Hormone Testing During Menopause: What Every Woman Should Know

Women often hear conflicting information online about estrogen, progesterone, and hormone testing. Jamie explains why hormone levels fluctuate dramatically during perimenopause, why a single blood test rarely tells the full story, and why symptoms often provide more useful information than lab values alone.This episode also covers stopping birth control pills in midlife, hormone testing after pregnancy, when hormone testing is appropriate, and why some women may still benefit from lab work in specific situations.If you've ever wondered whether hormone testing can confirm perimenopause or menopause, this episode will help you understand what hormone tests can, and can't, tell you.00:00 – Welcome back to Perimenopause the Podcast00:25 – Listener questions about hormone testing00:55 – Should women routinely check hormone levels?01:15 – Why hormone levels fluctuate so dramatically01:40 – Understanding hormone changes during perimenopause02:00 – Why symptoms matter more than a single lab test02:15 – Stopping birth control in your 40s: what to expect02:40 – How birth control affects hormone testing02:55 – Could birth control be masking menopause?03:10 – Hormone testing after pregnancy and childbirth03:35 – When hormone testing may be appropriate03:50 – Testosterone monitoring and hormone therapy04:10 – New research on estrogen and bone health04:35 – Why hormone testing is trending online04:50 – The better question to ask about your symptoms05:15 – Final thoughts and listener questions