Menopause – we’ve all heard of it. We’ve heard about the hot flashes, the mood swings but is it really the beginning of the end for women (and their partners)?
It’s most definitely not! In fact, according to Dr. Christian Northrup, it may be one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life.
For some humor, before digging into some of the facts behind menopause, watch: “Welcome to my Meno-Pausal Life” 🙂
Just the Menopause Facts…
While the average age for women to have reached their last period is 52, some women may go through it as early as 40 and some as late as 58 (plus or minus a few years).
The time period leading up to it is called perimenopause.
The most common symptoms women may experience during the “change” are:
* Irregular periods
* Lighter or heavier flow during periods
* Hot flashes – 85% of women feel these at some point; this symptom is at its peak near the end of perimenopause
* Mood swings such as irritability and depression
* Insomnia
* Fuzzy thinking – a temporary effect of the hormonal changes of perimenopause (including difficulty concentrating and minor forgetfulness)
* Heart palpitations
* Migraines may occur more often for women who previously experienced them in the days before a period
* Breast tenderness may also occur more frequently in women who used to experience it premenstrually
* Bone loss, especially for women who don’t eat a healthy diet
* Hypothyroidism occurs in approx. 25% of women at this time
* Benign uterine fibroids (noncancerous tumors) develop in about 40% of women
* Changes in sex drive (a drop in testosterone from drugs, surgery or adrenal exhaustion or a change in estrogen can reduce sexual desire; changes in estrogen levels cause vaginal dryness and irritation which can be easily addressed with lubricants or topical estrogen creams available by prescription).
* Brain chemistry also changes – temporal lobes are more often engaged and intuition is enhanced.
Now, all this may not sound like wonderful news…however, this is just one piece of the puzzle, so to speak.
A woman who takes care of herself can feel good and menopause may mark the beginning of a very fulfilling and happy time in a woman’s life.
As Dr. Northrup states, a woman’s body at menopause is at a point where it’s “as if your soul is saying, Hey what about me? When is it my turn?”
Furthermore, she goes on to say that “we women are designed to be more in touch with what really matters to us after menopause, and our bodies act as incredibly accurate barometers that indicate how closely we live our lives in-line with our true heart’s desires.”
In subsequent posts, I will go into more detail as to how and why this can be such a wonderful time period for women.
What comments and/or thoughts does this post bring to mind? Please share them below. I love hearing from you 🙂
You May Also Enjoy:
Everything I needed to know about the menopause… No One Told Me (Evidently Cochrane)
Hormone therapy: will it help or harm your heart? (Evidently Cochrane)
Reference: Northrup, M.D., Christiane (2008). The Secret Pleasures of Menopause. Hay House, USA.
Disclaimer: The content of this post is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
I wanted to bookend this post with a video of a funny commercial for air conditioners. I couldn’t find it, though.
Perhaps you’ve seen it? A woman wearing summer attire, stomps out of her house in the middle of blizzard. She trudges through the snow to the air conditioning unit, which she exasperatedly turns on. Let’s just say I can relate! 😉
Life is a series of cycles, menopause being one of them. Acceptance does make things easier emotionally, which often makes things easier physically. It stands to reason, though, when one considers how our thoughts and feelings influence the chemical cascade that occurs when we struggle.
Oh, what a wonderful and apropros commercial that is for menopause, Marianna!
Thanks so much for describing it – I love it and will look for it to see if I can insert it to accompany the second post on this topic 🙂
Yes, what you are suggesting vis a vis acceptance is so true…and yet it runs contrary to what perhaps many women are able to do due to pressures of ageism, sexism…
My hope/aspiration is to show that by taking care of oneself, one may pass through this stage with flying colors and find it a very liberating point in one’s life…
Thanks so much for having taken the time to comment (this is a topic that many prefer to avoid at all costs…)
did you ever notice the word? Men-o- Pause. yes, that’s the ticket. you gotta take a break from them, enough to self care and honor this life passage. my greatest challenges are heart palpitations and mood swings- i can’t tell if I am anxious from life or from hormones- either way, it’s difficult.
I feel blessed because the baggage I carried for most of my life is lighter now. With lighter baggage, I think menopause will be a time to claim the freedom of my adult self. almost there. i think.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and perspective of this time, janie 🙂
I love your clever play with and/or interpretation of the word menopause…it completely coincides with what is recommended for us women when we reach this point in time in our lives.
Dealing with heart palpitations and mood swings sound pretty rough…I wonder if meditation would be at all helpful with this?
I haven’t finished reading Dr Northrup’s book but if she makes any suggestions, I’ll make sure to pass them along.
How wonderful that you feel that you are almost there in terms of having claimed your freedom!
Wishing you much success and joy as you continue this journey,
Dorlee