So what is perimenopause anyway? We are diving into that because it seems that post menopause gets more press but perimenopause can run from 35-50 and there is so much more we can do about it than we think! And the earlier the better.
• Are you having trouble sleeping particularly in the early morning
• Do you have sudden or unexplained weight gain particularly in the belly?
• Are you having new or increased joint pain (especially hips or shoulders)?
• Does your skin feel dry?
• Has your menstrual cycle started getting irregular?
• Do you sometimes have hot flashes or night sweat?
• Are you having difficulty recovering from workout?
• Has there been a significant drop in energy?
• Has there been drop in libido?
These are just some of the possible shifts and changes that start anytime after 40 and can develop or progress through the season known as perimenopause and through menopause.
Menopause itself is actually just a single day that marks a woman not having a menstrual cycle in a full year.
Our hormones fluctuate throughout our menstrual cycle and that gets even more variable as we enter into perimenopause. This is normal and can be an amazing guidepost for our overall health if we get to know it and pay attention to changes.
So the things I listed above were mostly Physical. Now let’s go to the mind.
• Have you felt a little unhinged lately?
• Do you feel less tolerant of certain people or behaviors?
• Do you feel like you were suddenly awarded an extra sensitive bullshit meter?
• Maybe you’re becoming aware of this deep and powerful river flowing through the core of your being
• You may have also been awarded the liberating blessing of officially running out of all your Fs – yep, that’s right – you have no more to give!
Hopefully you noticed, some of these I specifically worded in a positive light because a lot of it is! And I’ve lived it!
Our mind, will and emotions are closely linked so as I list some of the emotional pieces, don’t become distracted by feeling like they overlap with some of the mind. We are whole beings
• Have you felt more emotional than usual?
• Maybe it feels like rage or joy or grief are bubbling to the surface almost before you notice them.
• Maybe things you once enjoyed don’t fulfill you the same.
• You may feel restless, like you know there’s something more but you don’t feel certain what you’re looking for.
Our brain and our entire musculoskeletal system have receptor sites for estrogen, which is why there are so many of these pervasive symptoms when our estrogen levels start to drop. This can happen for up to 15 years prior to actual menopause, before you even notice them or realize what’s happening. As this shows, testosterone and progesterone also drop – impacts go beyond our cycle into every area of our body.
As I set here writing this, it is International Woman’s Day.
Women, we often spend a significant portion of our life meeting the needs of others. Part of midlife and our glorious transition is finally taking better care of ourselves. Realizing that we only get this one beautiful life and what do we even want that to look and feel like.
Part of my passion for educating is to help women learn this younger and younger – to recognize our cycle is a magnifying glass that can reveal our overall health. We deserve thriving health, not just settling for monthly pain, medications and birth control and not even understanding our own glorious power. I hope this helps you know better, do better AND feel better!
Blessings,
Amy and the Moment of Truth Team
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