Perimenopause Clinic
Surry Hills, Sydney. Telehealth Australia-wide.
Perimenopause can creep up slowly, until the version of yourself you’ve always relied on feels unfamiliar.
Disrupted sleep. Heavy, unpredictable bleeding. Weight changes. Exhaustion. Brain fog. Aching joints. Recurring UTIs. Low libido. Irritability and, sometimes, rage.
Too often, these symptoms are treated in isolation. At Ponti Health, we look at the whole picture, working with you to build a plan around your symptoms, priorities, and long-term health.
Whether you’re struggling now or feeling well and wanting to stay ahead of change, your care should support you today and for decades to come.
That is the difference between a script and a strategy.
Where to start, and why Ponti Health is different
A 60 to 90 minute comprehensive appointment
| Slow medicine means time | You are heard from the beginning. Afterwards you receive a follow-up with your next steps, and the practical information that keeps you ahead of the medical admin. |
| Our GPs |
All 6 of our GPs are RACGP fellows with a special interest in perimenopause, and training beyond fellowship in hormone-informed care. That matters because midlife women's health has been under-researched and ignored for decades. You need GPs who lean into curiosity and extra education, and who look at what functional health looks like for you. |
| A multidisciplinary team that works together |
Where your care needs more, your GP refers you within the team: psychiatry, psychology, sex therapy, endocrinology, a breast, thyroid and endocrine surgeon, pelvic and musculoskeletal physiotherapy and nursing. They review cases together, formally and informally, and our nurses provide wraparound care between appointments. |
| Under one roof |
We keep as much as we can in the building, including iron infusions, bone ultrasound and pathology, because we know you do not need more life admin. Plans too often fall away when every next step is another appointment somewhere else. Anything outside our walls goes to providers chosen for the specificity of their work, never for convenience. |
| What it covers |
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| What to bring | Just yourself. We can help track down any recent diagnostics and pathology. |
60 to 90 minutes · Fee [to supply] · Medicare rebate applies
Book a Comprehensive Appointment
What am I actually noticing?
What am I actually noticing?
Tick what applies to see where you are right now. There is no score and no threshold, and this is not a diagnostic tool. It is a way to see how much of what you are noticing is connected.
Your ticks stay on this page only. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere. Print or save a copy to bring to your appointment.
"I was drowning and I didn't know it. How do you ask someone how deep the water is when they're already under it?"
Ponti started with my own perimenopause. Exhaustion, body aches, heavy bleeding, weight I couldn't "exercise or eat better" away, then brain fog.
Every symptom got an answer from a different doctor in a different 20-minute appointment. Nobody put them together, and nobody named it, so I tried everything else.
Ponti Health was built to close that gap, with evidence and science ahead of all else.
In the room, and on the screen
We offer telehealth Australia-wide, and we use it properly. Reviews, results, prescription follow-ups, and ongoing care for women who cannot get to Surry Hills. It is a real service, not a lesser one.
A good part of that is rural, and we want to say so. The Senate inquiry heard that women outside the cities carry the worst of this, with fewer clinicians within reach, longer distances and far less choice about who they see. Our rural patients are some of the most informed and most direct women on our books, often because they have had to be. We are proud to care for them, and postcode should not decide the standard of medicine you get.
For your first comprehensive appointment, we would rather have you in the room.
Part of that is what a screen flattens. How you carry yourself, how you sound when you get to the part you didn't want to mention, and what your face does when someone finally asks the right question. Those are clinical information, and they do not survive a video call intact.
The rest of it is hands-on. Blood pressure. Weight and waist. Thyroid. Breast and cervical screening brought up to date. Pelvic examination where the bleeding has changed. Pelvic floor assessment where continence or pain is part of the picture. This is the phase where an examination turns a symptom into a finding, and a finding is what a plan is built on.
Distance is not a barrier to care here. It is a reason to plan the first appointment properly.
Important Information
Please read important information around your booking and services prior to attending your appointment. If you have any questions about your booking, please reach out to enquiries@pontihealth.com.
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Medicare benefits are available and vary based on the type of consultation and eligible services provided. You will be required to pay the full cost of the consultation. At the time of payment, we’ll process the electronic Medicare claim for you, which will be credited directly to your debit card or the bank account that you've registered with Medicare.
If you are on a Mental Health Care Plan or an Enhanced Primary Care Plan, you will also be eligible for a benefit from Medicare.
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Once your out-of-pocket medical expenses reach $2,615.50 in a calendar year, Medicare steps in to cover up to 80% of additional costs for Medicare-subsidised services (MBS).
This benefit happens automatically for individuals. Families need to register once to activate this coverage.
The Safety Net applies to all out-of-hospital medical services listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, helping to make your ongoing care more affordable.
Read more about the Medicare Safety Net here.
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If you have Private Health Insurance you may be eligible to claim benefits through Extras cover for allied health services such as physiotherapy, psychology, and more. The amount you can claim will depend on your specific level of cover and the service provided.
For more details on your entitlements and how to claim, please check your policy or contact your Private Health Insurer directly.
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We understand that life happens.
If you are unable to attend your appointment time, we ask that you provide notice for any appointment changes or cancellations.
24 hours prior: No cancellation fees
Less than 24 hours or ‘No-Show’ - a $100 cancellation fee may apply and full fees for your next appointment will be payable at the time of booking.
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Our booking platform will request your payment details to secure your appointment.
Fees are paid in full at the conclusion of your appointment. All major credit and debit cards are accepted.
Surcharges are excluded from EFTPOS debit payments.
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Our Psychiatrist, Psychologist and Mental Health GPs work as a team and can step in and support you during business hours, even if your specific doctor is away.
However, should you or someone you know require urgent crisis assistance, pls call please call 000 and ask for immediate support. You can also present to your nearest Emergency or Accident and Emergency service at your local hospital for immediate intervention and support.
The 1800 011 511 Mental Health Line is NSW Health's 24/7 statewide phone service, linking people with NSW Health mental health services. It is a free service.
It is staffed by trained mental health professionals who:
Offer mental health advice
Complete a brief assessment
Make recommendations for appropriate care, including referral to NSW Health mental health services.
The mental health professional will ask you questions to understand your needs and recommend appropriate services.
There are also other mental health resources provided by the state government of NSW, accessible via
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/Pages/default.aspx
FAQs
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Pain varies. Some people describe cramping as period pain. For others, it is more intense, and it is usually brief.
If you have severe period pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, or if pain has been difficult for you in the past, this matters. It is one of the things your Ponti Health GP or one of our IUD proceduralists will talk through with you at your initial appointment.
We will ask what your pain has been like before, and we will believe you. Your doctor will go through your numbing and pain relief options with you then, well ahead of the procedure.
If the right option for you turns out to be twilight sedation or a general anaesthetic, we will help you with the next steps.
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Sometimes, yes. That is the honest answer.
The experience is genuinely varied. For some people it is minimal. For others it is severe. And it is not always predictable. We have had women who have given birth several times find it very difficult, and young women who found it completely fine.
Some of the anger you see online is about being told it would be just a pinch. Doctors trying not to frighten people can end up minimising the procedure instead, and then a patient is left feeling their experience was not real. We would rather counsel you properly than reassure you cheaply.
That is why the initial appointment matters. There are things that make more pain more likely, including period pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, not having given birth, being very young, or a history of trauma. Your doctor will go through these with you.
If the pain is worse than you expected on the day, we will talk about it afterwards and make sure you are supported. That part matters as much as the procedure.
Ponti Health was built around the idea that looking after yourself is not an indulgence, which is why we recommend taking time before and after any procedure to nourish yourself and rest.
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Options include numbing gel, numbing spray, inhaled pain relief, a heat pack, and simple pain medication before and after the procedure.
Your doctor will go through which of these suit you at your initial appointment, before the procedure is booked. You will be given a prescription to fill before the day.
There is a pharmacy on Holt Street, Surry Hills, 2 minutes on foot from Ponti Health. They stock the medications we commonly use.
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No. We are sadly unable to provide twilight sedation or general anaesthetic at Ponti Health.
If that is what you feel you need, it is not an issue at all. We will help you find a service that can assist.
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The insertion itself is usually over in a few minutes.
The appointment is longer, because we do not rush the part before or the part after.
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Most people feel discomfort for a few minutes during the insertion, then 1 to 2 days of light period cramps.
With a hormonal IUD, bleeding can be unpredictable for the first 3 to 6 months. It does settle, and what usually follows is years of far more manageable periods. With a copper IUD, periods are often heavier and this does not settle in the same way.
You will always have us, or your referring GP, to lean on in the months after your insertion.
Book the appointment on a day you can take it easy afterwards. Bring a pad. Eat and drink beforehand, especially if you faint easily.
Contact us if you develop severe pain, heavy bleeding, fever, or unusual discharge.
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Generally after 3 to 5 days. During that time, avoid anything inserted vaginally, and avoid baths and swimming.
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They should not feel the device. They may notice the strings, particularly in the first few months while they are still stiff.
If it is bothering either of you, come back. The strings can often be trimmed, though your doctor will manage this carefully, as very short strings can make removal harder later. It is a decision you make with your doctor by your side.
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You do not need to check them routinely if you have no symptoms.
Do not pull on them. If you cannot feel them, or they feel much longer or shorter than usual, use another form of contraception and book in with us.
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Hold off on tampons for the first 3 to 5 days, along with anything else inserted vaginally.
Hold off on a menstrual cup for the first 3 months. The suction can pull on the strings. After that, break the seal carefully before removing it.
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Yes, of course. A partner, a friend, your mum. Whoever makes it easier.
Our space allows for a moment of pause for those who accompany patients to appointments.
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Yes. At any point, for any reason. You do not need to explain why, and you will not have to argue for it.
If we need to stop, we will talk about what happens next. Stopping does not mean you have failed at anything.
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Yes, and please tell us at your first appointment. We want to talk about it and help you make the right decision for you, based on the power of knowledge.
Difficulty with previous pelvic exams is one of the strongest signals that you will find insertion harder, and it changes what we plan for you. We would much rather know beforehand.
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Possibly. Research suggests people who have not given birth report more pain at insertion than those who have.
It is still a suitable option. It is a reason to plan your pain relief properly and look at all the options available, rather than a reason to rule it out.
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This depends on the type of medication used during the procedure. Some options require a 4 hour period where driving is not recommended.
We recommend organising a pick up or a taxi for after the procedure. Be gentle with yourself afterwards.
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If you can, do. Some people go straight back to work. Others need to lie down with a heat pack.
Plan for the second option and be pleasantly surprised.
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Feeling lightheaded or nauseated for a few minutes afterwards is not unusual. Fainting is rare, and a nurse is in the room with you throughout.
This is why we build in time afterwards in the treatment room with our nursing team. Sit with us in one of our recliners, have a herbal tea or a sparkling water, and take a moment before you head back out.
Nourishing yourself before and after an appointment should always be the way, for any procedure. Eat and drink properly before you come in, and plan something nourishing for afterwards. It genuinely helps.
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With a hormonal IUD, some people notice skin changes, breast tenderness, headaches or mood changes in the first few months. These often settle.
If something feels wrong to you, tell us. We are not going to wave it off.
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Then we take it out. You do not have to give it a year first, and you do not have to justify the decision.
If you would like to, we can talk through options that might make it more tolerable before you decide. But that is an offer, not a hurdle. It is your call, and we will help you either way.
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You can, and some people find it slightly easier. It is not required. Just let your doctor know, and they will talk through timing with you.