Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

Episode: Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Date: April 8, 2026 | iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sophia Bush sits down with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN, certified menopause practitioner, and influential educator in women’s midlife health. Their candid, insightful conversation dives deep into the science, stigma, and lived reality of menopause and perimenopause—stages that affect every woman but are still neglected by mainstream medicine and culture. Dr. Haver shares her personal journey, medical discoveries, and advocacy for women taking charge of their health, while highlighting her books: The New Menopause and the new release, The New Perimenopause.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s Background & Path to Medicine

• Upbringing in South Louisiana: Raised in a traditional family focused more on marriage than career for daughters. (06:54)
  • Quote: “My dad was like, she's pretty so she'll be okay...they just kind of felt like that would be a path for me.” (07:09)
• Academic Journey: Was an average student, gravitated to drama and cheer, but parental bankruptcy ignited a survival instinct and personal drive to excel. (08:24)
  • Realized capability only when forced to “figure this out, no one's coming to save you.” (08:29)
• Path Switch to Medicine: Studied geology, worked in oil for a time, then an experience in New Zealand—encouraged by a doctor host family—steered her to take the MCAT and pivot to medicine. (11:03)

2. Clinical Practice & Recognizing Menopause Knowledge Gaps

• Community Medicine: Practiced in a small town, building long-term patient relationships. Noticed patterns as her cohort aged together—symptoms emerging beyond classic menopause, especially perimenopause chaos. (12:39-14:27)
• Pattern Recognition: Repeatedly saw “the wheels coming off the bus” for women she knew to be previously resilient, leading to her deeper research. (13:43)
  • Quote: “I know these women…I've been taking care of these women for 10, 15 years now. And something is external to her—actually internal—but not everyone's going nuts at the same time, you know?” (13:52)

3. Medical Education Shortcomings

• Lack of Menopause Training: Doctors get little guidance on menopause, often ignoring the breadth of symptoms. The default: dismiss women’s experiences as “part of aging” or, worse, as neurosis. (15:08-16:07)
  • Quote: “Not only are we not teaching the biologic predictability of what's happening with this massive hormonal change...we're taught that women are...a little bit crazy.” (15:27)
• Systemic Gaslighting: Sophia and Dr. Haver bond over the reality that society and medicine are primed to minimize women’s discomfort, especially as they grow more independent and assertive in midlife. (16:07)

4. The Science of Perimenopause & Menopause (23:56–30:19)

• Estrogen Receptors & Systemic Impact: Estrogen receptors are spread throughout the body—not just reproductive organs—explaining the diverse, sometimes unexpected symptoms (muscle, joint, skin, mental health, etc.). (23:56)
  • Quote: “When I saw the paper where they mapped the estrogen receptors...I literally sat there and stared at it for an hour...” (24:33)
• Zone of Chaos: Perimenopause is not a gentle hormonal slide but marked by unpredictable hormone surges and crashes, causing brain fog, sleep disruptions, anxiety, and more—often with regular menstrual cycles still present. (26:13–30:05)
  • Quote: “Instead of that beautiful EKG, 28-day, month-after-month curve...[in perimenopause] now it's chaos. You know what doesn't like chaos? The brain.” (28:28)
• Brain is the First Signal: Mental health and cognitive symptoms can precede physical ones. (29:25)

5. How Women Can Recognize & Navigate These Stages

• Symptom Constellations Over Hormone Testing: Because bloodwork is costly and unreliable for perimenopause, evaluation is best done through symptom tracking, rule-outs, and context. (32:31)
• Lifestyle Interventions: Nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, therapy, and—where appropriate—hormone therapy. Emphasis on revisiting what self-care really looks like as needs change. (34:09–35:29)
  • Quote: "If you're not sleeping, nothing else is working." (34:47)
• Permission to Prioritize Yourself: Both host and guest reinforce how transformative it is for women to finally focus on their own wellbeing. (16:48, 36:21)

6. Women’s Health Advocacy—Finding Good Care

• Advocacy Tips:
  • Call ahead: Ask if a provider does menopause care and is willing to discuss hormone therapy (red flag if the answer is “I don’t believe in it”).
  • Certified Providers: Consult the Menopause Society’s directory. Not just OB-GYNs—NPs, family doctors, even online clinics can be great options. (45:42–47:37)
• Symptom Tracking: Bring a detailed symptom log/journal to appointments—Dr. Haver’s new book includes a tracker. (45:42)
• Gaslighting Across Women’s Conditions: These advocacy strategies can also help with underdiagnosed issues like endometriosis, fibroids, and autoimmune disorders. (48:32)

7. Dr. Haver’s Bold Career Moves and Personal Evolution

• Leaving Traditional OBGYN: To escape burnout and practice medicine sustainably, Dr. Haver left a prestigious hospital position to open a menopause clinic—balancing professional fulfillment, health, and family. (36:28–38:32)
  • Quote: “I was taking years off my life with that job…but I signed up for this. The guilt and the shame of walking away...But my heart of hearts knew this is not sustainable.” (37:42)
• Practicing Her "Best Medicine": Finds more satisfaction and impact in this new chapter than ever before. (38:15)

8. Representation and Change for Future Generations

• Cycle-Breaking for Women’s Health: Dr. Haver reflects on her family history of frailty and dementia, emphasizing the preventable nature of much of women’s suffering—if only accurate info and proactive care were available. (53:00–55:29)
  • Quote: “I am the first of my bloodline to lift a barbell…to have a professional degree…to support myself without a husband… I refuse for this to be the reality for my daughters.” (54:26)
• Call to Thrive, Not Just Cope: Purpose is not just reducing suffering but empowering women to thrive and lead at the peak of life, not fade from the workforce or community. (55:30–56:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I laugh and call it the ‘be crazy’ school of medicine. I stole that from Elizabeth Cohen, but I love that.” – Dr. Haver, on the entrenched bias in medical training (15:27)
• “For me, it was leaving a job that no longer served me...My heart of hearts knew this is not sustainable… But it is absolutely the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.” (37:42)
• “This is the time where we could really change the world. First we change our family, then we change our community, and then when we're in our 50s and 60s...we change the world.” – (55:43)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Dr. Haver’s Childhood & Self-Discovery: 06:54–10:36
• Pivot to Medicine & Early Career: 10:36–12:36
• Pattern Recognition in Her Patients & Perimenopause “Zone of Chaos”: 12:39–14:27, 26:13–30:05
• Medical Education Failings & Societal Stigma: 15:08–16:48
• Science Deep Dive (Estrogen Receptors, Symptoms, Brain Impact): 23:56–30:19
• How to Seek/Recognize Care & Advocate: 32:31–35:29, 45:42–47:37
• Career Transitions & Personal Thriving: 36:28–38:32
• Advocacy Skills for Endometriosis and Other Conditions: 48:32–49:09
• Producing the Docuseries "Balance": 50:39–52:09
• Legacy, Longevity & Cycle Breaking: 53:00–55:29

Takeaways for Listeners

• Menopause and perimenopause are universally-experienced, complex health transitions that deserve urgent, nuanced attention—both from the medical system and from women themselves.
• Self-advocacy, symptom tracking, and seeking the right doctor are essential—don’t settle for dismissive care.
• Lifestyle shifts—nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, movement—are as important as medical interventions, and often need to be revisited in midlife.
• It’s never too late to break cycles, prioritize health, lift each other up, and work toward a thriving, not just surviving, second half of life.

Further inspiration and guidance can be found in Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s latest book, The New Perimenopause, and her digital resources.