Perimenopause is an introduction into menopause.
It is the phase in which our body prepares itself for the transition from the age of fertility to menopause, and finally, postmenopause.
Postmenopause can be the age of tranquility and peace, (if you allow it to be). Perimenopause Signs
Peri, let’s call it that, can begin a decade before you reach menopause ( you are “officially” in menopause 12 months after your last period).
This chapter in our lives usually starts in our mid-40s, but for some, it can even begin in their 30s. On average, the age for menopause is 51.
Although postmenopause can actually become an age of tranquility and peace, getting there can be a difficult transition. More than 80% of women experience issues, often called menopausal symptoms, in the stage from perimenopause to menopause.
The changes that begin to happen in your body and mind are usually subtle and can often be mistaken for stress caused by life and work.
Not an easy phase
For many women, perimenopause is a time where your children’s puberty overlaps with your own hormonal challenges. Not an easy thing to handle.
Your periods may change – become more or less frequent (the time between 2 periods shortens or lengthens). They may be irregular – they skip a few months and then come back to normal. You can’t plan anything anymore around them.
There are 45 different “symptoms” (some say even more) in perimenopause, but the major ones are hot flashes, insomnia or other sleep problems, irritability and mood swings, weight gain, and brain fog. We will cover them all in our upcoming blogs. Perimenopause Signs
For many women, this is the first time when they come face to face with getting older. The imminent loss of fertility is seen as the end of youth and the waning of attractiveness and sex-appeal, which can create a host of conflicting feelings.
This is all very confusing because nobody prepares us for what to expect. Many of us begin to experience a declining libido while still wanting to be seen as sexually desirable. We want our partners to see us as young and attractive, yet we may be irritated by them more often.
Redefining who we are
Peri can also bring a new feeling of becoming invisible and even nonessential. Many of us feel that our worth declines by the mere fact that our children have grown and don’t need us in the same way they used to. We face the challenge of redefining our purpose and goals.
Be kind to yourself first and foremost. Talk to your partner and your kids about the changes you are going through. Do not suffer in silence. You are not alone. At this very moment, at least half a billion women are going through the same issues as you.
Talk to your mother if you can, or your older sister, if you have one, about their own perimenopause. Have a conversation with your friends about the problems you are facing. They are nothing to be ashamed of. Perimenopause is a normal phase in every woman’s life. It is not an illness or a condition to be treated. perimenopause Signs Approaching
If the symptoms you are experiencing are debilitating and so serious that they make life very difficult for you, you should seek medical help.
Start taking extra care of your physical and mental health. Prepare yourself for the challenges you will most likely face in perimenopause, like fatigue and brain fog. Be at your best when all of this starts – in the best physical shape with a healthy mindset by exercising and eating in a healthy way.
Read our blogs about nutrition, self-care, supplements, herbs, and communication in and around perimenopause and menopause.
