You are in postmenopause on the 366th day after your last period.
Do all those menopausal symptoms end on this day when you enter postmenopause? Sadly, the answer is no, but they do get less intense, severe, and frequent with time.
We are all so different that nobody can tell you when all of those menopausal will issues stop. In olden times, your best source of information was your mother or older sister if you were lucky to have one. This may not be the case any longer.
However, there can also be a problem with that too. Mothers are on average 25 years older, so their menopause would be a quarter of a century before yours, and the chances are they don’t remember all the details of what they went through in menopause. After all, do you remember exactly how you felt twenty five years ago?
Because perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are all phases of a slow transition, there is no beginning or end date that one can pinpoint. On the other hand, most of us will experience that aha moment when we realize that this is what is happening to us and not just stress or some other mysterious condition.
…and eventually you are back!
One day in postmenopause, you become aware of the fact that you feel your energy is back, that you slept well or that you didn’t have a hot flash for a while. This day can be a few years after that 366th day (one full year after your last period), but it does come.
The bad news is that hot flashes can bother 40% of women until their mid-60s, but they are nowhere near as intense or frequent as they are towards the end of perimenopause. Prepare yourself mentally for this, so that hot flashes become easier to handle.
You can learn to meditate, do breathing exercises, yoga, or Tai Chi. All of these activities can make hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms less troublesome.
If you devote some time and effort to learning how to deal with the menopausal issues you are going through, you can find natural remedies that can make your life much easier.
There are 45 menopausal symptoms and no one cure for all of them, but we will offer information and strategies in upcoming blogs.
We are all so different that it does take some time, patience, and persistence to find what works for you. One thing may work for you and a completely different thing for someone else.
Be vigilant with your checkups!
The fact that you don’t have a period anymore and that there is no chance of getting pregnant does not mean you should skip your annual gynecologist checkup. You also need to see her/him as soon as possible if you experience any bleeding or even spotting after a year with no periods.
Many of the changes to your body will become permanent and it will not go back to what it was before menopause. Your energy and concentration may come back to what they used to be and your mood is now stable, the wrinkles, dry skin, and vaginal changes are here to stay.
Because of all of these changes, it is important that you take better care of yourself starting in early perimenopause but even more so in postmenopause. Adapting, accepting, and making the best of life are the winning strategies for enjoying the rest of your life.
You choose if this is a beginning or an ending
Saying that life is not the same after menopause does not mean that you should fade away into invisibility or stop being the beautiful vibrant woman that you are! Quite the contrary!
Many of us who invested the time and energy in rediscovering life in postmenopause, found that it is a wonderful phase in life where we are free from so many “musts” and “shoulds” that our upbringing programmed us for.
We invite you to redefine your priorities, and possibly even your purpose in life. Wear your new colors with pride and the newfound freedom age brings. Be bold and adventurous. Live life fully and rediscover joy.
