{"podcast":{"title":"The Midlife Realignment: Menopause, Hormones, HRT, Perimenopause, Weight Gain,Progesterone, Estrogen","slug":"the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659","podcast_index_feed_id":7557659,"rss_url":"https://api.riverside.fm/hosting/FGcTpVQk.rss","website_url":"https://estherblum.com","image_url":"https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/a459ca9a-516b-43aa-8f42-9352b77e4ae6/logos/83451334-8421-4c6f-8d8b-6137767c4f50.png","author":"Esther Blum","episode_count":40,"summary":"The Midlife Realignment is where humor meets hormones. Join bestselling author and menopause expert Esther Blum as she disrupts the narrative on perimenopause and menopause with fierce self-advocacy, functional medicine, and real-talk conversations about what it means to thrive in midlife. Because there’s a light at the end of the vaginal tunnel—and it’s a damn good one.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-27T14:17:46.049749+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659"},"episode":{"title":"Why Progesterone Makes Some Women Feel Worse — And What to Do Instead","slug":"why-progesterone-makes-some-women-feel-worse-and-what-to-do-instead","published_at":"2026-03-02T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659/why-progesterone-makes-some-women-feel-worse-and-what-to-do-instead","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659","url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/d67690f70f894fbd042e7d441124978ba7e2145cd6328064b0543e5130eeb50c/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJmY2UzMTc2ZC0wNDY5LTQ3YzgtYmNhMi00N2QzYWMxMmYxMGMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJhNDU5Y2E5YS01MTZiLTQzYWEtOGY0Mi05MzUyYjc3ZTRhZTYiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2N2QxYmFhNjU1ODYzNDU5ZDQ5OGEzOGUiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlhNGIyOWM3NTA5MDlkOGQ2NGJhNmU5L3ZzbC0xSklFMy1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTMtMV9fMjItNDEtNDgubXAzIn0=.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/d67690f70f894fbd042e7d441124978ba7e2145cd6328064b0543e5130eeb50c/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJmY2UzMTc2ZC0wNDY5LTQ3YzgtYmNhMi00N2QzYWMxMmYxMGMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJhNDU5Y2E5YS01MTZiLTQzYWEtOGY0Mi05MzUyYjc3ZTRhZTYiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2N2QxYmFhNjU1ODYzNDU5ZDQ5OGEzOGUiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlhNGIyOWM3NTA5MDlkOGQ2NGJhNmU5L3ZzbC0xSklFMy1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTMtMV9fMjItNDEtNDgubXAzIn0=.mp3","summary":"Why does progesterone make some women feel calm and sleep deeply — while others feel anxious, depressed, or even suicidal? In this powerful episode of Midlife Re-Alignment , Esther Blum is joined by board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Anat Sapan to unpack the truth about progesterone in perimenopause and menopause. They break down: Why progesterone is the first hormone to decline in perimenopause The difference between progesterone and synthetic progestins Why some women experience progesterone intolerance Oral vs topical progesterone (and which helps sleep best) How progesterone affects anxiety, GABA, and allopregnanolone Whether topical progesterone protects the uterus The role of liver detox, receptor function, iodine, and endocrine disruptors Why progesterone may help breast tenderness, neuropathy, cholesterol, and even nervous system repair If you’ve struggled with Prometrium side effects, 3AM wakeups, mood swings, or conflicting advice about hormone therapy — this episode will change the way you understand progesterone forever. Connect with Dr. Anat: https://doctoranat.com Connect with Esther Website: ⁠ estherblum.com ⁠ Instagram: @gorgeousesther Disclaimer: This podcast is for education only and is not medical advice.","meta_description":"Why does progesterone make some women feel calm and sleep deeply — while others feel anxious, depressed, or even suicidal? In this powerful episode of Mid…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2848,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659/episodes/why-progesterone-makes-some-women-feel-worse-and-what-to-do-instead/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-midlife-realignment-menopause-hormones-hrt-perimenopause-weight-gain-progesterone-estrogen-7557659/why-progesterone-makes-some-women-feel-worse-and-what-to-do-instead.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}