Season 1, Episode 2 Details:
‘Navigating the Menopause Together’ with Dorset Menopause Support’s Founder, Rowan Chambers and Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Dr Tim Hillard
Listen to the episode:
Episode Overview:
This episode of the Speaking of Women’s Health Podcast breaks down myths around navigating menopause, documents the evolution of menopause support, and shares real stories & inclusive advice for women and their families to understand what help is available.
Detailed Episode Show Notes:
“I sought help from a menopause specialist and got my life back on track completely. At my darkest moments, I just thought, ‘If I ever come out of this, I have got to do something positive with all the knowledge I’ve gained.”
What myths, taboos, and hurdles need removing in order to make menopause support truly accessible and empowering for every woman?
This challenge lies at the heart of Dorset Menopause Support’s mission, and hits close to home for its Founder, Rowan Chambers.
How we navigate this normal phase of life has evolved along with the care and support available, as has been observed by Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Dr Tim Hillard.
In this episode of ‘Speaking of Women’s Health’, Tim and Rowan’s combined insights unite around the desperate need to destigmatize menopause, and improve health outcomes for women and their families.
Whether you’re a woman navigating this midlife change, or curious about how we can empower communities through transparent conversations, this episode shows the big picture on how to enhance menopause support.
👤Guest Profiles:
Dr Tim Hillard –
- Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
- Poole NHS Foundation Trust
Rowan Chambers –
- Dorset Menopause Support
- Transformation Delivery
⏱️ Chapters:
[0:00] – Introductions & Rowan’s Personal Journey with Menopause
[9:50] – Dr Hillard’s Background, Care Across the Decades & The Women’s Health Hub Programme
[15:20] – Breaking Cultural Barriers & Stigmas
[20:00] – Education, Awareness & Community Resources
[32:05] – The Importance of Holistic & Individualised Support
[40:20] – Supporting Families with Menopause Information
[45:00] – Future Plans & Priorities for Continued Menopause Support
🔑Key Themes:
- Destigmatising Menopause & Creating an Open Dialogue
- Taking a Holistic View on Menopause Support
- Education & Access to Information Across All Communities
- Holistic & Individualised Support
- Community Initiatives & Empowerment at a Local Level
📖 Resources Mentioned:
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women/
🔗 Connect with us:
- Dr Tim Hillard, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-hillard-5056b534/
- Rowan Chambers: https://www.dorsetmenopausesupport.co.uk/
- Marianne Storey, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-storey-46938435/
- Anjali Mavi, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-mavi-66a5a86/
- Dorset Women CIC Website: https://dorsetwomen.org.uk/
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women/
🎯 Action Items for Listeners:
- Visit the Our Dorset Women’s Health website for evidence-based health information.
- Share the podcast and website with other women in the community.
- Start open conversations about menopause within your family, friends, and community.
- Share information about local menopause clinics, workshops, or support sessions, especially within underrepresented communities.
- Encourage and support the education of boys and men about menopause to foster understanding and empathy.
- Consider participating in, or helping to organise, community workshops or peer-support groups to empower others.
💡 Top Quotes:
7:50 – Rowan Chambers:
“I sought help from a menopause specialist eventually, and got my life back on track completely, and felt better than I have felt in a very long time. At my darkest moments, I just thought, ‘If I ever come out of this, I have got to do something positive with all the knowledge I’ve gained.”
13:30 – Dr Tim Hillard:
“It’s been very hard over the last 30 odd years to try and get anybody interested in menopause…that has changed a lot in the last 10 years.”
14:35 – Dr Tim Hillard:
“There’s a huge lack of knowledge and information for all sorts of reasons. The opportunity has arisen to get the message out there that it’s a serious problem which needs addressing, and that people need to be educated. Not just women, but GPs and all medical and healthcare professionals.”
20:30 – Rowan Chambers:
“As well as raising awareness of menopause itself and the complexity of all the symptoms, it was about talking to our members and asking what they would like to see on the website, what was important to them.”
27:45 – Dr Tim Hillard:
“The first thing is that women are getting information now, but a lot of it’s misinformation. So I was very keen, first of all, that we have a system that provides information that is accurate and balanced and appropriate and not pursuing a particular narrative.”
34:35 – Dr Tim Hillard:
“Some of the narrative around the menopause has created a situation where people are quite scared about it, and that’s also wrong. For most women, it is a normal event.”
37:35 – Rowan Chambers:
“There are a whole range of holistic ways that menopause can be managed… it is part of a jigsaw puzzle, and really it’s down to the individual to find out all the other things that are going to help them manage their menopause.”
42:45 – Anjali Mavi:
“If women aren’t happy to talk within the family, how can they go to the GP? How can they go to the clinic? We should also have a session for men to gain access to menopause information too.”
48:15 – Rowan Chambers:
“As much as we’d like to change the world, we’ve got to be realistic and focus on the changes and the positive differences we can make to women’s lives.”
52:30 – Rowan Chambers:
“I want to try and encourage other women to do what I’ve done for their communities, because I can’t be everywhere. There’s only one of me, but if I can do it, anyone can do it. It’s just a case of feeling passionately about helping other women.”
53:40 – Dr Tim Hillard:
“You do have to have a political will, whether that’s local or national level, to get things to change. We can do only so much without some sort of directive change.”
Transcript: Find the full transcript here. Please note, these notes are AI generated.