Michelle Obama is shedding light on a topic many women face but few discuss publicly — what it’s like to go through menopause while holding one of the most visible roles in the world.
In the latest episode of her Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, the former First Lady, 61, spoke candidly with OB/GYN and women’s health expert Dr. Sharon Malone about the physical and emotional challenges she faced while in the White House.
Obama revealed that her menopause symptoms began during her husband’s first term in office. “It comes suddenly — you wake up one day and you’re having hot flashes,” she said. “I woke up and was different.” She recalled experiencing severe bouts of heat and sweating during high-stakes moments, including public speeches and official trips.
“I was the First Lady, so I’ve got speeches to give, I’m on planes, I’m dressed up and have my hair done,” she explained. “There was one trip I had about 40 hot flashes. I was like, I can’t live like this.”
Obama joked that she worried people would misinterpret her sweating as nerves. “It’s like a hot furnace is lit inside you. Your organs feel like hot coals,” she said. “Then you burst with water — your clothes are soaking wet, and you have to change.”
Eventually, Obama turned to hormone replacement therapy, which brought significant relief. But she emphasized the importance of women discussing menopause openly rather than enduring it in silence. “We need to talk about the symptoms because a lot of women aren’t taught to be aware of what’s happening to their bodies,” she said.
Reflecting on aging, Obama said she’s embracing this stage of life. “The best time of my entire life is right now,” she shared. “I do not wish to be 20 again. There’s real freedom in this time of life.”
Despite public speculation about her marriage, Obama said she feels grateful and grounded. “If we’re alive enough to have a transition, we’re blessed,” she said. “We shouldn’t be ashamed of it.”
Obama and former President Barack Obama have been married nearly 33 years and share two daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24.
