Name It to Tame It: How Momopause™ Was Born

By: Autumn Backhaus, PhD

Two moms. One confusing midlife chapter. A shared realization that changed everything.

We were both quietly unraveling—forgetting things, snapping more than we wanted to, waking up at 3am wondering if something was wrong with us. At first, we thought it was stress. Or motherhood. Or maybe a long tail of postpartum that never quite let go.

Somewhere along the way, we jokingly called it Momopause. At first, it made us laugh. But the more we said it, the more it stuck.

Because it didn’t just describe what we were going through—it validated it. It gave shape to something we hadn’t had words for. And the moment we named it, we started to feel more empowered—more energized, even. Turns out, naming it went way beyond just taming it. It lit a fire in us. We didn’t want to just survive it—we wanted to own it. To move through it with strength, clarity, and maybe even a little swagger.

Why “Momopause” Matters

Once we started talking about it—and listening to other women—we realized just how many of us were navigating the same thing. That confusing overlap where you’re still the glue holding your family together... but your own foundation is shifting underneath you.

We heard the same themes over and over: “I don’t feel like myself.” “I thought it was just stress.” “Why didn’t anyone warn me this was part of midlife?”

That’s when we knew: this needed more than a name. It needed a space. It needed community. It needed tools that honored both the science and the reality of midlife motherhood.

From Naming to Building

We’re both psychologists, so we’ve read the literature. But nothing prepared us for how physical, emotional, and identity-shaking this midlife chapter would be—especially while still actively parenting.

We didn’t want to pathologize it. We didn’t want to power through it. We wanted to understand it. And we wanted a space where other moms could, too.

So we started creating one.

The Momopause Method™ Was Born

What began as a joke between two moms texting through 3am bouts of insomnia became a framework. Then a movement. Now, a method.

The Momopause Method™ is for women navigating that blurry middle—between who you were and who you’re becoming. It blends real-world psychology with lived experience, and offers space to explore, understand, and move through this shift with clarity and support.

It’s not therapy. It’s not toxic positivity. It’s grounded, evidence-based, and full of real-talk.

If you’re reading this and thinking yes, that’s me—we’d love to have you join us.

We’re naming it. We’re normalizing it. And we’re finding our way through it—together.

Come check us out.