Empowering Women: National Menopause Show Holds First-Ever U.S. Event in Anaheim

October 3, 2025

By Laurie Hanson • [email protected]

Debunking myths through education, the National Menopause Show, a dedicated event empowering women during health transitions, is coming to Anaheim on October 4 and 5.

This year marks the first time the show and expo will be held in the United States. The event has previously been hosted in Canada, and with the success of this inaugural U.S. show, additional cities are already being considered for future gatherings.

“This gathering brings together leading medical experts, advocates, innovators, and everyday women to explore both the science and the lived experience of menopause,” said Dr. LaKeischa Webb MacMillan, M.D., who is better known as the International Menopause Whisperer™. She has been practicing medicine for nearly 25 years and is based in the Maryland-Washington D.C. area, where she runs a concierge integrative gynecology practice dedicated to helping women through perimenopause and menopause.

“All of the featured speakers—including myself—are committed to sharing evidence-based insight, free of fads and fearmongering, so that women leave with practical tools, confidence, and solutions they can put into action,” she said.

As the International Menopause Whisperer™, she validates women’s symptoms, helps them crack their unique hormone code, and provides personalized solution blueprints to guide their journey.

“I became known as the International Menopause Whisperer™ through both personal experience and professional transformation,” Dr. MacMillan explained.

While outwardly, Dr. MacMillan’s life looked perfect, inwardly, she was grappling with personal difficulties. On paper, she was the “poster child” for academic success, graduating high school as salutatorian, earning a college scholarship, completing medical school through an early selection program, and building a career in medicine. She went on to marry her college classmate, and they built a life together for 23 years, with two children and a family dog.

But behind everything, life was testing Dr. MacMillan through profound losses—her father and grandmother both passed away just ten months apart, while physically her body was going through profound change.

“The stress and grief began to take a toll on my body, and one night while working in labor and delivery, I saw my blood pressure was 160/110,” she said. “It was a wake-up call. I knew I needed to step back from traditional medicine and begin healing myself.”

Through therapy, grief work, and diving deep into integrative medicine, she realized her body was in perimenopause—accelerated by her stress and loss.

“I became my own patient, practicing the adage, ‘Physician, heal thyself,’” she said. “By restoring my health, I discovered a new purpose: to bring this knowledge forward and help other women.”

“Today, as the International Menopause Whisperer™, I continue validating women’s perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, helping them understand their unique hormone patterns, and providing personalized solution blueprints to guide their journey,” she said.

While textbooks define menopause as 12 consecutive months without a period, that definition barely scratches the surface, according to Dr. MacMillan.

“It doesn’t account for the lived reality of more than 100 possible symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause,” she said. “It is not just the ‘big three’ people often talk about—hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness—but a wide range of symptoms that can affect women in very different ways.”

“Menopause is not one-size-fits-all; it’s a deeply personal, individualized journey,” Dr. MacMillan explained. “Every woman experiences it differently, and no one should have to go through it in silence or feel they must simply endure it alone.”

To truly understand menopause, Dr. MacMillan says we also have to talk about perimenopause—the transitional years leading up to it, which can last five, ten, even fifteen years. During this time, fluctuating hormone levels can impact nearly every aspect of a woman’s daily life.

“Perimenopause is the transitional time leading up to menopause, and I often describe it as ‘purgatory’—a waiting place that can last five, ten, even fifteen years before a woman reaches the official definition of menopause (12 consecutive months without a period),” she explained.

“During this stage, the body can feel like it changes overnight,” Dr. MacMillan said. “Hormone production becomes erratic, and symptoms can shift from month to month. Women who once felt in tune with their bodies suddenly find that their usual strategies no longer work. This unpredictability can leave them feeling out of control, frustrated, or even as if they are ‘losing their minds.’”

“Support at this stage is critical,” she said. “By validating a woman’s symptoms, identifying where she is in the perimenopausal spectrum, and offering personalized solutions—ranging from lifestyle changes and targeted supplementation to hormone therapy when appropriate—we can help her regain a sense of control, improve her quality of life, and remind her she is not alone in this journey.”

One tool available now to women is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Though hormone replacement was studied by the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002, hormone therapy was given a bad rap, as it was synthetic hormones that were halted early on in the study. Today, hormone replacement therapy, specifically bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), is more targeted and much better, according to Dr. MacMillan.

“Bioidentical hormones are structurally identical to the hormones a woman’s body naturally produces, and they are often derived from organic plant sources, such as yam root,” she explained. “Because of their structure, the body can recognize and process them more effectively.”

“For many women, BHRT can significantly reduce the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, helping them feel like themselves again and empowering them to continue thriving as active, contributing members of society,” Dr. MacMillan said.

Another thing to consider when discussing menopause is how women of different ethnicities experience it differently. Although there is limited research on this topic, the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) has provided insights.

The SWAN study found that Black women often experience hot flashes that start earlier, last longer, and are more intense compared to other groups. Hispanic women also report higher rates and greater bother from symptoms, while Asian women generally report fewer and less severe hot flashes. White women fall in between these groups, according to Dr. MacMillan.

“The SWAN study also highlighted that social stressors—such as discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage, and limited access to care—play a role in shaping these differences,” she added. “What this tells us is that menopause is not only biological but also influenced by lived experience. We need more research, especially across diverse populations, so that health care providers can deliver personalized, culturally sensitive solutions for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.”

One of the biggest misconceptions about menopause is that it is something women “go through” and then it is over, according to Dr. MacMillan.

“Many women hear that once they’ve gone 12 months without a period, they’re postmenopausal—and assume they’re done with menopause altogether,” she explained. “But the reality is that you don’t just leave menopause behind; you live the rest of your life in it.”

“I often remind women that menopause is a new phase of life, not a short stage to endure,” Dr. MacMillan said.

Women may experience symptoms differently in their 40s during perimenopause, in their 50s as they transition, and again in their 60s and beyond. By understanding this, they can see patterns, notice changes, and feel more in control, she added.

“Instead of believing menopause is a fleeting chapter, women can embrace it as an empowering opportunity to know their bodies and reclaim ownership of their health truly,” Dr. MacMillan explained.

For women navigating menopause, Dr. MacMillan’s biggest advice is to keep talking about it.

“When we stay silent, menopause becomes the ‘big bogeyman in the closet,’” she said. “But when we shine a light on it, we take away the fear.”

“These conversations shouldn’t only happen with our girlfriends,” Dr. MacMillan said. “They should include our partners, our children, and our communities. Talking openly builds stronger support systems and deeper interconnectivity. That collective strength not only helps women feel understood and supported but also drives us toward better solutions—allowing everyone to thrive in a healthier, more connected society.”