The two words that every woman dreads……The Menopause
My journey started in my late thirties with the usual hot sweats, terrible mood swings, weight gain, you know ladies, all the usual symptoms of the dreaded menopause and I “put up” with them for a few years until one day I decided I’d had enough and finally made the doctor’s appointment…..
I feel I was one of the lucky ones, my doctor was brilliant (this was in the early 2000’s), he listened and straight away said “you’re going through the menopause, how do you feel about HRT?”……..well I was dubious at first because of all the negative stories I’d heard about it but thought “why not give it a try, I can’t carry on the way I am”………and that day changed my life with regards to the hot sweats etc but it didn’t quite take away my mood swings, I can only describe them as being on a roller coaster all day, my mood could change in a split second, one minute I’d be happy and loving life, the next I’d be crying mid-sentence for no reason but this is something I’d suffered with all my life…..
For those of you who know me now, I come across as this confident, happy, self-assured woman but trust me, this wasn’t me as I grew up, I was anxious, hated being in the forefront of anything, would hide myself behind other people in order to make myself invisible and would cry at the smallest thing, I basically hated myself…..and then as I said, the menopause hit, and things just got worse……
It took until 2014 for me to finally say “I need help” and that’s what I did, I plucked up the courage to make a doctor’s appointment and I remember sitting in his room crying and saying those three words and my life was changed once again for the better…..he put me on an antidepressant that I still take but it’s not just that that’s helped me, the biggest thing was learning to love myself and the changes to my body through menopause…..
I know there are a lot of ladies who either can’t or don’t want to take HRT / antidepressants, so here’s a few alternatives that I hope will help:
Acupuncture – when delving into the application of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms, its paramount to understand its underlying mechanisms of actions, while these exact mechanisms remain a topic of ongoing research, some theories suggest that acupuncture can influence the release of neurotransmitters, endorphins, and hormones. These releases could potentially explain its efficiency in alleviating symptoms like hot flushes and sleep disturbances.
Herbal remedies have gained popularity in recent years for managing menopause symptoms but like any remedy, its efficiency may depend on its correct use and dosage and always source high quality supplements. It’s also important to note, that this might not suit everyone and its advisable to seek the advice of your doctor before taking anything as they may interact with certain medications.
Yoga – menopause often manifests not just as physical symptoms, but also as psychological and emotional changes and the physical postures practiced in yoga are designed to boost strength, flexibility and balance, these can be particularly beneficial for menopausal women i.e. weight bearing yoga postures can aid in maintaining bone density furthermore the stretches and poses can alleviate muscle and joint stiffness (these are two symptoms I suffer from)
Mindfulness and Meditation – both these practices centre on training the mind to stay attuned to the present moment, creating a space where reactions can be more measured and grounded, this in turn can diminish psychological distress which can manifest itself as anxiety, sadness or irritability.
Aromatherapy – essential oils such as lavender and chamomile can aid with calming and restful sleep.
A neck fan – trust me, this is a game changer when you’re feeling a little too warm and a fan in the bedroom (ignore the other half moaning about it being cold, this is about you my lovelies and what helps alleviate those night sweats!)
Menopause bedding – yes you can now buy bedding especially to help alleviate those symptoms, I haven’t tried it so I can’t comment on this, but I know a few ladies that have and they say it helps them, some also use weighted duvets to help with “restless legs”.
Things that have helped me are:
Accepting me as I am now, being content with the body I have, I’ll never be happy because I’m a woman and we never are, I mean who wants whiskers growing out of their chin, not me but you can get a great range of tweezers! 😊
Exercise - it doesn’t have to be much, trust me I’m not one for spending hours in a gym, not even 10 mins to be honest but even a gentle walk will help, dancing with BodiBlossom is perfect for me, I can choose which classes will benefit me plus it gives me that confidence we ladies need when going through this time of our lives.
Having people around me that give me support, this is where BodiBlossom has helped me on my journey, the community we have is precious to me, I know if I’m feeling down there’s always someone to listen and give me the encouragement I need.
Working for a company that embraces all things menopause, we have a great support network within it that meets up once a month via Teams where we listen to each other, give advice, tips on how best to get through it.
Most of all, an understanding partner, I know mine gets frustrated with my brain fog, I’ve got to the stage where I can’t remember what things are called or people’s names, my libido packed its suitcase one day and never came back - but he’s still here with me and that means a lot (just don’t ever tell him otherwise he’ll never shut up about it!)
Ladies, we are all in this together, partners or no partners, we stick with each other and I’m always here if you need to talk to me……
Lots of love
Mumma Bev xx
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