Jenna Bush Hager Opens Up About Perimenopause at 43, Sharing Surprising Advice From Her Parents and Lifting the Curtain on Women’s Health .QN

At 43, Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager is breaking one of society’s biggest taboos — by openly sharing her experience with perimenopause for the very first time. Known for her honesty and humor, Jenna is tackling a subject long shrouded in silence, partnering with Midi Health, a virtual care platform specializing in women’s midlife health, to help other women embrace this natural transition with confidence and knowledge.

“There was no conversation when I was young,” Jenna admitted to PEOPLE. “My mom and her friends weren’t talking about it — and now, it’s all my friends are talking about.” The mother of three has begun experiencing symptoms like mood swings and insomnia, which she initially attributed to stress and parenting. But as she learned more, Jenna realized these shifts were hormonal — a wake-up call to start talking, learning, and empowering others.

Her parents, former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, unexpectedly played an early role in her understanding of menopause. Jenna shared a revealing family memory: when she and her twin sister Barbara were teenagers, her mother began experiencing menopause — but it was her father who stepped in to explain. “We were being awful teenagers, and Mom started to cry, which was so unlike her,” Jenna recalled. “My dad said, ‘Girls, Mom is going through this. Go apologize.’ He was ahead of his time.”

That moment stuck with her. Today, Jenna praises her father’s empathy and her mother’s quiet resilience — two qualities she says have shaped her approach to womanhood, family, and health. Now, with the support of her husband Henry Hager, she’s learning how communication and compassion can transform what was once considered a “private struggle” into an empowering life chapter. “Henry’s been incredible,” she said. “He told me, ‘Make sure you find a doctor who can help you.’ Men can feel the shift too.”

Jenna joins a growing movement of women — including Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Christina Aguilera — who are dismantling stigma by talking openly about menopause and midlife changes. “It feels new because women weren’t doing this in the ’80s or ’90s,” she said. “Now, we’re learning that the forties don’t have to mean decline — they can be a time of growth and strength if we understand our bodies.”

Her message is clear: silence no longer serves anyone. “There are doctors who specialize in women our age,” Jenna said. “If we take care of ourselves now, our fifties will be excellent.”

With her trademark candor, Jenna Bush Hager is reframing midlife — not as an ending, but as a powerful new beginning. And through her openness, she’s reminding women everywhere that knowledge, compassion, and community are the real secrets to aging boldly and beautifully.