Pause Live! 2025: Menopause, Mushrooms and Myth-Busting

pauseandempower
Oct 6
5 min read

October marks World Menopause Month, a time when conversations about midlife health and wellbeing take centre stage. For many of us navigating careers, families and fluctuating hormones, it’s an important annual reminder to keep learning, keep talking and keep laughing. This year, I decided to kick things off by attending the fabulous (and frankly fantastic) Pause Live! in London.

I went with the ever-effervescent @AnitaPowell and the mysterious-but-mighty Jen Bogle to represent @BedfordMenopauseAlliance. Our tickets were kindly gifted by the wonderful @LoveMushrooms – authentic, supportive and, as I now know, very tasty too. What unfolded was part professional development, part health education, part comedy show and part sisterhood.

Why Pause Live! Matters

Pause Live! is billed as “Empowering Women: From Menstruation to Menopause.” While the programme spans the entire female reproductive journey, my focus – no surprises here – was squarely on the menopause content. As a career coach for menopausal women (and an ex-HR consultant of 25 years), it’s vital for me to stay on top of facts, employment law and workplace trends, and to separate the “useful info” from the “fake truths” currently swirling around the meno-sphere. (Influencers, I am looking at you.)

I’m not alone in valuing Pause Live!. In her article “Why I’m Attending PAUSE Live 2025—And Why You Should Too,” Suzi Malin calls it “a chance to hear evidence-based advice and see for yourself what’s real and what’s hype in the wellness market” (Malin, 2025). Likewise, MNetwork reported that the Menopaus’ull team found “over 70 exhibitors filled the main hall and a packed programme of live expert talks… buzzing with knowledge, energy and empowerment” (“Team Menopaus’ull attend Pause Live in London for October’s month of awareness!”, 2025). Their words echo my experience this year: the event’s scale and credibility make it a rare gem.

Beyond the Stalls

Yes, there were the usual exhibition stands – and I’ve written before about “red-washing” on my Pause and Empower blog. But this event stood out for its sheer breadth of top-notch speakers. Two sessions in particular blew me away:

Debunking the Supplement Myths with Elizabeth Philp, Tamara Mason and Barbara Vega
Getting Clear on HRT: Benefits, Risks and Realities with Dr Juliet Balfour, Dr Carys Sonnenberg and Dr Fionnuala Barton

Both were only about half an hour long but packed with evidence-based insights.

Science, Not Sales

The supplement panel spoke like true scientists: Where’s the research? How rigorous? What do the tests say? Their collective message was powerful – whether you’re pro-HRT or prefer organic alternatives, your menopause journey is unique. Beware miracle cures, glossy adverts and influencer “expertise.” Always check credentials first.

This hit home for me because, like many women, I have friends who are sceptical of HRT for a range of reasons – from wanting a more “natural” approach to lingering fears about cancer risk. These are not uninformed women; they are professional, go-getter types. Yet the online wellness marketplace is awash with “miracle” fixes. Seeing three scientists calmly dismantle myths and offer credible alternatives felt like a public service.

Getting Clear on HRT

The HRT panel impressed me just as much. They didn’t shy away from tricky NHS realities, shifting hormone levels or the frustrations of diagnosis. They simply gave us the facts – something I find refreshingly rare. As an HRT fan who has benefitted personally, I was delighted to hear a balanced, non-judgemental discussion. I even asked about adjusting dosages safely (note to self: tell my gynaecologist before reducing those oestrogel pumps!).

What I especially appreciated was how the speakers acknowledged our individuality. Hormonal changes are complex, blood readings can be inconsistent, and what works today may not work next year. Their advice was to keep professionals updated and track symptoms carefully. That’s practical guidance for any working woman trying to manage her health alongside her career.

Humour, Connection and Community

It wasn’t all serious, of course. We laughed our way through “It’s OK to Pee Ya Pants Here!” with Bella Humphries and the Hear Me Roar ladies Marie and Yvonne – a reminder that if you can’t giggle at your meno-symptoms surrounded by such hysterical women, you probably do need some professional help (and no, I don’t mean axe-throwing at your other half).

Humour may sound trivial, but it creates instant community. As MNetwork noted in their coverage, Pause Live! offers “a vibrant and supportive space to meet like-minded people” (2025). That support matters because menopause can still feel isolating, especially in the workplace. Events like this remind us we’re not alone.

Mushrooms, Brain Fog and Me

Finally, a heartfelt shout-out to @LoveMushrooms: their Lion’s Mane tincture is helping my focus and their mushroom cookies are, frankly, lush. Tinctures feel like a clean, organic way of imbibing these brain-fog-busting fungi – no unnecessary sweeteners required.

As Malin (2025) put it, Pause Live! gives you “permission to explore products you’d never normally consider” – and that’s certainly true for me and mushrooms. It’s a little indulgence, a little experiment, and a reminder that self-care doesn’t have to be joyless.

Careers and Menopause: Why This Matters

Events like Pause Live! are gold for any woman navigating menopause while working or job-hunting. Our symptoms aren’t constant, but they are (thankfully) temporary, so making informed decisions matters. Knowing the facts on HRT, supplements and workplace rights means you can manage your health and your career at the same time.

The Menopaus’ull team captured this perfectly: “We connected with a range of amazing businesses offering products and services that support women through menopause… Pause Live 2025 left us feeling uplifted and full of fresh ideas” (MNetwork, 2025). That sense of uplift feeds directly into my coaching work – helping women not only survive menopause at work but thrive.

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on the day, five lessons stand out:

Seek credible information – evidence first, marketing second.
Laugh often – humour is a powerful connector.
Recognise individuality – what works for one woman may not work for another.
Integrate health and career management – symptoms don’t happen in isolation.
Think twice before buying on social media – as ScamInfluencers’ Nick Stapleton recently said on breakfast TV, “never imbibe something you buy on social media.”

These aren’t just health tips; they’re career tips. A well-informed, self-aware woman is better positioned to negotiate, plan and lead at work.

Conclusion

Pause Live! 2025 reminded me that menopause support doesn’t have to be dry, scary or clinical. It can be fun, empowering and deeply informative all at once. As a career coach, I left with fresh insights to share with my clients; as a woman, I left feeling reassured and inspired.

I’ll be back next year – and, judging by the buzz from Women Talking and MNetwork, so will many others. Until then, I’ll keep sipping my mushroom tincture, adjusting my oestrogel responsibly and, above all, laughing at the glorious, messy, transformative adventure that is menopause.

#PauseLive2025 #WorldMenopauseMonth #MenopauseAtWork #MidlifeWellbeing #MenopauseSupport #BrainFogBusters #HRTFacts #WomenEmpoweringWomen #PauseAndEmpower #BedfordMenopauseAlliance