Perimenopause & menopause support

I am happy to say that this week I officially hit the milestone of being in menopause. 

The definition of shifting from peri-menopause to menopause is when there has been an absence of periods for 12 consecutive months.  It’s been about 3 years since I started to notice my cycles really changing in a very definite way, and I had a broad range of symptoms over the past years, in the same way many women do.

To clarify the different stages of transitioning from the menstrual years to menopause ~

REPRODUCTIVE – menstrual cycling with consistent regularity

EARLY MENOPAUSE – variable cycle length (marking the start of perimenopause)

LATE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION – 2 or more skipped cycles & intervals of no menses (still in perimenopause)

MENOPAUSE – 12 months with no menses

EARLY POSTMENOPAUSE – 4 years with no menses

LATE POSTMENOPAUSE – more than 4 years with no menses

The age of a woman to go through these stages varies, but often early peri-menopause can start around mid-late 40’s (mine was around age 45) and up to mid 50’s. 

There are a HUGE number of symptoms that can come with this journey.  As your estrogen (the hormone that builds your uterine lining to make your period, amongst many other roles) starts to roller coaster up and down you will start to notice changes such as 

~ heavier or lighter bleeds

~ breakthrough bleeds

~ sore/tender breasts

~ mood changes & irritability

~ sleep disruption

~ changes to skin & mucous membranes (dryness etc)

~ overheating

~ energy reduction

~ bloating

~ weight gain

~ sugar cravings

As estrogen starts to consistently drop, symptoms can change

~ low energy

~ low moods & anxiety or feeling weepy

~ hot flushes

~ night sweats

~ headaches

~ foggy head

~ vaginal dryness

~ light/no periods

~ joint pain

Of course this can be a very unpleasant and rocky road for some people, others barely notice the changes they are going through.  But one thing I can say I hear frequently from those going through this stage of life is ‘I feel like I’m going mad’.  I can absolutely relate to this feeling, and it can be partly because the brain is rewiring itself so you are becoming a different person!  

This can be down to the fact that symptoms are overwhelming and you feel so out of sorts that it’s hard to feel balanced and centred. 

But also because you may find that you don’t have the same tolerance or desire to nurture like you did before.  This is all due to the drop in estrogen, whose role is to make women softer, nurturing, and putting others first.  In short, we stop being able to just sweep things under the rug and ‘be nice’!!  This may feel like a huge shift in our personality and can rock the boat for us and those around us.  

One thing I feel passionately about is normalising us talking about this – without shame, embarrassment, or worrying that we really are crazy.  This is a normal physiological part of a woman’s process in life, moving from the fertile to the wisdom years. 

If you are experiencing symptoms that are interfering with life, please know that you don’t just have to suffer!! There is so much that can be done to support you with foods, herbs, supplements, body treatments, energy healing, exercise and lifestyle changes – and they make a HUGE difference!

If you feel like you need to talk to someone about your current symptoms, get in touch.  Or book a discovery call to see if my services are the right fit for you. 

PS – Did you know I made a menopause support recipe eBook?  Easy to follow recipes that support your hormone regulation & nourish mood, bone & cardiovascular health.  Learn more here.