Enter the House of Hormones

The House of Hormones takes place on 21 August, 1.30pm, at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, a free, hour-long event looking at how families can survive two generations undergoing profound changes, with mum experiencing the perimenopause and young people undergoing puberty. Tickets can be reserve here.

The event is a collaboration between Parenting Across Scotland, Workplace Menopause Support and Cyrenians Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution.

My own unexpected and eye-opening experience of perimenopause didn’t begin in a professional setting.

Despite my healthcare background, I didn’t immediately recognise the symptoms I was going through. Like many women, I attributed my fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and emotional ups and downs to stress or just the demands of a busy life. It wasn’t until my older sister suggested that I might be experiencing perimenopause that the penny dropped.

For me, it was a turning point. Determined to understand more and better support patients, I completed specialist training with the British Menopause Society. This gave me the confidence and skills to set up a nurse-led menopause clinic within our GP surgery, something that has become a vital resource for women at the practice.

As I began to work more closely with patients navigating menopause, a common theme kept emerging. By 2022, many of the women I supported asked if I could speak to their colleagues or visit their workplaces to talk about menopause. They were struggling not just with symptoms, but with feeling misunderstood and unsupported at work.

That’s when Workplace Menopause Support was born.

While public awareness around menopause is increasing, most workplaces still lack the tools, training, and confidence to support their staff effectively. Menopause is not only a personal health matter; it’s a significant workplace wellbeing issue.

Symptoms such as memory lapses, anxiety, mood swings, sleep problems and fatigue can seriously impact job performance, confidence, attendance, and even career progression. Yet, many organisations don’t have the right policies, training, or open conversations in place to support those affected.

Workplace Menopause Support exists to change that.

Through tailored education sessions for all staff, as well as dedicated support sessions for those directly affected, I help businesses create environments where people going through menopause feel understood, empowered, and supported, not sidelined or dismissed. Whether it’s delivering a lunchtime talk or helping managers understand how to offer practical support, my goal is simple: to normalise the conversation and remove the stigma around menopause at work.

The House of Hormones event will explore what happens when two major hormonal shifts collide in the same household, with mothers navigating perimenopause or menopause, and children going through adolescence. It’s a time that can be emotionally intense and challenging for the whole family, often marked by heightened emotions, misunderstandings, and stress.

We’ll offer practical advice and guidance for families experiencing this dual transition. Our goal is to start conversations, reduce friction, and help households better understand and support one another through this often-overlooked dynamic. From communication strategies to emotional wellbeing tips, the event is designed to be a compassionate, informative space for learning and connection.

You can reserve a ticket for The House of Hormones here. You can visit Workplace Mentopause Support’s website here. You can visit Parenting Across Scotland’s website here.