Menopause Wellness

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. In fact, anyone who was born with ovaries will experience this process, regardless of their gender identity.

Menopause is characterized by a decrease in the production of the reproductive hormones - oestrogen and progesterone and can bring a range of physical and emotional changes, including hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, vaginal dryness and sleep disturbances.

While menopause can be very challenging, there are many ways to manage its symptoms and maintain good health during this transition. It is something that as women, or born with an ovarian system, we all experience, and for the majority of us, around 40% of our lives will be spent in the menopause, so its really important that we empower ourselves through actively taking responsibility for how we navigate this important life stage.

An important first step is understanding exactly what menopause is and looking at how we use the term 'menopause' on an everyday basis compared to how its used medically as from first hand experience this can cause confusion and misunderstanding.

Perimenopause, Menopause & Post-menopause Defined...

Menopause - medical definition

In clinical terms, menopause occurs exactly twelve months after your last period; it's the anniversary date of your final menstruation. So frustratingly, having a period anytime with in that year means you have to restart the twelve-month timer.

Premenopause

This is the reproductive stage, ranging from puberty to the start of perimenopause. Generally, periods during this phase are fairly regular and it's a good idea to monitor your menstrual cycle so that you know what your 'normal' is!

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is when you have menopausal symptoms, whilst still having periods. This is the phase where your periods start going a bit skewwhiff; becoming more erratic as your reproductive hormones begin to fluctuate and decline. You may find that the length of your periods change, the time between them is less regular, they can be heavier or lighter, and can be more or less painful!

Perimenopause can start anywhere between the mid-thirties to mid-fifties, with the average age being forty-seven years and tends to last between four to eight years, although it can last much longer!

There are two stages to the perimenopause:

Early perimenopause is when the length of your menstrual cycle is persistently seven days or more longer. In other words your period is a week or so later than usual. Tricky to recognise if they've always tended to be unpredictable!
Late perimenopause is when this gap between your periods extends to at least sixty days or more.

Perimenopause ends when you've not had a period for a full year. At this point you've reached menopause.

Post-menopause

You enter the post-menopause stage after you've reached twelve consecutive months without a period (menopause).

Why Menopause Wellness?

The menopause can impact women's mental and physical health, both during the transition and later on in life and, as it is still very much a taboo topic for many, and we often suffer in silence.

In her book Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause, Dr Louise Newson suggests that we redefine it as "what it actually is: a long-term hormone deficiency, which with the right support, treatments and lifestyle changes, can be managed so that the symptoms and, more importantly, women's future health, improves."

Its the difference between suffering and enduring life at this stage or taking ownership of our bodies and menopause journey; proactively taking charge and doing what we can to make the experience as positive as possible.

Feeling good

So, taking care of our overall health and wellbeing, whether it's physical, mental or emotional, is vital!

Whether it is managing symptoms, or providing the foundations of good health, nutrition, stress management, traditional hormone therapy, alternative treatments along with other holistic approaches are among some of the strategies, practices and lifestyle choices that can support and promote your menopause wellness during your menopause journey and beyond.

As a Menopause Wellness Practitioner....

My purpose is to provide you with a supportive and safe space to help you navigate the perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Learn more about how and why I became a Menopause Wellness Practitioner.

How I will work with you

I cannot emphasize enough that you are the expert of how you feel and your body! My role is to act as your support and guide; working together in partnership with you. My aim is to help you find what works best for you at whatever stage of the menopause your are at.

This is so important because we are all very different individuals and will experience our menopause journey in very different ways from one another. Your experience of the menopause will be different from others (and mine) and what works for you won't necessarily work for another. Even through the different stages of the menopause process, what may be effective in managing symptoms at one stage, may not be at another.

To find out more about the Menopause Wellness Program, click on the link below.

Menopause Wellness Program