In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with board certified pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Sara Reardon, known on social media as The Vagina Whisperer. Together they move from diagnosis to the everyday habits, devices, and overlooked conditions that shape pelvic health in perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Dr. Reardon explains how pessaries work as an internal brace for the vagina and where over the counter urethral supports can help women stay dry. She makes the case against power peeing, walks through constipation and hemorrhoids, and describes splinting, a habit many women develop without realizing it signals prolapse. They then take a deeper dive into genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), why nearly three quarters of women with symptoms never mention them to a clinician, why lube helps but doesn’t fix the underlying problem, and why hormones alone aren’t enough. You lose urinary sphincter strength every year after age 35, so the muscle training has to happen too. Dr. Reardon shares how to keep vaginal tissue healthy with or without a partner, what vaginismus actually is and why “just relax” fails, and the story of a woman who endured ten years of searing pain, and surgery to remove her labia, when the real culprit was a compressed pudendal nerve. Guest links: * Dr. Sara Reardon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/the.vagina.whisperer/ * Dr. Sara Reardon / The Vagina Whisperer (Website) https://thevagwhisperer.com/ * NOLA Pelvic Health (Website) https://www.nolapelvichealth.com/ * Sara Reardon (NOLA Pelvic Health) https://www.nolapelvichealth.com/sara-reardon * The V-Hive App (The Vagina Whisperer) https://thevagwhisperer.com/membership/ * Recommended Products (The Vagina Whisperer) https://thevagwhisperer.com/recommended-products/ * NOLA Pelvic Health (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/nolapelvichealth/ Books: * “Floored: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage,” by Dr. Sara Reardon https://thevagwhisperer.com/floored/ * “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book * “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z For full show notes, please visit: https://bit.ly/unPAUSEDDrSaraReardonPart2 Never miss an episode—sign up for The ‘Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ‘Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.