Background to the Latte Lounge Facebook Group and this bookA few years ago, aged 45, I had just returned to work after a long break bringing up my four children. I loved my life, but for no reason that I could fathom, I was feeling exhausted, teary and down. My GP diagnosed what he thought was depression and prescribed anti-depressants. This, it turned out, was a misdiagnosis. I was deep in the throes of peri-menopause. The consultant and I agreed I should start HRT and wean myself off the anti-depressants slowly. After about a month, I suddenly noticed a massive difference - it was like I had got the old Katie back.It was at this point that I had the idea of starting up a Facebook group.

I found there were many groups out there talking about bringing up young children, but nothing much for older women. So I decided to create a 2D coffee shop for mid-life women to share their tips, support, recommendations, advice, and news articles and the name "The Latte Lounge (Top tips 4 Women Over 40!) was conceived.We talk about everything, from healthy eating to hot flushes, Brexit to breast screening. Most of all, we discuss the dilemma of looking after ourselves, while also caring for teenage children and ageing parents. Our group is for women-only, a closed and safe space for us to confide in each other.This book is a collection of some of my midlife extracts/blogs that have been posted on the Facebook Group over the past year. They are quite personal and poignant at times, but always laced with a lot of humour and positivity that I hope you will all be able to enjoy and relate to on some level.