If you know a woman, love a woman or even live with a woman then you have or will experience the physical, emotional and mental effects of menopause.
Menopause is a natural and inevitable phase in a woman's life, signaling the end of reproductive years. While this biological transition is unique to each woman, its impact on relationships is a shared experience that requires understanding, patience, and open communication.
"So, I keep hearing about perimenopause. What is that?"
Perimenopause is not a one-size-fits-all experience; its timing can vary significantly from woman to woman. On average, it typically begins in a woman's 40s, but it's essential to recognize that this process can commence earlier or later. Some women may start experiencing perimenopausal symptoms in their late 30s, while others may not encounter these changes until their early 50s.
In this blog post, I'm going to share with you my 5 tips for navigating perimenopause and how to bring a little comfort and ease to an already stressful and overwhelming phase in life.
These 5 steps were created to help you better understand areas you'll want to focus on to ease your experience during perimenopause. It's a confusing and disorienting time in life, so hopefully you can start exploring your options to find some comfort and truly take care of your needs first.
Become comfortable talking about your experiences: Keeping this to yourself isn't going to serve anybody. Learning to talk openly about what you're going through will strengthen the relationships around you - including intimate relationships. You're going to be talking to health care professionals, family members, spouses and friends about your transition. Shedding any shame around your body, periods, hormones and emotional stressors will help you become more comfortable communicating your needs.
Learn all 70+ symptoms and track yours: A lot of women experience symptoms without connecting them to perimenopause, creating a delay in care and management. The sooner you track, the sooner you can explore all your options and begin a care plan.
Research what your options are: Read books, ask questions, do your own research, make several appointments with menopause specialists to make sure you're comfortable with the care/answers you're receiving. (I'll be talking about research options below).
Maintain a charged erotic battery: It's important to wake up your brain, (largest sex organ we have), sexually everyday or every other day. Waking up your brain sexually can look like; having sex, watching ethical porn, reading/listening to erotica, reading romance/smut, watching a sexy movie/TV show or having sexual conversations with your partner. There's a saying in sexology, "If you don't use it, you lose it." We're referring to that erotic battery. If it stays fully charged, sexual activity can be readily accessible. If that battery gets low, sexual activity can feel out-of-reach or become labor-some.
Find a Doctor, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP), or NCMP the NAMS Menopause Practitioner: Visit NAMS now called The Menopause Society landing directory webpage.Once you find a practitioner in your area, make an appointment and then ask them questions. Are they certified? How long have they been working as a specialist? What's their opinion of hormone replacement therapy? Do they prescribe vaginal estrogen and why? If you feel like you're not being taken seriously FIND ANOTHER DR. We have to advocate for our own health!
Here are two books I recommend reading to better understand whats happening with you and how to manage your care or you're wanting to understand what a loved one is going through and how you can support them.
If you're on Instagram, follow these accounts:
@menopause_society
@kellycaspersonmd or Kelly Casperson on FB
@drmaryclaire
@drjengunter
Podcasts to follow:
You Are Not Broken by Dr. Kelly Casperson
Talk with women in your family - we get half of our DNA from our mom. Genetics play a large part of when we will begin the menopause transition.
Wanna hear the latest podcast episode I had the honor of being a guest on?
Sex Coaching for Beginners: You Are Not Broken with Kristine and Dr. Kelly Casperson