Why Hemma Exists: A New Standard of Care for Midlife Women

I was forty-five when I finally admitted I couldn't breathe.

Not physically, my lungs were fine. But somewhere between quarterly forecasts, endless video calls, teenage homework crises, and managing a household solo, my breathing had become mechanical. Efficient. Functional. Like everything else in my life.

I had built a career I was proud of in international finance. I was the one who stayed calm in a crisis, who delivered the board decks, who managed complex budgets across multiple markets. As a solo parent managing teenage homework crises, forgotten permission slips, parent-teacher conferences, and midnight fevers alongside my demanding executive role, my life was a constant balancing act. The practical and emotional load of raising children while building a career had always been challenging.

But something had changed. The exhaustion was different now, deeper, unshakeable. My moods swung in ways they never had before. Weight crept on despite the same habits. Brain fog made me feel like I was losing the sharp edge that had always been my professional superpower.

I mentioned it to my doctor during a routine checkup. "Probably just stress," she said. "Maybe you need more self-care?"

I wasn't more stressed than usual. And I'd been practicing "self-care" since before it became a hashtag. What I needed wasn’t a scented candle or more green juice. I needed someone to recognize that something real was happening in my body.

What I was experiencing was perimenopause, a hormonal transition that affects every woman but is somehow treated as something we should just quietly endure. And I was discovering firsthand how profoundly unprepared the healthcare system is to support women through it

The Numbers Tell a Different Story

Here's what I discovered when I started digging into the research:

Every year, millions of women in the U.S. enter perimenopause. Nearly 80% are caught off guard, even if they are theoretically informed. The individual and aggregated economic impact is staggering. Menopause-related cost include women leaving the workforce, reducing hours, or working through debilitating symptoms because they don't know there are better options. One study found that the cost is an astounding $26.6 billion annually when medical expenses are added. 

The Gap Between What Women Need and What Healthcare Delivers

The problem isn't that solutions don't exist. Hormone replacement therapy has been used effectively for decades. Lifestyle interventions have strong evidence behind them. Medical weight management programs can work when properly supervised.

The problem is access.

The traditional path looks something like this:

• Wait weeks or months for an appointment with your primary care doctor
• Get dismissed or told "it's just aging"
• Maybe get referred to an OB/GYN (more waiting)
• Navigate conflicting information about hormone therapy risks
• Piece together lifestyle advice from Instagram influencers and wellness blogs
• Give up, thinking this is just how midlife feels

Meanwhile, symptoms compound. Energy plummets. Sleep suffers. Anxiety spikes. Weight becomes harder to manage. And the message women receive is: This is normal. Just deal with it.

Yes, these changes are normal. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have support navigating them! 

What Women Actually Tell Me They Want

Since I started developing Hemma, I've talked to hundreds of women in their 40s and 50s. Here's what they say they need:

Credibility without condescension. They want medical expertise, not wellness theater. But they also don't want to be lectured or dismissed. They want providers who respect their intelligence and lived experience.

Convenience that fits their lives. They're managing careers, caring for aging parents, supporting teenagers, running households. They can't take half a day off for a doctor's appointment that ends with "try to reduce stress."

Clarity that respects their intelligence. The internet is full of contradictory information about hormones, supplements, weight loss, and what's "safe." The women I talk to want evidence-based guidance they can trust, delivered by people who respect that they are capable of understanding nuance and making informed decisions about their own bodies.

Personalized support. Some women need HRT. Others need help with sleep, nutrition, or stress management. Most need some combination. The care should be built around your body, your symptoms, your goals, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.

Ongoing partnership through the transition. Perimenopause isn't a problem to solve once. It's a multi-year journey with changing needs. Women want providers who stay with them through it, adjusting care as the body changes, not just handing them a prescription and wishing them luck.

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Why I Built Hemma

My professional background is in international finance and business strategy, not healthcare. But that outside perspective helped me see the need with clarity. 

I watched brilliant, capable women struggle to find appropriate care for a completely normal life transition. I recognized that technology could solve the access problem while maintaining clinical quality. And I understood from my own experience that this wasn't just about solving a personal frustration, it was about designing a better model of care for other women like me.

The traditional healthcare model wasn't built for us. It was built for acute problems, for 15-minute appointments, for patients who have the luxury of time and the privilege of being taken seriously the first time they speak up.

But here's what I learned through my own perimenopause journey: You don't have to accept dismissal. You don't have to choose between medical expertise and compassionate support.

You deserve both. And you deserve them delivered in a way that fits your actual life.

The name "Hemma" comes from Swedish, meaning "home." It represents that feeling of finally being in the right place, of being understood, of not having to explain or justify or downplay what you're experiencing. It's the opposite of feeling lost in a system that wasn't designed for you.

What Hemma Does Differently

We built Hemma around a principle that shouldn't be revolutionary but somehow is: Midlife women deserve medical expertise delivered with modern convenience and genuine respect for their intelligence and lived experience.‍

Evidence-based care from licensed providers. Every clinical decision is made by U.S.-licensed healthcare professionals. We don't employ doctors directly; we partner with experienced providers who specialize in hormonal health and women's wellness.

Comprehensive, personalized treatment options. Whether you need hormone replacement therapy, medically supervised weight management, or lifestyle support for sleep and energy, we connect you with appropriate care tailored to your specific situation. 

Digital convenience that respects your time. Virtual consultations or asynchronous communication you can do from home, at times that work for your schedule. Because you shouldn't have to take half a day off work and sit in a waiting room to get the care you need.

Transparency in everything. You know what you're paying for. You know who's caring for you. You know what to expect at each step. 

Ongoing partnership, not just transactions. Symptom tracking tools, evidence-based educational resources, refill reminders, and continuous access to care. We're designed for the journey, not just the first appointment. Because sustainable health isn't built in a single consultation.

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This Is Just the Beginning‍

We're building the digital wellness brand that midlife women in the U.S. will trust most, not because we have the flashiest marketing or make the biggest promises, but because we deliver respectful, evidence-based care that meets you where you are and trusts you to be an active participant in your own health.

The care gap is real, and the need is enormous. Midlife women deserve so much better than what the current system offers.

You deserve to feel like yourself again, and you deserve to be taken seriously. You deserve care that works with your life, not against it.

If you are ready for healthcare that treats you like the intelligent, capable person you are: welcome.

Welcome home. Welcome to Hemma.

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