Lynda Lovatt Lady Talk

HOW TO GET THE MOST OF YOUR GP CONSULT IN MENOPAUSE.

At Lady Talk every week I am seeing ladies who….

👩‍⚕️ Can’t get the full story out in a 5 minute GP consultation.

👩‍⚕️Have received their HRT but are too scared to take it.

👩‍⚕️Want to ward off heart disease but they are uncertain about how to prevent it.

👩‍⚕️Want to ask me questions before they see their GP to prepare.

👩‍⚕️Are not sure if their GP is up to date with menopause.

🤗It’s ok, I understand how GP’s work and I also understand how you feel as a woman needing to be heard as you head through menopause. GP’s work extremely hard. Having worked beside them as a Practice Nurse, I’ve seen them cycle through 30 to 40 15 minute appointments back to back in a day.

Here’s what you can do to go away feeling heard and confident with a solution that fits in menopause.

💡 Do your homework first. If you are wanting HRT find out who the GP is in your practice that is providing this service or see me as I have a list of HRT service providers. This HRT consultation can be done as a video call as well.

💡A Menopause consultation should take around 40 minutes as opposed to 15 minutes. If you do receive a prescription for HRT expect to have a follow up within 3 months for your GP to review your menopause symptoms and adjust the dose accordingly.

💡Aim to leave with a solution that you understand. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not every woman wants HRT or can take it. There are other options available for symptom management such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), other medications and lifestyle advice.

💡Be specific. Only go in with one problem. Do not take a list of health issues with you. Book another appointment or a double appointment if need be.

💡Speak to me for a menopause-related problem or your Practice Nurse if your GP is booked up. Practice Nurses have the wealth of knowledge and can pass a message on to your GP. I loved speaking on the phone to patients as a Practice Nurse, I could always help with something.

🤗Your health is important. Be prepared. Ask the questions. Leave feeling satisfied. Listen to your intuition and your body. If you don’t feel heard, or that solution isn’t right for you, keep asking, see another doctor, or come to see me to get clarity and confidence to know you’re doing what is right for you and your health.

🧭 If you are stuck with navigating menopause reach out below.

https://lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz/services/menopause-navigation

This note from Maria is a typical response I hear from clients after we have worked together.

🤩“After my consultation I felt listened to and just really glad to speak to another woman about issues that are embarrassing although natural. Thank you so much for all the helpful information. What a wealth of knowledge. I really enjoyed our meeting. Thanks again.” - Maria🤩

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Pain during s*x is not a fun time and you can get over it pretty quickly.

In this podcast you’ll hear from Ingrid who found the most relief from seeing a pelvic health physio/professional and using Nu balm. These things made a big difference and they helped her relationship.

Listen as Ingrid tells her story as woman who suffered from endometriosis. Her story starts from before diagnosis at 11 years old to surgery and post op recovery.

These are the stories that need to be told. Tune in this weekend.

Thank you to Ingrid for being brave and passionate in telling your story, a story that will help so many other women.

On apple podcasts here and on Spotify:

https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/lynda-lovatt-lady-talks-podcast/id1717276612?i=1000677042289

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause Specialist Nurse
🎯 Pelvic Health Professional
🎯 Lifestyle Medicine Professional
🎯 Registered Exercise Professional
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

As more people find out what I do I receive texts with funny 😄 quotes like these…

Except it’s not actually funny 😄 is it? I mean laughing as well would make the situation dire! 💦

Urgency becomes a more common form of incontinence as you age. Crossing your legs won’t help, the wees will just run down your leg.

Seeing a pelvic health professional like myself can sort the issue. It’s good to have a warrant of fitness check in menopause because you’ve had a few impacts to your pelvic floor already by the time you hit 50 (and guess what these things can get worse with age, so it’s good to stay in control of the bits downstairs).

Feel free to call the incontinence hotline here at Lady Talk. Let’s learn how to hold. It’s easy when you know how: Phone ☎️ 021336901 Mon- Friday 9-5pm.

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Book Excerpt: Lady Talk, A Personal Pursuit With Practice Pearls….

We arrived back in New Zealand with enough money in our pockets to buy a house in Mount Eden. I secured a job very quickly at Starship Hospital, full-time rostered shifts in an acute medical ward. My paediatric experience was significant at this point in my career, so I was snapped up as a senior staff nurse.
Very quickly I became pregnant after only a few months of deciding we wanted to have a family. This is where things started to change, and not just physically.
I was starting to empathise with the mums on the ward at a level that surprised and shocked me. Up until this point I had been nursing sick kids for close to four years and I had not been able to empathise fully with the mum because I wasn’t a mother myself. It was all about the sick child. To be stuck in a room with a sick child as a parent is worrying to say the very least.
It struck me quite suddenly, overwhelming me and moving me to tears on the day I took a child to X-ray. I was six months pregnant and at the beside with a mum who was filled with worry about her child and what the X-ray may show. I could feel with every bone in my body how she was feeling. These feelings were new. I started to well up and choke as I left the bedside and went to the nurse’s station where I howled much to the shock and disbelief of the charge nurse. I explained that I knew exactly how the mother was feeling. I had never felt this level of connection before. It was happening because I was pregnant. I was changing. I could finally understand what it must be like to be the parent of a sick child. Little did I know then that the baby I was carrying inside me was unwell too.

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Tampons not so cool. They hurt. Not such a go to with the younger generation…

As I enter a life without the need for period products I find it interesting to read about what’s popular now.

I kind of get it tampons can be sore (I’ve actually written about my tampon experience in my book due out next year)! What are your thoughts?

Check out this article about what the younger generation think 🤔 👇

https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/0e578d21-731f-4c8e-b204-41e650f6b9e7

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic health Nurse
www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Which one is you? Do these sound familiar? People come to see me for these things…

🤔I’ve seen my GP, they gave me HRT but I’m not sure about taking it.

🤔I’m not sure if I am in perimenopause, I’ve got some changes but I think I’m too young.

🤔I’m starting to worry about my bones and my heart. My GP won’t give me HRT, what else can I do?

🤔I’m over the urgency to p*e and I’m done with the pads. During summer I can’t hide that I’m leaking so easily. Can you help me stop feeling so urgent?

🤔It’s sore when I have s*x and I can’t wait for it to be over. It feels like burning and the skin has got so thin down there.

🤔Recently I noticed a heavy sensation between my legs. I go to the gym and lift heavy weights but I’m feeling anxious I might be making this heavy sensation worse…

🤔I’m not sleeping, I can’t think at work, I’m irritable, fatigued and I feel fat. I need some one to motivate me and keep me accountable.

🤗👩‍⚕️ Hello 👋 I can help you. I’m a Menopause and Pelvic health Nurse.

Don’t be a stranger if you are struggling with any of these things. I’m looking forward to the week ahead. I have a new pelvic health service starting up on Tuesday. My usual and very popular Menopause Navigation and Menopause Vitality Programmes are available.

To get in touch call me 021336901 or enquire through my website www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz. How cool to speak to a specialist nurse who cares and is up to date.

Lynda Lovatt
RNZcmpN DipN
🎯Menopause specialist nurse
🎯Pelvic health professional
🎯Registered Personal Trainer
🎯Lifestyle Medicine Certified

I’ve always been interested in Parkinson’s disease because I nursed patients with the disease as a young student nurse and witnessed the degenerative changes.

It’s a fascinating disease to study and on my return to nursing course 2 years ago I had to revisit the pathophysiology and I found myself relaying prior practice to theory.

You can find out more about Parkinson’s disease here:

https://healthify.nz/health-a-z/p/parkinsons/

Now as I am working in the menopause space I have patients with Parkinson’s who see me and it really is a joy when you understand their illness and your knowledge of Perimenopause symptoms and how they can be similar.

I found this article about perimenopause and Parkinson’s disease which I’ve shown my patients

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/menopause-and-parkinsons-what-you-need-to-know/

Menopause and Parkinson’s: what you need to know - balance menopause If you have Parkinson’s, you may find it hard to determine if you are going through the menopause as many symptoms are similar

Are you confused in Menopause? People who call me are.

🤔Sometimes women want to know about HRT to prevent disease.

They’ve heard it’s good to prevent things like a heart attack or osteoporosis and bone fractures.

🧐But they don’t really have menopause symptoms…

💡 Guess what??

📖 This was discussed at length at the World Menopause Congress in Melbourne. Actually everything was discussed especially va**na’s and all the changes down there.

❤️There is so much that can help you to feel better each day and prevent disease in the future.

👩‍⚕️ Seek out the experienced health professionals who go the extra mile to keep up to date with menopause, pelvic health and healthy aging.

🏥 Why do I care? Because I’ve seen the heart attacks, the hip fractures, the vulval cancer. I’ve nursed these things for years. I’d like to keep you out of hospital too. 😀

☎️ To get in touch with me call direct on 021336901 Mon-Friday in NZ. Or hit my website to pop in an enquiry.

https://lnkd.in/g6mD4k6c

I’m nice to talk too 🤗. I care and I’m here for you in Menopause.

Lynda Lovatt
RNZcmpN DipN
🎯Menopause Specialist Nurse
🎯Pelvic health professional
🎯Registered Exercise Professional
🎯Lifestyle Medicine Professional

The color of urine can reveal a lot about your hydration levels, diet, medications, and overall health. Here are some facts about urine colour:

1. Clear or Very Light Yellow: This usually indicates you’re well-hydrated, though consistently clear urine can mean you’re overhydrated. Drinking too much water can dilute electrolytes in the body.

2. Pale to Light Yellow: This is considered the ideal urine color, signifying proper hydration. Urochrome, a pigment produced when the body breaks down haemoglobin, gives urine this typical colour.

3. Dark Yellow: This may mean mild dehydration. It often happens after you haven’t had fluids for a while or after sweating. It’s usually nothing to worry about but a good reminder to drink more water.

4. Amber or Honey: Darker shades of yellow, often approaching amber, can signal dehydration. It’s a sign to increase water intake soon.

5. Brownish: Brown or cola-coloured urine may indicate severe dehydration or liver/bile duct issues like hepatitis or cirrhosis. However, certain foods like fava beans or medications can also cause this coloration.

6. Pink or Red: Urine can turn pink or red after eating foods like beets or rhubarb. But if you haven’t had these foods, it could indicate blood in the urine (haematuria), which may be due to infections, kidney stones, or other medical issues.

As a health professional I’ve seen all of these shades and blue urine too. Next time you pass urine have a good look to see what colour it is. A good reminder to get abnormal things seen and boost your fluid intake!

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic health Nurse
www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

How’s your pelvic floor doing? Does it need a tune up?

Funny how time slips by but my pelvic floor hasn’t in fact it’s got better with age and professional experience.

This photo was taken in 2016. This was when I used pelvic floor ultrasound to help women recover from childbirth in my award winning postnatal recovery programme.

Yesterday I lay in this room and did my pelvic floor exercises in the same position drawing and reflecting on my rich knowledge base in pelvic health.

What is the physio doing? Solveig was using a trans abdominal ultrasound probe to see my pelvic floor muscle on the screen behind her. The gold standard for assessing pelvic floor function is internal examination which I am now qualified to do.

Try this to get your pelvic floor to activate.

1) In lying with your knees bent, relax your tummy and everything else.

2) Now draw your mind to your va**na. Think about a tampon and squeeze it strongly with your va**na for 3 secs and let that go. You should feel an active relaxation.

Was that exciting?!

Ok then try this:

3) See how many times you can lift and hold for 3 secs.
Let’s squeeze and lift that tampon then let it go.

Repeat

Let’s squeeze and lift that tampon and let it go.

How many repetitions of that can you do before your pelvic floor muscle gets tired? That is your base strength. You need to progress that x1 more repetition a time to get stronger.

Feeling excited? So cool to feel these muscles work and stay in control to stop those leaks.

My Pelvic health service starts up November 5th. People have already booked in.

Private message me if you know you need help here.

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause and Pelvic Health Nurse
www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Breast density. How dense are yours?

This topic was brought up a year ago before I started HRT. It still remains of interest to me, so as I glanced through the magazine section yesterday at the supermarket guess what popped out.

Breasts and it was written by well known writer ✍️ Sarah Catherall. Little did I know Sarah would write about her personal journey with breast density and breast cancer.

Before you start HRT it useful to know what your breasts are doing, and also if we have any abnormal undiagnosed va**nal bleeding.

I’m grateful that the HRT prescriber not only sent me for a mammogram prior to starting HRT but she sent me to one that can see through dense breasts. I was graded a C. D is the highest density. Take a look at the photo’s it soon becomes apparent that dense breasts are harder to visualise lumps or abnormalities.

Make sure your screening is all up to date before starting HRT.

If you’re in New Zealand take a look at the listener this weekend and read Sarah’s brave story. She is getting her message out there to improve the health of others. The article is a credit to her.

Lynda Lovatt
RNZcmpN DipN
🎯Menopause Specialist Nurse
🎯Lifestyle Medicine Professional
🎯Registered Personal Trainer
🎯Pelvic Health Professional
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Reasons For Not Discussing
Vaginal Health With Their Health Care Provider:

😢18% of women were too uncomfortable.

😢42% thought it was part of aging and you have to live with it.

😢4% said there wasn’t enough time.

😢2% said I started but the provider wasn’t receptive or interested.

😢13% said they didn’t know there was treatment available.

21% Other

The women’s EMPOWER survey (2017) highlighted these stats. This was relayed at the World Menopause Congress in Melbourne that I attended.

As the founder of Lady Talk and a passionate women’s health advocate I would like to see these stats change.

Where do you think we need to start?

a)More education for women

b)Longer appointments

c)More education for health professionals.

d)Other, please specify.

Pop in comments👇

Lynda Lovatt


Lynda Lovatt
RNZcmpN DipN
Founder of Lady Talk
🎯Menopause Specialist Nurse
🎯Lifestyle Medicine Professional
🎯Pelvic health Professional
🎯Registered Personal Trainer
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Day 4 of very early mornings to bring you the latest from the 19th World Menopause Congress!

Up to date! Menopause treatments are always evolving.

Stay tuned to my story for updates today!

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

HAPPY WORLD MENOPAUSE DAY from Melbourne!!

Yes I’m here for the International Menopause Conference which is perfectly timed to celebrate World Menopause day!

Stay tuned across today and the weekend as I bring you updates on the latest in Menopause.

The pre conference Menopause Essentials starts in little over 2 hours. I’ll be heading across the Yarra in the rain to settle in for 5hours of a refresh on the essential things I need to be telling you to improve your health in Menopause!

Let’s start by opening up this PDF provided by the International Menopause Society to educate you about Menopause:
https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf

I hope to see you here later in the day with updates as they come to hand!

Keep an eye on my stories.

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic Health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Is intimacy awkward 😬

Are you biting your teeth 🦷 and hoping it will be over soon?

S*x is designed to be enjoyable so let’s figure out where the discomfort is and the things you can do based on that.

My newsletters cover juicy taboo Lady Talk topics that you can secretly enjoy on the quiet 🤫 - I won’t tell a soul that you were watching!

Purely designed for your Sunday indulgence. Yes pop the kettle on and settle in at 1:30pm on a Sunday as the fortnightly newsletter beams into your inbox.

You also get to find out how to stop the leaks at the gym or during movement. Yes I know you can wear a pad or black pants so nobody knows your leaking secret but wouldn’t it be cool to use your muscles to stay in control (especially in summer when the leaks can strike through leaving you feeling vulnerable and embarrassed 🙈)?

You’ll also receive the Lady Talk exercise from home 🏡 for menopause! This is designed by me an award winning exercise programme designer for your comfort at home.

To grab all of this juicy information here is the link:

https://mailchi.mp/lyndalovattladytalk/lynda-lovatt-lady-talk-newsletter

See you there and enjoy all the info!

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause & Pelvic health Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Julia Halligan, Jean Dunmore, Jo Hartley

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community, fans. These top fans have been at the bedside in a nurse role like I have.

Today I asked AI 🤖 to create an image of a nurse with blonde hair who is empathetic and talking to a patient.

This is the image that came up.

Empathy is my superpower. I wanted to showcase that with my top fans who would resonate.

Lynda Lovatt
Menopause Specialist Nurse
Www.lyndalovattladytalk.co.nz