Not that long ago, finding helpful menopause information was as difficult as finding the perfect shade of fuchsia pumps. Today, the search for quality advice on the Internet is overwhelming. How do you separate the good from the questionable? Locating a trustworthy site is important and this one, Red Hot Mamas, brings the latest in menopause news and research to women.

The Red Hot Mamas in the beginning
Since 1991, Red Hot Mamas Founder and President Karen Giblin have worked to seek out the best menopause advice and present that information in a user-friendly format. Avoiding the rants of blogs or simply stating the obvious about menopause, Red Hot Mamas focuses on women’s health issues associated with menopause and help women get the facts they need to help communicate more effectively with their doctors.

Menopause education
Initially the mandate of the Red Hot Mamas was to help Giblin seek out and consolidate whatever menopause information she could find. In those pre-Internet days, the work was much more difficult. Only as the aging Baby Boomer generation started facing up to menopause were books written to capitalize on the growing numbers of menopausal women. The Internet brought about some exciting changes in that suddenly there was a vast amount of material at the click of a mouse.

However, as anyone knows, the Internet contains some great and some not-so-great information. Giblin created her Red Hot Mamas Web site as a place where women could get the latest news, not just rants about menopause or questionable junk science stories. After two decades, Red Hot Mamas prides itself on its association with women’s healthcare experts that bring sound expertise and a holistic approach to women’s health care.

In addition to the latest news releases about menopause research, visitors to Red Hot Mamas will benefit from the following associated healthcare professionals:
*Dr. Machlle Seibel, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; he is also the Director of the school’s Complicated Menopause Program
*Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor of obstetrics and Gynecology at the Yale University School of Medicine
*Dr. Michael Goodman, a long-time women’s health care physician and author of The Midlife Bible – A Woman’s Survival Guide
*Farra Allen who holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and brings his extensive individual and group coaching skills to Red Hot Mamas

Menopause and insomnia

“Sleepless in menopause city.”
Red Hot Mamas features an array of healthcare advice including some of the most recent news regarding insomnia. In the summer of 2010, Red Hot Mamas conducted a sleep survey to learn more about the effects of insomnia on women during menopause. A total of 927 women aged 45-65 were given questionnaires and the results confirmed Giblin's suspicions.

A whopping 75% of the respondents indicated that insomnia, moderately to significantly, affected their daily lives, their ability to concentrate (41%), their spousal relationships (34%), and complained of feeling drowsy during the day (76%).

Giblin points to this survey as proof that more work needs to be done to increase awareness of health issues such as insomnia. The women also reported that insomnia is still not easily discussed; 62% of the women did not talk to their doctors about sleep disorders. Of the 38% who did, an incredible 92% of those women had to initiate the conversation with their healthcare providers.

Red Hot Mamas is working to use this research to help women learn more about insomnia and get the information needed to bring to the next doctor visit. “The time is now to recognize just how crucial adequate rest is for the body and that women no longer have to be sleepless in menopause city.”

Check out more about insomnia and the Sleep Survey at www.redhotmamas.com.
A special thank you to Karen Giblin for our recent interview.