10/20/2024
Peri menopause is often called puberty in reverse.
Can you imagine when going through puberty, if we had careers, families, homes, and other responsibilities?
And instead of bursting into tears when things felt overwhelming we had a cocktail or ate a carton of ice cream.
Or we stayed up all night watching Netflix then got up at 5am to go to an Orange Theory class instead of sleeping.
Puberty would have been 1000x harder. Maybe impossible.
In puberty, the body and brain are adapting to higher hormone levels. The transition to menopause is adapting to losing them.
Many argue menopause is a natural process that every women in history has gone through...
so why are we all having such a hard time compared to our mothers and grandmothers?
Here's my take-
Until the 1930s most women weren't expected to live past 50. Our longevity is barely 100 years old. So there's that.
And until recently much wasn't expected from women after age 50 beyond cooking, cleaning and helping with grandchildren. Today women are running businesses, raising families, caring for elderly parents and working out every day.
Now I am not saying other generations of women had it easy-none did. I am saying the pace of life and expectations for each new generation are daunting.
AND when our ovaries start to slow down, they recruit the adrenals to help produce hormones. But our 2024 adrenals do not have the band width to help because they are busy dealing with all the stress hormones we are cranking out so we shorted and the signs and symptoms of menopause show up faster.
I'm almost 53 and still in perimenopause. When I was 41, I had low progesterone because of my lifestyle choices. After I made changes, I began to produce more and didn't need to supplement progesterone until my 50's. My sense is that's happening to a lot of younger women.
The other reason we are making a bigger deal of menopause today is this generation is very comfortable asking and even demanding for what we need. If a doctor doesn't help us and tells us, "welcome to 40, 50, etc" then we will move on and find someone who WILL help us. Historically women didn't feel allowed to challenge a doctor or express their pain, discomfort, mood swings, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness etc.
I went through FIVE supposed experts, that I payed out of pocket for, before I found someone that would take my issues seriously.
I am so thankful we are setting up future generations for more inclusive health care because until recently, a women's health was seen through the lens of reproduction and THAT IS IT.
And it tuns out our hormones aren't just for baby making.
They actually regulate brain function, dementia risk, neurotransmitters that regulate mood, cholesterol, heart disease, hearing, vision, skin, tendons, joints, muscles, temperature regulation, blood sugar control, appetite, sleep, s*x drive, bones and digestion to name a few.
And I think all of those things are important until the day we die not JUST until we can't make babies anymore.
Peri menopause, which can begin in your 30s, is a time to practice becoming an expert on caring for YOU.
Menopause is not a transition to suffer through and chalk up to "getting older", it is a transition to be CLAIMED.
This phase of life can be the most powerful version of YOU.
You are not alone.
I'm in the thick of it with you. And researching the science of menopause has been a part time job for me the past 2.5 years.
And I am continually learning to put myself first...above family, career and relationships because having a healthy body, mind and spirit is required for me to show up fully for my life.
If you're ready to start putting your health first. I will support you as fiercely as I do myself.
Xo. S
PS. Click the link below to set up a time to talk.
PSS. Pictured is 13 yr old me, going through puberty with Sun-In highlights feeling so confused.
