Why I started the Menopause Resource Hub
Founder, Sharryn Ludlow
Goal: Resource Hub – a collaborative platform connecting Australian women with trusted menopause and midlife health providers.
Mission: Passionate about connecting people to meaningful opportunities and experiences across the world.
You don’t know until it happens to you
I’ll never forget sitting in that specialist’s office.
I’d arrived after months of symptoms I couldn’t explain — and a GP who, while lovely, had been googling alongside me trying to figure out what was going on. Blood tests. Scans. Referrals. Finally, I was in front of someone who was supposed to have answers.
She barely looked up.
“We’ll book you in for surgery.”
No introduction. No questions about my life, my concerns, my fears. No conversation at all.
I sat there stunned. “Is it serious?”
“No, it looks benign. But better safe than sorry.”
That was it. That was my care.
The Search That Sparked an Idea
I left that appointment knowing I needed a second opinion. A third. Someone who would actually listen.
What followed was exhausting. I’d find a promising specialist online, spend twenty minutes on their website, only to discover they were in Sydney. I’d find another, then have to open a separate tab to hunt down reviews. Click, search, scroll, dead end. Repeat.
It shouldn’t be this hard.
And I knew I wasn’t alone.
In Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members, women were asking the same desperate questions every day. Who can help with these symptoms? Has anyone found a good doctor in Melbourne? What about a pelvic floor physio? A nutritionist who understands menopause?
They were asking about incontinence, brain fog, joint pain, the effects of MHT — topics that are hard enough to bring up with a doctor, let alone post publicly. But they had nowhere else to turn.
What Australian Women Are Up Against
We’re behind. Let’s be honest about that.
Organisations like Jean Hailes and the Australasian Menopause Society do extraordinary work, but their resources are primarily for medical professionals or focused on clinical information. For the everyday woman trying to navigate perimenopause, find someone who bulk-bills, or locate a physio who understands what’s happening to her body — the path is fragmented.
The Australian Government has finally started to help, with Medicare now covering a 20-minute menopause health plan. That’s progress. But women still can’t find the providers they need. The good doctors are booked out for months. And menopause care isn’t just about GPs and specialists — it’s physiotherapists, nutritionists, counsellors, pelvic floor specialists, naturopaths, and many others.
We listen to brilliant American doctors and researchers on podcasts — world leaders in menopause science — but their advice doesn’t always translate here. We have different circumstances, different PBS access, different Medicare rebates. We needed an Australian solution built for Australian women.
The Vision Behind the Hub
Menopause Resource Hub exists to serve one goal: a woman arrives with a problem, and she leaves with a provider who can help her solve it.
It’s not just a directory. It’s a place of collaboration — where providers across medical care, telehealth, pelvic health, mental health, nutrition, movement, and allied health come together to support women. Where you might discover a menopause-informed practitioner ten minutes from your house that you never knew existed.
But it’s also about preparation. I remember sitting in front of my doctor, rattling off a hundred different symptoms, watching her eyes glaze over because it was just too much. That’s why we’re building resources to help women walk into appointments prepared — knowing their symptoms, knowing their story, knowing what to ask for.
I’m not a menopause expert. I’m not a doctor. I’m still navigating this myself. But I can see what’s missing, and I can build the bridge.
A Platform That Belongs to Everyone
I’m not interested in building a personal brand or a solo empire. There are plenty of wonderful practitioners doing that already — running their own communities, their own coaching programs, their own referral networks. That’s brilliant. That’s needed.
But this is different.
Menopause Resource Hub is collaborative by design. It’s a space where providers and women connect directly. My goal is to build something that thrives even without me — where the community looks after each other because they’re the ones who truly understand what they’re searching for and what they have to offer.
I’m just the founder. I’m the bridge. The rest is up to all of us.
Where We Are Now
The Melbourne directory launched in February 2026. Sydney is in development. Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and regional areas will follow as we grow.
If you’re a woman looking for help, explore the directory or start with our guides on understanding perimenopause symptoms, treatment options in Australia, and finding menopause support.
For Perimenopause and Menopause Service Providers
We’re in our founding phase, and providers who join now become Founders — recognised for investing early, with founding rates locked in before pricing reflects the established audience we’re building.
I’m personally calling every founder who signs up, because I want to know who you are. This isn’t transactional. It’s collaborative.
Interested in joining? Visit the provider information page at menopauseresourcehub.com/for-providers/ or email [email protected] to receive your founders rate and discount code.
— Sharryn Ludlow, Founder
