For the longest time, doctors didn’t believe there was anything wrong with South Australian woman Megan Hayward, in spite of the fact that she kept telling them about increasingly worrying symptoms.
She would make her way through 15 specialists and lose two jobs – and very nearly her sanity – before a proper diagnosis was made.
At 35, Ms Hayward – who was working a demanding executive-level job and training for a marathon – first noticed her periods began to go ‘haywire’.
This was quickly followed by a litany of symptoms that included all-over joint pain, pelvic pain, suicidal ideation she describes as ‘excruciating’, a burning mouth and ‘menstrual flooding’ which resulted in her getting ‘five days’ worth of my period in the space of five minutes’.
‘I would just feel myself getting wetter and wetter and realise I had to find a bathroom immediately,’ says Hayward. ‘There was nothing I could do. And of course the irony of the situation is that it always happened in public places. It was horrific.’
And while these experiences were both embarrassing and concerning, worst of all, she says, was the ‘overnight’ drop in her libido.
Megan (pictured) suffered with brain fog, joint pain, suicidal ideation, ‘menstrual flooding’, and many other debilitating symptoms
At 35, Megan (pictured with her partner) thought she might be in early menopause but was constantly told by doctors she was ‘too young’
‘It was like a switch just turned off. Sex went from being something I enjoyed in a healthy way, to something that caused pain. And no one talks about how debilitating that can be,’ she says.
While Hayward knew she was ticking off a lot of the symptoms for perimenopause – the period of time in a woman’s life leading up to menopause that can last longer than a decade – she says doctors were quick to dismiss her due to her age.
She was repeatedly told she was too young, too stressed or just depressed and was even advised by a gynaecologist that breathing exercises and a glass of wine would help improve her sex drive.
‘At the same time, my brain fog was getting so bad that I could no longer handle the spreadsheets I needed to use for work,’ she recalls.
‘But the worst was when I was hosting a family gathering and my sister arrived. She said “hi”, and I went to say hello back and literally could not think of her name.’
Because of a family history of dementia, Hayward immediately assumed she was in the early stages of cognitive decline.
Around the same time, the development manager was having significant problems at work, which eventually culminated in her being let go.
‘I was getting the feedback that I was too difficult at work, too direct,’ says Hayward.
At her worst, Megan had brain fog so bad she couldn’t remember her sister’s name
‘Meanwhile, I had chronic insomnia, which meant I wasn’t sleeping, crippling brain fog, and a period that literally lasted for six months.
‘I challenge any woman to go through a period for six months and still be able to operate at her best at work. Just having a period for a week is hard enough – having it for six months is intolerable.’
Hayward said that people would dismiss her when she told them she thought she may be in perimenopause – something she would only years later be diagnosed with.
‘People would say, “no, you’re too young for that.” I was constantly being made to question myself,’ she says.
‘These things were happening to me, and no one was validating my experience. The message was constantly that there must be something deeply wrong with me, so I started to believe that. Then eventually, I was let go. My work was fine, but they found me too challenging to deal with.
‘I was at a very low point in my life.
‘I was a danger to myself. That’s how discombobulating that whole experience was – it was very, very upsetting.’
Thankfully, recent Australian government action, driven by a pivotal Senate Inquiry into menopause and perimenopause, has instigated significant progress in the years since Hayward began seeking answers.
‘Many women suffer for years in silence, face misdiagnoses and career disruption at a time when they should be at the height of their working lives,’ nutritionist Kirby Sorensen (pictured) says
The inquiry’s findings validated Hayward’s experience as all-too common, exposing critical shortcomings in diagnosis and care and leading to a structured government response focusing on access, education, and affordability.
A significant win to come out of this response is the introduction of a new, targeted Menopause and Perimenopause Health Assessment to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), effective from July 1, 2025.
These new MBS item numbers provide funding for longer, dedicated consultations with a GP, ensuring women can receive a comprehensive assessment, management plan, and preventative health advice, addressing a long-standing gap in care.
It’s a move Hayward welcomes, praising the government response – in particular the work of senators Larissa Waters and Marielle Smith – as being a step in the right direction.
When, at 42, armed with over 31 symptoms that fit the bill for perimenopause, Hayward was taken seriously, she says it changed her life.
A doctor finally diagnosed perimenopause, and prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms.
The impact was almost instant.
‘Within two days of putting that estrogen patch on my backside, I was a completely different person,’ she says.
‘And I mean a 180-degree turnaround.’
And while the treatment was by no means a ‘cure’ (access issues, drug shortages and a need to find the right hormonal balance were all hurdles), Hayward says that alongside lifestyle changes she’s made, she feels like she has reclaimed herself.
Moshy Dietician and Nutritionist Kirby Sorenson says in addition to medication, there are also ways women can improve their symptoms through their diet and lifestyle changes.
She says it’s important women increase their intake of protein, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, healthy fats and iron which are critical in supporting bone health, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, helping with weight management, and improving mood and energy.
‘Many women suffer for years in silence, face misdiagnoses and career disruption at a time when they should be at the height of their working lives,’ she explains.
‘With the right support, and making sure those micro and macro nutrients are available, women can help their bodies perform optimally during perimenopause.’
As for Hayward, she now dedicates her time to educating workplaces about better meeting the needs of women going through perimenopause through her consultancy business, Mimi Moon Meno.
‘I call myself a menopause concierge,’ explains Hayward, ‘because when you arrive at menopause, it’s a bit like arriving in a new city. When you check into your hotel, you go, “yeah, I think I know what’s going on,” and then all of a sudden, you’re like, “actually, WTF is happening to me? Where do I go to get the help I need?”
‘That’s why I also educate workplaces about the impact this period of life has on people.
‘We just need to properly understand what’s going on and provide the correct support, access to knowledge and flexibility, when and if it’s required.
‘If we did that, we would keep our seasoned leaders from leaving the workforce. We keep the women who have decades of strategic foresight, all of that emotional intelligence that comes with our real life experiences, and the resilience that comes with all our unseen labour.
‘Midlife women are a huge asset in the workforce, but it’s on all of us to figure out how we can make their participation during perimenopause work better for everyone.’
