Reading: What A Menopause Doctor Gives as Gifts

I have an advantage when gift-giving season comes around because I have the whole MiddlesexMD team on the lookout for products that are helpful, inspiring — or just fun — for women at midlife. Follow my lead and buy three gifts for others and one gift for yourself, or, if there’s something that piques your interest, share this list with your partner:

1. Yoga Mats and Accessories
I’m a fan and a regular practitioner of yoga. It’s good for flexibility, strength, and mindfulness. For a beginner or someone looking to boost her practice, consider new mats, blocks, or props like those from Cork House, which are also environmentally sustainable.

2. Props for More Comfortable Sex Play
We’ve loved Dame Products, a company started by women engineering products for women. Among their products is Pillo, developed so women can take and maintain comfortable and satisfying positions during sex. My team has found that it’s equally useful for comfortable movie watching or curling up with a book; it can also act as a lap desk.

3. The Fin Vibrator
Vibrators are extremely helpful to women after menopause to achieve sensation — I think of them as reading glasses for older libidos. One of the cutest I’ve seen is the Fin, also made by Dame Products. It’s like a fingertip, but has a three-speed motor and is USB-rechargeable.

4. The Sona Cruise Vibrator
Another vibrator, the Sona Cruise takes a new approach, using sonic waves to stimulate the entire clitoris, including the parts that weren’t entirely understood until, believe it or not, the late 90s. Pleasure for the holidays!

5. Cheeky Jewelry
While looking for approachable illustrations of women’s body parts, we came across an Etsy shop where a Swedish artist offers nature- and anatomy-inspired jewelry, including some that celebrate our female bodies. I especially like their uterus necklace in pewter, but they also offer a clitoris pendant.

6. A Mindful Book
Given all the moving parts of life at this stage (parents, children, grandchildren, careers, households, retirement, health issues; need I go on?), we can all use a book that gives us a minute to collect our thoughts. Mary Oliver’s book of poems, Devotions, is one you’ll return to for perspective.

7. Wise Words from Influential Women
Spending my time in the field of women’s sexual health, I run up against barriers in the most unexpected places. Who knew “vagina” was a bad word? At moments like those, my team passes around a book called That’s What She Said, quotes from smart, powerful women across history, collected and illustrated by Colorado artist Kimothy Joy.

8. Clothes that Spoil You
Sometimes after menopause our bodies seem to work against us. Whether for comfort or impact, a few clothing items can give us a boost. To help us stay active during the winter months, there’s nothing quite like a pair of super-soft, luxe cashmere socks, which we find at NakedCashmere. And for pants that make you feel sexy, we like Spanx Perfect Black Pant. They look great and move well, just like you.

Dr. Barb DePree, M.D., has been a gynecologist and women’s health provider for nearly 30 years and a menopause care specialist for the past ten. She is also the founder of MiddlesexMD, where she shares with women practice-tested and clinically sound information on keeping an active and joyful sex life during and after menopause. Sign up for her newsletter here and follower her at @middlesexmd on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.