Recipient of North American Menopause Society’s 2013 Certified Menopause Practitioner of the Year for her exceptional contributions to menopause care, Barb DePree, MD, specializes in menopausal medicine, hormone replacement therapy and sexual health. With nearly 25 years in women’s health, Dr. Barb has comfortably answered all the uncomfortable questions of sexual health and the changes that occur as we age.
After completing her Master's in Medical Management, Dr. Barb launched her own website, MiddlesexMD.com, that connects with people across the country and provides additional advice and products for patients. Dr. DePree obtained her Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice Certification through the City of Hope. In addition to being a provider at Holland Hospital Women's Specialty Care, Dr. DePree is also part of the Holland Hospital Breast Care team, seeing patients at Holland Hospital's High Risk Breast Clinic.
The midlife transition can cause more than just crow’s feet or laugh lines. Aging happens to all of us, and for millions of women, growing older can also affect their pelvic and sexual health.
Fortunately, women have access to the area’s leading women’s health expert and the newest vaginal treatment technology––right here, close to home.
Because we’ve all been staying home more, stress, a lack of routine and constant access to snacks have created a perfect storm for weight gain. But knowing it’s a perfect storm is the first step in weight maintenance. Now you can make a plan.
To address stress, make sure you’re practicing some form of mindfulness and getting some exercise every day.
Estrogen is a powerful and pervasive hormone secreted mostly in our ovaries. Beginning in perimenopause, our estrogen levels fluctuate and decline until, several years post-menopause, we produce very little, if any, estrogen. This process is natural and sometimes disruptive.
The cervix plays an important role in childbirth, but most women probably don’t think much about it when it comes to their health (even in January, Cervical Health Awareness Month).
When’s the last time you went out with just your best girlfriends? If you’ve been putting that GNO on the back burner, you should move it front and center. Not just for the laughter and the wine, but be-cause it’s good for you.
Heart disease is a sobering reminder of mortality. After a heart attack or surgery, you live with a new reality. Maybe you’re faced with dietary restrictions or lifestyle changes or a new pharmaceutical regimen. Probably you’re more conscious of your breathing and your heart rate. With all the preoccupations and adjustments that accompany heart disease, sex can become a low priority. Maybe you’re afraid that intercourse will damage your newly fragile heart or actually trigger a heart attack. Or maybe it’s hard even to be interested in sex.
One in eight women will face breast cancer during her lifetime. Despite the reality of this statistic, there’s a lot women can do to lower their chances of getting breast cancer—and beat the odds if they are diagnosed.
This month, let’s talk about a way to more consciously harness brain power. We’ve talked before about mindfulness meditation and how it can improve the experience of sex by enhancing your ability to pay attention to the present moment and reduce mental distractions. Studies have shown that when you practice mindfulness over a period of time, it actually creates observable, measurable change in the brain.
As a menopause care specialist, I hear almost daily from women who are surprised that sex is painful or less satisfying. Their stories vary, but the theme is the same: “I thought having reached this point in my life— empty nest, career success or retirement— my partner and I could enjoy intimacy in a new, more leisurely way. But my body has betrayed me!”