I'm Your Peri Godmother

by Shelly Horton

A hilarious, no-holds-barred guide to help you survive perimenopause, with science, helpful tips and proven treatments.

The first Australian guide to perimenopause, featuring Shelly's incredible story along with interviews with local and international menopause experts including Dr Louise Newson, Dr Mary Claire Haver, Dr Kelly Casperson and Dr Ginni Mansberg.

Health advocate and journalist Shelly Horton thought menopause was for old ladies and was simply hot flushes and no more periods – until she went from kicking arse in her career to waking up in the ICU, all because her hormones staged a full-blown peri-mutiny. Now, driven by the knowledge that keeping quiet only holds women back, she is sharing her perimenopause story along with evidence-based health advice, case studies and practical tools so you can navigate the peri rollercoaster with more confidence and a lot less confusion.

I'm Your Peri Godmother will keep you laughing as you
- What HRT is and how to decide if it's right for you
- How to navigate night sweats, insomnia, weight gain, brain fog, heavy periods and more
- What to do when peri anxiety and depression hit hard
- Which herbs and supplements help and which just lead to expensive wee
- Why you need skincare for your vagina
- How to advocate for a menopause-friendly workplace

Consider Shelly your big sister, your supportive best friend, your very own peri godmother, here to help you through it all with a wave of her magic wand, lots of medical evidence (but no medical jargon) and real-life warmth and humour.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Ingrid Weddig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Honest and raw. Great, well presented information. and I trust no one who doesn't swear , so thank you for that too!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Shelly Horton for writing this book and being a godmother for those of us ladies going through perimenopause. I don't remember how I learned about perimenopause, but when I did, it helped explain the random crying spells and mood swings as well as the arthritic knee pain that all started at 43 out of the blue. Now, at 46, I've added insomnia to the list and well... I'm so over having to have a period. I had one in July that lasted 29 days and then one last month when I was visiting my brother, sister-in-law and nieces in Indiana. Apparently, it was a crime scene that started in the middle of the night since it leaked on the sheets at the hotel. Talk about embarrassing!

I learned about Shelly Horton and this book when I joined Melani Sanders' We Do Not Care Club. I'm glad I joined and read this book. It was nice to know that I'm not crazy and that there are others out there silently suffering through this while thinking they're crazy or being blown off by gynocologists.

If you're the woman reading this that I screamed "Shut Up!" to at the Battle of the Bands last July, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me and it's definitely not in my character to scream at random strangers.

[Jennifer Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Nothing held back in this easy to understand book on such a critically under-communicated topic. I appreciated the humour, the honesty, and the advice, as well as the countless further references to explore, names to follow, and most importantly, prompts to start informed conversations and my own fact-finding mission into perimenopause. The pep talk toward the end could have been shortened - i was a believer by this point - but overall, this one of the more useful reads I've encountered this year.

[Ngarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an informative and yet personal guide to perimenopause.
This book held so much meaning for me at this time, and I appreciated the mix of humour, personal experiences, and quality research-based information.

[Theresa Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. I spent many years feeling like a ping pong ball being bounced between two doctors. After reading this I feel so validated (and feel like the two docs are both idiots). Sharing this book with every woman I know.

[Heather Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best book on perimenopause out there

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative. Relatable. Funny. Practical.

I love how this cleverly includes a wide variety of medical evidence, humour and realistic suggestions.

[Alma G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really helpful.

[Danielle Jordan-Lantzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Now I understand what I have been going through fir have past few years more in depth.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informative