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# Taking the Mystery out of 50

Demystifying Midlife and Menopause Challenges

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [PODCAST - Coming soon!](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/podcast-coming-soon/) - Launching September 2026 - Taking the Mystery out of 50 PODCAST!
- [Learn the essential advice to help keep your daughter safe at college](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/sending-your-daughter-off-to-college-heres-the-essential-advice-to-help-keep-her-safe/) - Self-defense expert Tracie Arlington breaks down everything your daughter needs to know about how to avoid and/or deal with sexual assault at college.
- [How Joining A Book Club Can Help Your Mental Health](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/how-my-book-club-has-made-my-year-so-much-better/) - My local book club has led to new friendships and the discovery of fascinating womens' stories. Read my favorite book picks for this year.
- [How I Survived My First Colonoscopy](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/how-i-survived-my-first-colonoscopy/) - Are you due for your first colonoscopy? And are you as nervous as I was?! Here are the Do's and Don'ts from my recent experience.
- [Brain Fog Made Me Put My Laundry In The Microwave](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/my-brain-fog-got-so-bad-i-put-my-laundry-in-the-microwave/) - One reader describes how brain fog during perimenopause made her feel like she was going crazy and almost cost her her career and sanity.
- [Famous Women Talk Menopause (Part 3)](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/famous-women-talk-menopause-part-3/) - Continuing the series of well-known women sharing their peri and menopausal experiences, with Gabrielle Union and Gillian Anderson.
- [Famous Women Talk Menopause (Part 2)](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/more-famous-women-talk-menopause-part-1/) - Naomi Watts shares how her menopause experience has inspired her to help other women, while Tracee Ellis Ross tells how she keeps a positive peri outlook.
- [How Your Sex Life Can Change During Midlife, Perimenopause, and After Menopause](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/how-your-sex-life-can-change-during-midlife-perimenopause-and-after-menopause/) - Expert advice on the sexual challenges women can face in midlife and during perimenopause - and don't worry, there's good news!
- [My Migraine Journey](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/my-migraine-journey/) - My personal story of how perimenopausal migraines have impacted my life and how I'm trying to cope with them.
- [Meet Jennifer Aniston's BFF And Circling Guru](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/meet-jennifer-anistons-bff-and-circling-guru/) - The spiritual practice of circling is having a resurgence thanks to Jen and her best friend Andrea Bendewald. Andrea shares her circling journey here...
- [Why Circling Can Be So Beneficial For Women In Midlife](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/why-circling-can-be-so-beneficial-for-women-in-midlife/) - Andrea Bendewald explains how the power of Circling during midlife can help women connect, heal and celebrate the many changes we face.
- [What To Discuss With Your OB-GYN In Midlife](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/what-to-discuss-with-your-ob-gyn-in-midlife/) - Our expert OB-GYN talks menopause, mammograms, the latest thinking on self-breast exams, osteoporosis and contraception.
- [Famous Women Talk Menopause (Part 1)](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/famous-women-who-have-shared-their-menopause-experience/) - Five of the world's most well-known women get real and reveal their own stories to help break down the silence around menopause.
- [Why You Need To Know About Pelvic Organ Prolapse](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/why-you-need-to-know-about-pelvic-organ-prolapse/) - Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald's tweets about the shocking lack of awareness and education about POP went viral. Read my exclusive interview with her here.
- [Still Confused About Perimenopause? You're Not Alone](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/perimenopause-explained/) - And with 34 potential symptoms, it's hardly surprising. A leading menopause expert lays out the facts here.
- [Should All Women Have An OB-GYN Annual Physical?](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/285/) - We all know the importance of annual physicals, especially in midlife. But how do they differ with a PCP or an OB-GYN? And should we be having both?
- [My Hormonal Migraines Were So Bad I Wanted To Put A Gun In My Mouth](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/my-migraines-were-so-bad-i-wanted-to-put-a-gun-in-my-mouth/) - A reader describes how the debilitating pain of perimenopausal migraines affected her life, and how she finally found relief.
- [When It's Dangerous to Blame The Menopause](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/when-its-dangerous-to-blame-the-menopause/) - One reader describes how mistakenly attributing migraine and back pain to menopause almost resulted in a serious illness.
- [Could You Be An Advocate For A Foster Child?](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/could-you-be-an-advocate-for-a-foster-child/) - One woman's story of why she became a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Voices For Children, and how it enriched her life.
- [The Night My Uterine Wall Gave Way](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/the-night-my-uterine-wall-gave-way/) - Did you know a woman's uterus lining starts thinning in midlife? One reader describes the shocking way she found out, and the solution she worked out.

## Pages

- [My Story](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/about/) - MY STORY... Born and raised in London, England, I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in the most amazing and vibrant city in the world. But when my mum passed away from cancer when I was 22, I tried to escape my crippling grief by leaving home and traveling and working around the world
- [PODCAST](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/podcast/) - Launching soon!
- [Welcome!](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/welcome/) - I’m Madeleine Collins, a journalist and former senior magazine editor of 20+ years, a busy mom of two daughters, a wife, and a (currently) 54-year-old woman. I’ve created this health and wellness platform for women in midlife by combining my professional background with my own personal experiences, to help others demystify the physical and emotional
- [CONTACT ME](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/contact-me/) - Readers Do you have questions you need answering by an expert? Do you have a particular challenge you would like researched for an article? Or do you have a personal story to share of where you're at in midlife that may resonate with, or help other readers for the Your Stories section (you can be
- [REVIEWS](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/shop/) - Coming Soon...
- [MENOPAUSE](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/menopause/)
- [Disclosures & Disclaimer](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/disclosures-and-disclaimer/) - Disclosure As part of this site, I share recommendations of products I personally use and/or love, and particularly products that align with my overall ethos of living life the natural way wherever possible. I sometimes earn an affiliate commission on sales I link to, but please note that this will never affect the price you
- [Privacy Policy](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/privacy-policy-2/) - Who we are Our website address is: https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com. Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided

## Categories

- [PHYSICAL HEALTH](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/category/physical-health/)
- [YOUR STORIES](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/category/your-stories/) - Hi there
- [MENOPAUSE](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/category/menopause/)
- [EMOTIONAL HEALTH](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/category/emotional-health-2/)
- [PODCAST](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/category/podcast/)

## Tags

- [Perimenopause](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/perimenopause/)
- [Menopause](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/menopause/)
- [Colonoscopy](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/colonoscopy/)
- [Colon Cancer](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/colon-cancer/)
- [Migraines](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/migraines/)
- [Circling](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/circling/)
- [Spirituality](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/spirituality/)
- [Uterine Wall](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/uterine-wall/)
- [Friendship](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/friendship/)
- [Volunteer](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/volunteer/)
- [Giving Back](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/giving-back/)
- [Foster Care](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/foster-care/)
- [Annual Physical](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/annual-physical/)
- [OB GYN](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/ob-gyn/)
- [Mammogram](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/mammogram/)
- [Osteoporosis](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/osteoporosis/)
- [Contraception](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/contraception/)
- [Breast Self-Exam](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/breast-self-exam/)
- [OB-GYN](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/ob-gyn-2/)
- [UTI](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/uti/)
- [menstrual cycle](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/menstrual-cycle/)
- [hot flashes](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/hot-flashes/)
- [period](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/period/)
- [weight gain](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/weight-gain/)
- [Goddess Circle](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/goddess-circle/)
- [Insomnia](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/insomnia/)
- [Pelvic Organ Prolapse](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/pelvic-organ-prolapse/)
- [Motherhood](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/motherhood/)
- [Safety](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/safety/)
- [Brain Fog](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/brain-fog/)
- [Perimenpause](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/perimenpause/)
- [Mental Health](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/mental-health/)
- [Sex](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/sex/)
- [Midlife](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/midlife/)
- [Books](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/books/)
- [womens health](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/womens-health/)
- [midlife podcast](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/midlife-podcast/)
- [menopause podcast](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/menopause-podcast/)
- [podcast coming soon](https://takingthemysteryoutof50.com/tag/podcast-coming-soon/)