Ruth Toynton: Erratic Cycles, Forgetting Words and Finally Singing My Own Songs

Описание: What happens when perimenopause doesn’t arrive with a bang… but arrives in a whisper?
In this episode of Wild, Wise & Curious, we’re chatting with Ruth, a woman in her early 40s whose perimenopause journey began quietly - so quietly she barely noticed at first. A changing cycle. A period tracker suddenly asking about pregnancy tests. Forgetting words mid-sentence.

And then there were the symptoms you don’t always hear about: itchy ears (apparently a thing!), itchy nipples, odd crawling sensations on the skin, subtle mood shifts - and that familiar moment of wondering, is this normal… or is this peri too?

We laugh about Dr Google (helpful? terrifying?), compare itchy-ear experiences (Lou feels like her dog trying to scratch an itch she just can’t reach, Michelle’s itchy ears make her sneeze), and we talk about how symptoms can come and go - making it even harder to join the dots.

We also dig into the importance of advocating for ourselves when we see a GP: tracking symptoms, knowing what you want to say and trusting that just because something feels subtle doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

Alongside the bodily stuff, our guest shares how this phase has shaped her creativity too. A singer-songwriter who’s done with compromising, she talks about slowing down, taking more control and making work that feels more authentic - even if it takes longer. Paying attention to the inner voice and choosing to do things her way.

Her simple, grounding mantras say it all: ‘I can do hard things’ and ‘This isn’t going to kill me’. Words to come back to when the symptoms feel strange and the body does something else you weren't expecting!

Honest, reassuring and quietly empowering - this one’s for anyone who’s ever thought, oh… maybe that’s peri as well.

Check out Ruth over on Spotify and her socials below:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mMqo...

Instagram is @ruthtoynton
Website is ruthtoynton.com