Found at 40
Turns out, life doesn’t come with a manual—but it does come with a podcast.
Found at 40 is a podcast for women in midlife having honest conversations about relationships, work, parenting, and figuring out who we are in this season.
Each week, guests over 40 share their best lessons, hilarious moments, and wisdom that only comes from surviving the ultimate group projects of marriage, motherhood, and careers. Together, we talk through the chaotic season of shifting identities, evolving marriages, growing kids, perimenopause knocking at the door, and the quiet panic of reinvention.
It’s what we’ve learned now that we’re finally old enough to know better—and still occasionally do it anyway. Because midlife isn’t a crisis… it’s just incredibly well-researched content.
Welcome to the group chat you didn’t know you needed.
Instagram: @foundat40podcast
Found at 40
Perimenopause: Why You Don’t Feel Like Yourself (And What Actually Helps)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Perimenopause is the season we were warned about—but no one really prepared us for what it actually feels like to live in it. In this episode of Found at 40, I start with my friend Carrie Youell, talking honestly about what it’s like to be in the thick of perimenopause—brain fog, mood swings, sleep issues, and that unsettling feeling of not quite recognizing yourself anymore. Then, we bring in expert insight with Dr. Jackie Piasta, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner, for a listener Q&A that breaks down what’s happening hormonally, what’s normal, and what actually helps. This episode is about validation, clarity, and realizing you’re not crazy—you’re just in your 40s.
Episode Timeline
- (0:00) 🎢 The perimenopause plot twist we were warned about—and didn’t fully understand
- (4:00) 🧠 Brain fog, chin hair, and the early signs something feels “off”
- (8:00) 😵💫 Emotional whiplash, rage moments, and not feeling like yourself
- (13:00) 😴 Sleep issues, night sweats, and why exhaustion hits differently in your 40s
- (18:00) 🎭 Identity, marriage, motherhood, and how perimenopause affects relationships
- (23:00) 🔥 Hot flashes vs. internal overheating—and how symptoms really show up
- (27:00) 🧬 Hormones, bloodwork, testosterone, and navigating confusing lab results
- (31:00) 💬 Feeling dismissed by doctors and learning to advocate for yourself
Expert Q&A with Dr. Jackie Piasta
- (35:00) 🎙️ Introducing Dr. Jackie Piasta + why perimenopause is having a cultural moment
- (38:00) 🩺 How do you actually know if you’re in perimenopause—and not dealing with something else?
- (42:00) 🧪 Why isn’t there a clear test for perimenopause?
- (46:00) 🩻 Which doctors should women have in their healthcare lineup after 40?
- (50:00) 🧍♀️ What’s causing hair loss in perimenopause—and what actually helps?
- (55:00) 💊 When is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) the right next step?
- (1:00:00) 💡 What women in their 40s should know now to make this season easier later
Find Dr. Jackie Piasta on Instagram at @jackiep_gynnp or at https://www.mymonarchhealthco.com/
✨ Hit follow, send this episode to your group chat, and leave a glowing review
📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing
🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40
Keywords:
Perimenopause, perimenopause symptoms, signs of perimenopause, perimenopause in your 40s, hormone imbalance in women, brain fog in perimenopause, mood swings in midlife, anxiety and perimenopause, sleep problems in perimenopause, hot flashes and night sweats, hair loss in perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), when to start HRT, women’s health after 40, feeling like yourself again in midlife, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Leanne Morgan, We Do Not Care Club