“I just don’t feel like myself anymore.” If you’re a woman in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and you’ve said those words, I want you to know that this conversation with Dr. Tabatha Barber will help you.
Maybe you’re tired all day but suddenly wide awake at 2 or 3 a.m.
You’re more anxious.
Your brain feels foggy.
You’re gaining weight even though you’re eating and exercising the way you always have.
You feel wired and tired at the same time.
Or maybe the hardest part is simply that you look at yourself and think:
Where did I go?
This is why I invited Dr. Tabatha Barber, The Gutsy Gynecologist, onto the Go To God First Podcast.
I wanted to ask her the questions women are asking about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, HRT, GLP-1s, lab testing, sleep, weight gain, and the nervous system.
Dr. Tabatha Barber Answers These Questions and More Through a Christian Perspective
Why Can Perimenopause and Menopause Make You Feel So Different?
One of the biggest misconceptions about menopause is that hormones are only about periods and hot flashes. They’re not.
During our conversation, Dr. Tabatha explained how estrogen and progesterone changes can affect the way women feel physically and emotionally.
She describes estrogen as having an important effect on mood and progesterone as having a calming influence that can affect anxiety and sleep. That got my attention.
Because sometimes a woman thinks she’s suddenly failing at handling life when her body may also be going through a significant physiological transition.
That doesn’t mean every symptom is caused by hormones.
It means we should be willing to ask better questions.
“My Labs Are Normal, But I Don’t Feel Normal”
This was one of the most important parts of my conversation with Dr. Tabatha.
What do you do when you know something has changed but you’re told your labs are “normal”?
Dr. Tabatha explained that conventional laboratory reference ranges and what some functional-medicine practitioners consider optimal ranges are not necessarily the same thing.
Her recommendation is to find a knowledgeable provider who looks at your symptoms, history, lab work, and overall health rather than relying on one number in isolation.
Here’s what I want you to take from that:
Advocate for yourself.
Before your appointment, write down:
- What has changed
- When it started
- How you’re sleeping
- Changes in your cycle, mood, energy, weight, or cognition
- Medications and supplements you’re taking
- Your questions
- What you want help understanding
Don’t wait until the doctor’s hand is on the door to remember the question you were afraid to ask.
You are allowed to participate in your healthcare.
What Should Women Know About HRT?
Hormone replacement therapy can be confusing because women have heard conflicting messages about it for years.
In our conversation, Dr. Tabatha explains why she believes women deserve a more complete discussion about HRT and the potential effects of declining hormones throughout the body.
She also explains something I wish I’d understood years ago:
There isn’t only one way to take hormones. Creams, patches, gels and other formulations or delivery methods are not interchangeable for every woman. That’s why this needs to be an individualized medical decision.
Discuss your personal and family medical history, symptoms, potential benefits, potential risks, timing, formulation, dose, delivery method, and appropriate follow-up with a qualified healthcare professional.
What About GLP-1s?
We also talked about something women are hearing about everywhere right now: GLP-1 medications.
Dr. Tabatha discussed both potential benefits and risks and stressed the importance of knowing where medication comes from and being appropriately monitored by a medical provider.
That part of the conversation matters. Because desperation makes us vulnerable to quick fixes.
If you and your qualified healthcare provider decide that a GLP-1 is appropriate for you, that’s a medical decision you can make together.
But don’t let social media pressure you into injecting something into your body without understanding what you’re taking, where it came from, how you’re being monitored, and what follow-up you need.
Your health deserves more than “Here’s your injection. Good luck.”
Are You “Wired and Tired”?
This might have been one of my favorite parts of our entire conversation.
Dr. Tabatha described the body like an orchestra and the nervous system like its conductor.
When we’re constantly living in fight-or-flight, we can feel completely exhausted while simultaneously unable to shut down.
Wired and tired.
Sound familiar?
She talked about the sympathetic nervous system, our fight-or-flight state, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports rest and digestion.
And this is where our conversation became about so much more than hormones.
Because we cannot talk about caring for our bodies without talking about how we’re living.
Are you rushing from the second you wake up?
Are you constantly consuming information?
Are you eating while answering emails?
Are you carrying conversations in your head all night?
Are you trying to do everything for everyone?
When was the last time you got still?
Your Thoughts Matter Too
Dr. Tabatha shared some simple practices she uses to help shift out of that constantly activated state, including intentional breathing, becoming aware of her thoughts, creating moments of stillness, and spending time with God.
And I kept thinking about what Scripture has already taught us.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
And:
“Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5
We aren’t powerless over every thought that runs through our minds.
We have the mind of Christ.
We can notice what we’re thinking and ask:
Is this true?
Is this what God says?
Am I feeding fear right now?
What does my body actually need?
Sometimes the next right thing is getting another medical opinion.
Sometimes it’s going to bed.
Sometimes it’s taking a walk.
Sometimes it’s stepping away from the computer.
And sometimes it’s sitting quietly with God and finally admitting:
Lord, I cannot keep doing everything this way. Show me what You want me to do.
Christian Women Can Pray AND Advocate
This is the message I especially want you to take from this conversation.
I think Christian women sometimes believe being gracious means being passive.
It doesn’t.
We can trust God and ask questions.
We can pray and get the labs.
We can have faith and seek wise medical care.
We can listen to our bodies without worshiping our bodies.
We can care about our health without allowing fear to control us.
Proverbs 4:7 says:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Get understanding. Ask the question. Make the appointment. Seek another qualified opinion if necessary.
And invite God into all of it.
You’re Not Finished
I keep coming back to Psalm 92:14:
“They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.”
The world has a lot to say to women about getting older.
But God does too.
Your changing body does not diminish your worth.
Your purpose hasn’t expired.
And this season doesn’t have to be about desperately trying to become the woman you were at 25.
Maybe it’s about learning how to faithfully care for the woman God has called you to be now.
If you’re thinking, I don’t feel like myself and I need answers, listen to my full conversation with Dr. Tabatha Barber on the Go To God First Podcast.
We talk about hormones, HRT, GLP-1s, labs, weight, sleep, the nervous system, advocating for your health, renewing your mind, and what it looks like to walk through all of it with Jesus.
About Dr. Tabatha Barber
Dr. Tabatha Barber is a triple board-certified physician in obstetrics and gynecology, menopause, and functional medicine. She is the founder of Fast to Faith® and author of Fast to Faith. Her work focuses on helping women better understand their hormones, gut, metabolism, and overall health while integrating her Christian faith.
Connect with Dr. Tabatha:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Contact: support@fasttofaith.com
Whatever you’re facing with your health, go to God first. Find out what He says in His Word. And then take the next step in faith.
You can trust God and seek wise medical care. You can pray, ask questions, and advocate for your health. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
With so much love in Christ,
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This article and podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss your individual symptoms, health history, testing, medications, and treatment options with a qualified healthcare professional.
