Perimenopause, HRT & How to Advocate for Yourself at the OB-GYN | Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald

When was the last time you looked at your own body? Really looked? Most women have never seen parts of their own anatomy, have been told their symptoms are "normal," and have never been given permission to rest. Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald is here to change all three. In this episode of The Resilience Factor, Dr. Pamela Mehta sits down with board-certified OB-GYN, author, and entrepreneur Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald, better known online as "Dr. Everywoman," the self-described "Weird Al of women's health." They talk about perimenopause and HRT, why so many women are uncomfortable "down there," how to actually advocate for yourself at the doctor, and the difference between a symptom being "normal" and merely "common," a distinction that could change how you're cared for. Along the way, Dr. McDonald shares how a childhood mentor inspired her path into medicine, why she spent 20 years in men's boxers before building a wellness brand around the problem, and why she believes resilience is "an active pursuit of rest and self-care." DR. WENDY GOODALL MCDONALD EXPLAINS: * Why "normal" and "common" are not the same thing, and how to tell the difference at your appointment * Why not everyone needs HRT (and how she decides who actually does) * How testosterone fits into women's hormone care, and the mistakes providers make prescribing it * Why perimenopause awareness is both a blessing and a source of new anxiety * How to get the most out of your annual exam (hint: come in with a list) * Why she welcomes patients who've researched their symptoms on ChatGPT * What real self-advocacy looks like, and why it's never antagonistic * How her own pregnancy taught her the value of monitoring your own body * Why she built a mirror to help women see and understand their own bodies * How she turned flu shots and chlamydia into viral parody songs to make health accessible * Why "resting harder" is a skill she teaches her own kids CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 02:03 Wendy's journey into medicine 04:31 Becoming a first-generation physician 06:00 The mentor who showed her it was possible 07:52 The "Weird Al" of women's health 09:33 Writing children's books to inspire future doctors 10:56 Building the Every Body brand 11:45 Why she wore men's boxers for 20 years 14:10 Creating the mirror and the skincare line 18:00 What makes a great annual exam 20:38 Perimenopause, anxiety, and the truth about HRT 24:04 How women can advocate for themselves 27:20 Testosterone for women: what to know 29:40 Pelvic pain, pelvic floor, and the core connection 32:00 Acupuncture, cupping, and alternative medicine 33:55 Resilience as the active pursuit of rest 36:54 Handling loss and vulnerability as a doctor 38:33 What she wants to see change in women's health 40:18 What's next & where to find Dr. Everywoman FOLLOW DR. WENDY GOODALL MCDONALD: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreverywoman Website: https://dreverywoman.com Every Bodi Brand: https://everybodibrand.com THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: * Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com * Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9  * Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775  * Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd  * Follow Pam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta/  * Follow Pam on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta  You can learn more about Dr. Pamela Mehta’s practice here: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com/  This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠!  MEDICAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER: All content in this podcast and description including: infor­ma­tion, opinions, con­tent, ref­er­ences and links is for infor­ma­tional pur­poses only. The Author does not pro­vide any med­ical advice on the Site. Access­ing, viewing, read­ing or oth­er­wise using this content does NOT cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and it’s author. Pro­vid­ing per­sonal or med­ical infor­ma­tion to the Principal author does not cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and the Principal author or authors. Noth­ing con­tained in this video or it’s description is intended to estab­lish a physician-patient rela­tion­ship, to replace the ser­vices of a trained physi­cian or health care pro­fes­sional, or oth­er­wise to be a sub­sti­tute for pro­fes­sional med­ical advice, diag­no­sis, or treatment. You should con­sult a licensed physi­cian or appropriately-credentialed health care worker in your com­mu­nity in all mat­ters relat­ing to your health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices