Wild, Wise & Curious...

Michelle Haggerty-Wood & Lou Baker
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  • HEALTH & FITNESS

Are you peri or postmenopausal? Do you sometimes feel like you’re losing the plot? Would you love to talk about what’s going on with your mental & physical well-being? Or hear from other women who lost the plot and found it again or went on to rewrite themselves a new story? If so, we’ve got just the podcast. Wild, Wise & Curious... lets you do the talking. We’re your hosts, Michelle & Lou! We’re not doctors or psychiatrists, but we are perimenopausal women with other skills and we believe there’s a wisdom in sharing all our stories. Back in the old days, it’s how we all learned! It was our own perimenopausal ‘losing the plot’ stories that led us to create this podcast. In this podcast, we’ll be chatting with women, just like you, who want to share their stories and importantly, the gems they’ve learned along the way. Interested in joining us, please give us a follow and share with your peri meno mates! * We cover many topics related to perimenopause and beyond, including anxiety, panic attacks and other symptoms associated with this stage in a woman’s life, so please bear this in mind if these topics could be triggering.

  1. From Cool, Calm & Collected to Hot, Bothered & Wide Awake... Learning to Breathe Through the Plot Twists

    4D AGO

    From Cool, Calm & Collected to Hot, Bothered & Wide Awake... Learning to Breathe Through the Plot Twists

    At 52, everything Rowena thought she knew about her body suddenly changed. Her period due date wasn’t her period due date anymore, her sleep vanished for three relentless months, her mental health crashed and even mindfulness - the thing she teaches - wasn’t touching the sides. We talk about the shock of perimenopause simply arriving, the frustration of being told ‘this coil will stop your periods’ (it didn’t), and the way midlife can make women feel invisible - even though in many cultures, women at this stage of life are treasured. And woven through it all is something deeply Rowena: she has never conformed to what society thought she should do. Not in her work, not in her choices, not in how she moves through the world. So when her body threw her a plot twist, she met it with honesty, humour, rebellion and a determination to find her own way through. This conversation is warm, funny and proper relatable. We explore: the moment her body changed the rules why menopause education needs to start in schools how she stopped caring what people think the hippie humour, honesty and wisdom that carried her through and how she’s slowly finding her way back to something softer, steadier and way more grounded Rowena is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Practitioner and Midlife/Menopause Coach, blending holistic tools with lived experience to support others through their own midlife plot twists. To find out more about Rowena’s work or to connect with her, visit her on her socials: Instagram @LilacLotusWellbeing Facebook @LilacLotusLifeCoaching

    42 min
  2. Thirty‑Nine Drums and a Permission Shift in Midlife

    FEB 13

    Thirty‑Nine Drums and a Permission Shift in Midlife

    In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, we explore what it feels like to experience a permission shift in midlife - the moment you start choosing differently, listening inward and treating your body with the care it’s been asking for all along. Our guest, Nix, talks about being in a deeply curious place: noticing how her body responds, how it communicates and how rest becomes something to value rather than something to earn. We explore acceptance, self‑worth and the quiet confidence that comes from tuning in rather than pushing through. We also dive into the story of how a single drumming session at a retreat sparked something unexpected - leading from one drum to thirty‑nine and the creation of a local drumming circle that just keeps on growing. It’s a conversation about rhythm, permission, curiosity and the small midlife shifts that change everything (and every time we write permission - we think percussion - ha ha ha). 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts 📺 Or watch the conversation unfold as a video podcast over on YouTube To reach out to Nix:  https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FS1SBVdCK/?mibextid=wwXIfr   https://www.facebook.com/Enkindlelifecoaching   https://www.instagram.com/enkindlelifecoaching   https://www.enkindlelifecoaching.com/drumcircles   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-m8PZy7qVP6L46L7LHmFJScnZRd7F4UZ&si=i4hlPHkIZeuMdoLN

    48 min
  3. After the Euphoria: When Motherhood, Menopause & Life Collide

    FEB 6

    After the Euphoria: When Motherhood, Menopause & Life Collide

    In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, we meet Sarah and explore how life’s experiences can quietly - and sometimes radically - alter the trajectory of our lives. Sarah shares what it was like becoming a mum again at 40, the joy and euphoria of welcoming her youngest child and the shock of perimenopause arriving soon after. What followed was a profound crash: a body that suddenly felt like it was crumbling, all while caring for a young family and managing emotions tied to a deeply personal time in her life. We talk honestly about physical symptoms - aches and pains, fatigue, hair and muscle loss, erratic periods - and the emotional toll of trying to make sense of it all when you didn’t even realise perimenopause was a thing. There’s also a beautiful thread of connection running through this episode, as Sarah reflects on navigating this journey alongside her twin sister, and how shared understanding, stress, life experience and support, shape the way we move through this stage. It’s also where we begin to see the seeds of why Sarah eventually trained as a hypnotherapist - a way to steady her own anxiety and better understand the inner worlds of the people she loves. This is a conversation about motherhood, menopause, resilience and the weight many women hold by midlife - and that quiet (and sometimes noisy) strength it takes to keep going. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts 📺 Or watch the conversation unfold as a video podcast on YouTube To reach out to Sarah: Website:         www.yourbestmind.co.uk Email:             sarah@yourbestmind.co.uk   FB:                 https://www.facebook.com/yourbestmindhypnotherapy LI:                   https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlcowardhypnotherapist Insta:             https://www.instagram.com/your.best.mind/?hl=en

    1h 12m
  4. Miss Trunchball Sweats, Peanut Butter Brain Fog & More... Six Perimenopause Stories We Didn’t See Coming.

    JAN 30

    Miss Trunchball Sweats, Peanut Butter Brain Fog & More... Six Perimenopause Stories We Didn’t See Coming.

    In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, our guest, Tina, does something we absolutely LOVE - she makes sense of perimenopause by categorising her experiences into six very memorable themes. Meet: Miss Trunchbull Sweats Peanut Butter Brain Fog Tom Selleck Facial Hair Hey Macarena Skin Itching Pilates' Nails Volcano Spots (Yes. Really.) What unfolds is part confessional, part comedy, part deep nodding-along-in-recognition. Lou says it feels like a book. Michelle says it’s more like a lucky dip. We’re not really sure which it is - probably both - but we are sure it’s most definitely relatable! This episode is about finding language for the weird, the uncomfortable and the downright baffling changes our bodies go through - and discovering that naming them can bring relief, laughter and connection. If you’ve ever thought 'What on earth is happening to me?' - this episode’s for you.  Listen wherever you get your podcasts  Or watch the conversation unfold as a video podcast on YouTube Follow Tina on Facebook @Wellbeing Socials Tina A Wood And on Instagram @wellbeingsocials

    54 min
  5. Forgetting Suitcases & The Invisible Weight We Carry - Perimenopause, Identity, HRT and Pretty Much Everything Else!

    JAN 23

    Forgetting Suitcases & The Invisible Weight We Carry - Perimenopause, Identity, HRT and Pretty Much Everything Else!

    In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, we’re joined by the lovely Sara Joyner - a former midwife and now a British Menopause Society and Newson Health trained HRT clinician - for an honest, funny and all round great conversation. Sara shares what it was like moving through perimenopause in her early 40s, at a time when awareness was extremely limited. She reflects on feeling 'too young' to be there, quietly grappling with ageing, loss of attractiveness and the invisible weight so many women carry - often without realising why. We talk about women’s health, menopause, mental wellbeing, science, HRT and the deep social conditioning that shapes how we see ourselves as our bodies begin to change. Alongside the big stuff, we also talk about the very real day-to-day moments - forgetting words, losing your train of thought… and yes, even leaving a suitcase on a train. As ever, the conversation goes everywhere (and we mean everywhere). Warm and full of laughter, this is one many of us will see ourselves in. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts 📺 Or watch the conversation unfold as a video podcast on YouTube Check out Sara on Instagram: @menopausemasteryhub and on Facebook @SaraJoyner

    1h 6m
  6. Erratic Cycles, Forgetting Words and Finally Singing My Own Songs

    JAN 16

    Erratic Cycles, Forgetting Words and Finally Singing My Own Songs

    What happens when perimenopause doesn’t arrive with a bang… but arrives in a whisper? In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, we’re chatting with Ruth, a woman in her early 40s whose perimenopause journey began quietly - so quietly she barely noticed at first. A changing cycle. A period tracker suddenly asking about pregnancy tests. Forgetting words mid-sentence.  And then there were the symptoms you don’t always hear about: itchy ears (apparently a thing!), itchy nipples, odd crawling sensations on the skin, subtle mood shifts - and that familiar moment of wondering, is this normal… or is this peri too? We laugh about Dr Google (helpful? terrifying?), compare itchy-ear experiences (Lou feels like her dog trying to scratch an itch she just can’t reach, Michelle’s itchy ears make her sneeze), and we talk about how symptoms can come and go - making it even harder to join the dots. We also dig into the importance of advocating for ourselves when we see a GP: tracking symptoms, knowing what you want to say and trusting that just because something feels subtle doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Alongside the bodily stuff, our guest shares how this phase has shaped her creativity too. A singer-songwriter who’s done with compromising, she talks about slowing down, taking more control and making work that feels more authentic - even if it takes longer. Paying attention to the inner voice and choosing to do things her way. Her simple, grounding mantras say it all: ‘I can do hard things’ and ‘This isn’t going to kill me’. Words to come back to when the symptoms feel strange and the body does something else you weren't expecting! Honest, reassuring and quietly empowering - this one’s for anyone who’s ever thought, oh… maybe that’s peri as well. Check out Ruth over on Spotify and her socials below: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mMqobE6pvqkeGR5FWuj5T Instagram is @ruthtoynton Website is ruthtoynton.com   Photo credit - James Cooper

    45 min
  7. Unapologetically Herself: Menopause as a Return to Power

    12/13/2025

    Unapologetically Herself: Menopause as a Return to Power

    Cate returns to Wild, Wise & Curious for Episode 2, and once again brings her grounded, goddess-like presence to the conversation. We first met Cate at Barefoot Festival in the summer of 2025 and were immediately drawn to her way of being - deeply embodied, unapologetically herself and rooted in wisdom. Still in the midst of her own perimenopause (day 43 of no period… maybe today, maybe next week, maybe never), Cate is passionate about reframing menopause - not as something to endure or fix, but as a Rite of Passage. A time when the focus shifts away from fertility, pleasing others, or meeting society’s expectations and back to something far more powerful: remembering who you are. Together, we explore why menopause is so often framed as negative, how much resistance we carry to not feeling like we used to, and what happens when we stop fighting the change. Cate shares how her work is centred on helping women tap back into themselves - peeling away layers, softening into flow and stepping into a more honest, powerful way of being. This is a conversation about coming home to yourself, shedding what no longer fits, and reclaiming your voice, energy and truth. And we’re certain this won’t be the last time Cate joins us - Episode 3, 4, 5 and beyond feel inevitable (and we're very excited about that). To go deeper with Cate and her work - centred on remembering who you are - head to her website, home of the White Witch, tarot reader, and best-selling author.  https://www.catemcmurray.co.uk

    47 min
  8. Midlife, Magic & Mayhem: A Radio Chat with Northants1

    11/27/2025

    Midlife, Magic & Mayhem: A Radio Chat with Northants1

    We joined the glorious Sarah and Charlotte on Northants1 for a big, bold, joy-filled conversation about perimenopause, midlife, and why we created Wild, Wise & Curious. Expect laughter, honesty, brilliant questions, a little bit of chaos (thank you, music edits!), and a whole lot of heart. Together we explore what it really means to navigate perimenopause and life beyond - with humour, curiosity and the wisdom we gather along the way. A gorgeous, generous interview with two fantastic hosts... and yes, we’ll be back for more.   Check out their super fun Saturday show - https://northants1.co.uk/show/saturday-afternoons-with-sarah-charlotte/

    26 min
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About

Are you peri or postmenopausal? Do you sometimes feel like you’re losing the plot? Would you love to talk about what’s going on with your mental & physical well-being? Or hear from other women who lost the plot and found it again or went on to rewrite themselves a new story? If so, we’ve got just the podcast. Wild, Wise & Curious... lets you do the talking. We’re your hosts, Michelle & Lou! We’re not doctors or psychiatrists, but we are perimenopausal women with other skills and we believe there’s a wisdom in sharing all our stories. Back in the old days, it’s how we all learned! It was our own perimenopausal ‘losing the plot’ stories that led us to create this podcast. In this podcast, we’ll be chatting with women, just like you, who want to share their stories and importantly, the gems they’ve learned along the way. Interested in joining us, please give us a follow and share with your peri meno mates! * We cover many topics related to perimenopause and beyond, including anxiety, panic attacks and other symptoms associated with this stage in a woman’s life, so please bear this in mind if these topics could be triggering.

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Haggerty-Wood & Lou Baker
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Wild, Wise & Curious...