally - what’s a surefire way to make 30-year-old guys realize you’re more than old enough to be their mom?

And will that stop them from hitting on you?

Get the answers to these questions on this episode with Martha and Stacy.

* Are you one of my male listeners? This episode is marked NSFM (NOT suitable for men) due to menstruation stories you DEFINITELY don’t want to hear. 😂 Instead, please listen to one of my other “sexier” less-likely-to-traumatize-you episodes, like the one right before this focused on Happy Endings. You’re welcome!

Martha's Botox alternative: Frownies (Save 10% with MAV discount link or by using discount code MAV10)

MAV Tip: Get a second opinion if a hysterectomy is suggested and a) you're not already seeking it for your own reasons and b) there isn't a pathology or serious issue that makes removing your uterus urgent. A lot of the perimenopausal conditions that lead to "unnecessary"* hysterectomies can be handled pretty effectively with HRT, natural remedies, and other treatments like ablation.  

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha visits her friend Dr. K who's moved to Arizona and found the desert energy has led to an influx of interested men in her life.

This Part 1 episode from their conversation touches on dating in your 50s, learning to trust your instincts, and provides a sneak peek into how massage "Happy Endings" work.

This felt like inner-sanctum dude intel and Martha and Dr. K report back breathlessly (and sometimes in hysterics) after getting the 411 from one of their guy friends. He didn't hold back, so they don't either.

Outsourcing My Orgasm: An Erotic Massage Gave Me Back the Body I Thought I'd Lost - by Jenny Powers for New York Magazine - a first-person essay about a married woman booking a "Happy Ending" 

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha recalls a harrowing incident with a dangerously full bladder in the cockpit of a tiny plane mid flight.

And she and her friends drive themselves to distraction about their over-50 bladder habits & the "easy-peasy" procedure that helped their friend KK with her stress incontinence.

Imaginations run wild with the idea that you could go in for a full tune up!
Get Bulkamid injections, some Botox, a little filler for your nasolabial folds!
Top it all off with the pleasure-boosting O Shot! (...which Martha was thisclose to getting in 2021. Phew!)

KK's procedure:  Bulkamid (she says it worked well for her)
Martha's Botox alternative: Frownies (Save 10% with MAV discount link.)

Photos from the fateful cockpit emergency are on Instagram here, including the screenshot of the note she wrote to her colleague. Video from the flight coming soon.

We explore pelvic health more thoroughly and learn more about the aging vagina and the typical path to incontinence later in Season 1 with Dr. Wendy Chorny:

• What Happens to Our Vaginas As We Age & What's Estrogen Got To Do (Got To Do) With It? 
• Why Is Pelvic-Floor Health So Important? What Makes Minor Urine Leakage Worsen? Does Peeing When You Sneeze Lead to Bigger Issues?

MAV Tip:  Hydrate. We know you hear it everywhere; you already know! But between kidney stones, UTIs, and crepey-looking skin, letting yourself get dehydrated in midlife is just asking for trouble. Hate the taste of water? Add some salt, lemon or cucumber and make it "spa"-gua. Trying drinking 12 oz as soon as you wake up and  12 more 20 minutes later and you'll get ahead for the day.

Thank you for listening!

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha talks to her friend Tara, with whom she was a "sex-toy lady" about 20 years ago. They discuss how many of "the ladies" evolved into sex educators and some, like Tara, went on to work more seriously as sexologists later.

Tara spills some tea about the life of a dominatrix, fetish parties, and how sex changes as we age. And, with her help, Martha has an epiphany about her journey with (and worries about) her aloof vagina.

Other things discussed:

• Betty Dodson and her Bodysex Workshops
• the Hitachi Magic Wand (Amazon so link SFW!)
• A more ELEGANT toy option - a FAVE, but also comes with a warranty, high-end materials, discreet and a MIND-BLOWING treat for your clitoris. (No C.A. here!) 
• the Wondrous Vulva Puppet
• "those" parties
• Coochy Shave Cream
• What it's  like to attend a fetish party (Your Tango)
• Andropause: The Male Menopause (NHS)

MAV Tip:  Accept the sexual changes perimenopause and menopause brings and adapt. What you like can shift and what works for your pleasure can evolve. Ride the wave and explore and enjoy your new experience.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha & a longtime friend got silly talking about:

• Botox alternatives
• and clitoral atrophy (C.A.) Brace yourself!

Sight gags in expanded YouTube version on the MAVPod channel.

Note: Editing was tough due to having to remove my guest 🤦🏼‍♀️, mic issues & excessive laughter.

C.A. info:
NIH Study of treatments
ABC Australia on "Use it or Lose it" hysteria
Healthline  C.A.'s symptoms & causes

Frownies = Save 10% with code MAV10 and get rid of those 11 wrinkles between your brows. (And NEVER look like Spock!)
🍌 Vfit = this medical device helped my vagina
(use this link or code MAV10 for 10% off)

Perricone MD SubD/Cold Plasma smells fishy
Got kit from the company, but  replenish at Ulta
(Use & you may smell vaguely vaginal or, as Gillian Flynn put it in Gone Girl, "vaginal and strangely lewd." At least you'll know why)

2023 Bonus MAV Tip: Relationships and friendships matter. A lot. ESPECIALLY at this stage of our lives.  EVEN when preserving them means butchering your “art.” Thank you for your understanding on the disjointed clips style of this episode. I promise: The episodes get better! 🙏🏼 🎉

MAV Tip:  Set up triggers that remind you how you REALLY feel. A note to yourself, voice message, or video you make of a loved one. Be prepared for emotional swings with reminders for when you think your life is terrible, can't stand someone you love, or you're hating your job.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Martha explains why she is talking PUBLICLY  (!!) about perimenopause symptoms and a "malfunctioning" vagina.

"A midlife hookup surprised me! Nobody warned me to expect THAT at this age. The first thing I did when my vagina let me down was start talking to my friends about it. And, just as important, LAUGHING about it.
 
My lackadaisical labia and clitoris was my 'Canary in the Coal Mine,' my alert that something was up and that something was perimenopause. What was YOUR Canary?"

So, if you, too...
♥️  Are experiencing changes you'd never heard about
♥️  Are frantically searching online for menopause symptoms
♥️  Wonder where your libido has gone
♥️ Have felt ambushed the doctor's office or the bedroom or
♥️ Took years to connect the dots on what the hell is going on with your brain and body.

YOU may find humor and comfort here.

Listen to this introduction to learn how that midlife surprise turned into THIS.

Take care of yourself. And take care of your vagina!

Everything show related at MyAloofVagina.com

Discounts on faves:

😃Frownies Save 10% via link (or code MAV10)

🍌 vFit < 10% off the Medical Device That Helped Martha's Vagina. (Code MAV10. Discount applied in cart.)

🍎 Limited-time-offer- vFit Starter Kit deal less than vFit alone!
(>$50 value bonus) Code MAVKIT while supplies last.

Loved this episode? Enjoy the show? Please share with a friend.

Bonus video & more fun on YouTube & Instagram.

I'm always up to something. Stay in the know with the free MAV Sisterhood.

(Reply to any Sisterhood email & land in Martha's actual inbox. Really.)

Affiliate links above, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I ONLY partner with products when I'm ALREADY a happy customer who was talking them up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.