What to Expect at Your Menopause Visit

Preparing for Initial Visit

1. Complete the comprehensive new patient form. Once we have reviewed this, you will be contacted about scheduling an appointment.
2. Your initial visit will be scheduled for 60 minutes.
3. Identify three symptoms or topics that are most important to cover in your initial visit.
4. Increase your knowledge about menopause and hormone therapy. Recommended resources: The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver and The Perimenopause Survival Guide by Heather Hirsch. Both Mary Claire and Heather are active on social media platforms and both have podcasts. The Menopause Society is another excellent resource for menopause education.

What to Expect at Initial Visit

1. We will spend time assessing where you are in the menopause transition and reviewing your current symptoms.
2. Your overall health is just as important! We will review the common chronic health issues women face at midlife, what screening is recommended and how you can optimize your health for the next 30-40 years.
3. Health promoting habits. Where should you spend time and energy? We will discuss general recommendations for midlife women and if necessary, plan future visits to individualize strategies for you.
4. Menopause hormone therapy. How might it address your current symptoms and what benefits to your overall health may be expected? What is the ideal timing to initiate hormone therapy? What are the options for hormone therapy? We will address each of these questions.
5. While we can cover a lot of information and education at your first visit, it’s unlikely we will be able to spend meaningful time on all your priorities, questions, and education we feel is important. But that is why we are here to establish a long-term relationship with you. Living well in menopause requires playing the long game.

Follow Up Visits

1. Generally, you are seen every three months after initiating hormone therapy until we have reached the sweet spot. Once you have reached maintenance therapy, annual visits are advised. These visits are 30 minutes.
2. We evaluate the need to layer on additional hormones or other treatments depending upon your symptoms, goals and response to therapy.
3. When indicated, we will schedule specific problem focused visits. For example, optimizing sexual functioning, managing weight and body composition. These are big topics in themselves and you deserve time to have them addressed. If there are specific issues we need to focus on, you may be asked to schedule separate visits from your routine menopause follow ups.