Cougar Puberty: A Pelvic Floor PT’s Honest Guide to Hormones, Brain Fog, and Midlife Bladder Mayhem

Let’s set the scene.

My daughter is 15 and rounding the final corner of her teenage puberty. My son is 17 and prepping for college—and then there’s our youngest, a sweet 10-year-old boy who’s standing at the starting line of his hormonal rollercoaster.

For the past 10 years, our household has been swimming (okay, drowning) in puberty. Just when I thought we might finally come up for air—bam—I’m blindsided by my own unexpected transformation.

Enter: Cougar Puberty.

Yes, it’s a thing. And it has impeccable comedic timing.

My poor husband is hanging on by a thread. Hormones are ping-ponging through our house like dodgeballs, and he’s just hoping to survive this family-wide metamorphosis with his sanity and snack drawer intact.

What is Cougar Puberty?

“Cougar puberty” is the brilliant rebranding of perimenopause, that nebulous window of time before menopause where your hormones get spicy and unpredictable (again). It's puberty... but with joint pain and greying hair.

And while I may not be dealing with hot flashes (yet), I’m checking most of the other boxes:

• Brain fog so intense I forget what I’m saying mid-sentence (and I talk for a living!)

• Weight gain that seems to have a personal vendetta against my midsection

• Fatigue that no amount of sleep or caffeine seems to fix

• Vaginal dryness (yes, we’re going there)

• Occasional pain with sex

• And good ol’ incontinence (because laughing shouldn’t come with consequences)

  
  

Did I mention I’m a pelvic floor physical therapist?

Oh, the irony.

From Professional to Patient: Navigating My Own Advice

I’ve spent years guiding women through postpartum healing, bladder issues, prolapse, and—you guessed it—perimenopause. I’ve got the anatomy memorized and a pelvic model named Gina in our clinic. But experiencing it firsthand? Whole different story.

I knew the signs. I just didn’t expect them to sneak in while I was still packing school lunches and explaining why deodorant is not optional.

It’s humbling. It’s also oddly empowering.

How I’m Surviving Cougar Puberty (and You Can Too)

1. Normalize the Chaos

I’m not broken—I’m shifting. This isn’t failure. It’s biology. My hormones are rearranging the furniture of my body and mind, and some days it feels like a toddler did the redesign. But naming it helps. Laughing at it helps more.

2. Pelvic Floor PT is a Lifeline (Even for the PT)

Estrogen plays a huge role in the health of our pelvic tissues. When it drops, so can:

• Bladder control

• Vaginal elasticity and moisture

• Pelvic floor muscle coordination

• Comfort with intimacy

  
  

If you’re feeling changes—whether it’s a little leak when you sneeze, dryness, or just a sense that something feels “off”—pelvic floor physical therapy can help.

It’s not just for postpartum or people with prolapse. It’s for anyone navigating this hormonally wild phase of life. Trust me: early intervention is powerful.

3. Embrace Movement with Intention

Gone are the days when I could out-cardio my hormones. Now it’s about smart, supportive movement:

• Strength training to combat bone loss and muscle changes

• Mobility work for those creaky joints

• Core and pelvic floor coordination for everything from posture to pleasure

• Restorative practices to calm my wired-but-tired nervous system

It’s not about pushing harder—it’s about moving smarter.

4. Prioritize Pleasure and Intimacy (Your Way)

Pain with sex and vaginal dryness are so common in perimenopause—but they are not something you have to “just live with.” With the right support (PT, lubricants, pelvic relaxation work, communication), sex can still be enjoyable. And your relationship with your body doesn’t have to fade—it can evolve.

5. Laugh Often and Loudly (Bladder Be Damned)

Some days I feel like I’m losing my mind. Other days, I know I am. But humor has become one of my best coping tools.

Between my daughter's teenage sass, my son adjusting to post-highschool life, and my youngest gearing up for his own hormonal saga, this house is a hormone-fueled sitcom. The only way through is to laugh—while doing pelvic floor lifts, of course.

So What’s the Takeaway?

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through perimenopause. You don’t have to suffer through symptoms in silence. And you definitely don’t have to feel alone.

Whether you’re crying over a commercial, snapping at your partner, or wondering why your jeans don’t fit the way they used to—you are not crazy. You are in cougar puberty.

And you deserve support, information, and compassion—especially from yourself.

As a pelvic floor PT, I’ve learned that this work isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. It’s educational. And it’s essential. We get one body to carry us through this life—let’s treat it with the strength, curiosity, and grace it deserves.

Feeling the signs of cougar puberty too? Let’s talk. Our team at Freya is here to guide you with humor, science, and real solutions. Book your free 15-minute pelvic health screening—we’ll help you reconnect with your body, laugh through the chaos, and feel like yourself again.