You are not
imagining it.

I'm Dr Cecilia Akinloye. I spend my working week on one thing: making sense of perimenopause and menopause, on the evidence and without the rush. Tell me what's been happening.

Book a consultation → Start with the symptom check
Dr Cecilia Akinloye
Dr Cecilia Akinloye
Seen from homeSecure video consultations, anywhere in Australia
On the evidenceCare aligned with current Australasian Menopause Society guidance
In writingA summary after your first consult, yours to keep and share with your GP
A place to start

Is this you?

Hormonal changes can begin years before your last period, and they rarely announce themselves. Tap anything that feels familiar.

This is education, not a diagnosis. Nothing you tap is stored or sent anywhere.

Waking at 3am Periods gone strange Anxiety that's new Brain fog Hot flushes Losing words mid-sentence Irritability or rage Joint aches Exhaustion Low mood Changes in libido Heart palpitations
Tap what feels familiar, and I'll tell you what patterns like yours can mean.
A woman in midlife, calm and thoughtful
Meet Dr Cecilia

Menopause is what I do all week.

I've practised medicine for over 14 years, in hospitals and general practice across Australia and the UK. Women's health has been the thread throughout, and menopause is where I focus now. I approach it the way I approach all of medicine: from the evidence, and from what you tell me.

I qualified in medicine in 2008 and I'm a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, with a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Obstetrics, gynaecology and general practice have run through my training and hospital work from the start, so women's health isn't a sideline for me. It's the centre of what I do.

Menopause medicine has changed a great deal in the last decade, and it is where I have chosen to go deep. I keep my practice aligned with current Australasian Menopause Society evidence, so the options I discuss with you reflect where the field is now, not where it was.

That background shapes how I work. When you describe symptoms that have been put down to stress or age, I start from the physiology, not from doubt. I look at the whole picture, I explain the evidence in plain language, and the decision stays yours. I work alongside your regular GP, not instead of them.

I currently see new women's health patients at Arami Women's Health in Melbourne. You can see me in person at Arami, or by telehealth from wherever home is.

1
You will be believed. Your symptoms are the starting point, not something to argue for.
2
You will get the time it takes. This conversation doesn't fit in seven minutes, so I don't book it that way.
3
You will understand your options. Plain language, honest evidence, and the decision stays yours.

Away from medicine, you'll find me at reformer pilates, planning our next family trip, or with my husband and our two girls.

Fellow, RACGP MBBS Diploma in Obstetrics & Gynaecology Special interest: perimenopause & menopause Arami Women's Health, Melbourne Telehealth, Australia-wide
The library

Understand what's happening.

Clear, current, properly referenced guides, written the way I'd explain things across the desk.

01

Perimenopause, explained

The signs that can start in your early forties, and why they're so often missed.

→ 02

Sleep and the 3am wake

Why it becomes a pattern, and what the evidence says actually helps.

→ 03

Mood, anxiety and rage

The hormone-brain connection behind feelings that stop making sense.

→ 04

MHT, without the myths

A balanced, current guide to menopausal hormone therapy. Evidence first.

→ 05

Testosterone for women

What it can and can't do, and what the guidelines actually say.

→ 06

Weight, metabolism and midlife

Why your body responds differently now, including where GLP-1 medicines fit the conversation.

→
Listening, while my podcast is in production

Episodes I recommend.

My own short weekly podcast is in production. Until it launches, these are episodes I recommend from The Jean Hailes podcast, made by Jean Hailes for Women's Health.

The Jean Hailes podcast · Menopause Checklist
Wide awake: sleep in menopause
0:00
6:19
▶

Zero to 100: anxiety and mood changes

The Jean Hailes podcast

5:58
▶

Sweat the night away: hot flushes and night sweats

The Jean Hailes podcast

5:56
▶

I'm not myself: brain fog and panic attacks

The Jean Hailes podcast

7:08
All episodes are from The Jean Hailes podcast, published by Jean Hailes for Women's Health. They are shared here as trusted listening, not as my own work.
Free guide

Is it stress, or is it perimenopause?

The seven signs most women miss, in a short, properly referenced guide. I wrote it for the women who aren't sure whether what they're feeling is worth a doctor's time. It is.

You'll also get Newsletters from Cecilia, one useful note a week. Read the latest note.

Get the guide

Sent to your inbox, along with one useful email a week. Free.

Unsubscribe anytime. Your email is never shared, and never used for anything else.
What to expect

Three steps, no rush.

Consultations are by secure video, wherever you are in Australia. Appointment times, fees and Medicare details are all shown clearly in Halaxy when you book.

Before

A secure questionnaire

Your symptoms and history, in your own time, so our appointment starts from understanding.

During

A proper conversation

On video. Your history, your options, your questions. The choice stays yours.

After

A written summary

What we found and what we agreed, in writing, for you and for your regular GP.

Your health information never touches this website. Bookings and records live securely in Halaxy, our practice software.

Common questions

Questions women ask me first.

How do I know if it's perimenopause and not just stress?

You often can't tell them apart from the symptoms alone, because they overlap. What helps is looking at the whole picture: your cycle, your age, the pattern and timing of what you're feeling, and what else is going on in your health. That is what a proper consultation is for.

What age does perimenopause usually start?

For many women it begins in the early to mid forties, though it can start earlier. It can run for several years before periods stop, and the first signs are often sleep, mood or cycle changes rather than hot flushes.

Are hot flushes always a sign of menopause?

Not always. Hot flushes are common in perimenopause and menopause, but they can have other causes too. That is why they are worth talking through rather than assuming, especially if they are new or come with other changes.

Can I get menopause care by telehealth anywhere in Australia?

Yes. Consultations are by secure video, so you can be seen from wherever you are in Australia. Appointment times, fees and any Medicare details are shown clearly when you book.

Is menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) safe?

For many women MHT can be a safe and effective option, but it is not right for everyone, and the picture is different for each person. The honest answer depends on your history and your own risks and preferences, which is exactly what we work through together.

Why PauseForward

The pause is real. It has physiology, it has evidence, and it has treatment.

It is not the end of anything. Cared for properly, it can be the start of decades of strong health.

So this practice does two things, in this order.

First, we pause. I listen, I believe you, and we look at the whole picture.

Then, we go forward. A clear plan, honest evidence, and the choice stays yours.

Pause. Then forward.
When you're ready

Bring the symptoms you've stopped mentioning.

Those are usually the ones that matter. Book a telehealth consultation, from wherever home is.

Book a consultation →
Secure video, Australia-wide Medicare rebates may apply Booked through Halaxy practice software
Now seeing new patients at Arami Women's Health

Dr Cecilia consults from Arami Women's Health in Melbourne, in person or by telehealth.