Breeda Bermingham is one of Irelands leading experts on menopause. An award winning menopause coach, best selling author to the recently published ’Midlife Women Rock: A Menopause Story for a New Generation’ and academic. Empowering women through menopause, a subject that historically we have been silenced and shamed about, Breeda helps women increase their understanding of menopause and themselves as they move through midlife. Having worked with women for years as a midwife and public health nurse, Breeda returned to education in 2018 to complete a psychology degree and 2020 with a sociology masters focusing on the menopause and menopause health in Ireland.

Breeda saw a gap in open conversation on menopause which spurred her on to set up the Midlife Women Rock Project and Cafes in 2019 which has enabled her to share her knowledge with the 100’s of women she has met and coached on their journeys through menopause. Breeda is one of our SheGenerate Participants and we asked her to share a bit more of her female founder journey below.

To get us started - how would you describe yourself in 6 words or less?

Practical, optimist, changemaker, disruptor, ambitious for myself and all the women I work with. Fun.

What prompted you to start your business?

I see a huge injustice in women and in society not being educated and informed about menopause-A highly significant life transition. The cultural paradigm surrounding menopause is filled with fear, shame, denial, and negativity. It has to be challenged. This story exists because women have remained silent, however, change is coming because more and more women are speaking out and entering the menopause space an area previously occupied only by male doctors. There is no shame in being a woman in menopause in 2022 in fact there are many positives to this transition that need more spotlighting. Clients -women who want to take control of this transition, become educated, and informed. Understand menopause and understand themselves during this phase of life.

Tell us a little bit more about you?

I am a mother of 4 (aged 27 to 17 years), from Waterford city, a former Midwife and Public Health nurse. I stayed at home full time after our 4th was born. I love being a mother. A few years ago I felt I had more to give thus returned to education, completed a psychology degree in 2018 followed by a sociology masters in 2020.My research interest is Midlife women and menopause. When reviewing the research literature, a lot of what I read did not resonate with me. My work and life experience has seen women do hard things throughout their lives and when supported they can thrive! I wondered why menopause could be so different? Why is the story so negative? Why have women's voices remained mute? Framed so negatively with narratives such as degeneration, invisibility, deficiency disease and craziness populating the story. I investigated and researched where this rhetoric came from. No preparation, education, or widely accessible support feeds the narrative. It was only in the 1970's that maternity leave was introduced in workplaces. Pregnant women were not welcome or supported in workplaces prior to this. Pregnancy was considered a private issue to be discussed only with the doctor or midwife. I see a comparison here with menopause within the workplace. Having joined Deborah Garlick's Henpicked menopause in the workplace organisation in January www.menopausefriendly.co.uk . I see over 1,000 organisations and rising putting educational programmes and support in place to retain the expertise of women as they move through menopause. The economic cost of losing amazingly valuable expertise is far higher then embracing menopause at work programmes. Menopause is so much bigger then medicalisation although HRT is an important part of the menopause puzzle, trivialising menopause as only a hormonal disease misses out on the bigger picture. This is about women and women's roles in society post reproduction. It encapsulates our emotional, psychological and cultural standing in society at large. If Ireland wants more women on boards, in politics, an increase in gender quotas menopause has to be brought out of the shadows, the conversation normalised and society at large educated that women can thrive in their 40's 50's and 60's with the right education and supports. I love tennis and play socially 3 times a week. Walk my dog Taylor daily and am also an avid reader.

Fill us in on your female founder journey.

I started sharing information on menopause mid 2019 by setting up free cafes and inviting women in Waterford to attend monthly. When I look back today It was an almost alien thing to do back then, many thought I was off my rocker as nobody talked only whispered. Friends were very uncomfortable when I mentioned what I was doing. Once women started coming to the cafes, I realised the huge need for information provision. Over the past 2 and a half years there is a shift occurring, women are becoming more open the silence shame and stigma associated with being in menopause is being uncovered and this has to happen in order for us women to recover and move forward as a collective. Normalising this conversation as we do pregnancy will transform the lived experience and attract supports for those who need it.

How did you hear about AwakenHub and what prompted you to apply for SheGenerate?

Reidin O’Connor from Killorglin, Co Kerry first suggested I have a look at what AwakenHub were doing. I applied as I was curious about the all women team. I believe women are awesome, mothers have been matriarchs for decades but undervalued in a society that is patriarchal and mothers who parent alone are superwomen. Women prioritise differently, at an instinctive level our lens on the world is different. I am not saying we are better then men, it’s just our natural skillset is different and should be valued more.

What have you gotten out of the SheGenerate process?

Increased clarity about my business. I have recently joined Deborah Garlick's menopause in the workplace team in the UK www.menopausefriendly.co.uk part time as an associate consultant. I am also presently working with A and L Goodbody incorporating the midlife women rock project and cafes as a social enterprise. I hope to have this completed by the end of February. I would love to sit down and ask for advice on how to set this up properly. I envisage an app, an online learning platform, selling courses, being able to attract a global audience and funding.

In the next year I believe menopause will become more mainstream in Ireland. Two documentaries planned RTE and TG4 with increasing interest by the media. This normalisation of this subject like pregnancy needs to happen. I hope to continue working with Deborah Garlick's team and increase HENPICKED Menopause in the workplace's presence in Ireland. By December 2022 I want to have the social enterprise up and established with some funding secured. Consider hiring personnel. In 5 years I don’t usually think this far ahead but seen as an expert in menopause education in Ireland and as the women who can create a cultural and societal shift in the way we look upon menopause moving from the overwhelmingly negative that is limiting to something more positive enabling women realise their leadership potential in Midlife.

SheGenerate is only a small part of AwakenHub - now that you have the community's attention - what can we/they do for you?

To ask for the team's input on moving forward with my social enterprise. I have some ideas but would love to hear what they think. Their perspective, expertise and business acumen would be invaluable.

As a founder - what are your non-negotiables?

I am a returner to the workplace I have found an area of work that I just love working in educating, empowering women on a one to one basis and in groups on menopause. I share much of the positives of navigating this life transition with 95% of the women that I have met never hearing a positive word around this life transition. Women's mindset change and experience of the transition changes once women understand what is happening. six words to live by. Helping women realise the power they have within. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Move outside the comfort zone it’s amazing where it takes you.

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