Topic Tuesday// Embracing Menopause // Tuesday 25th July 2023 5:30-7PM AEST

[SweetiePie]

I would love to hear from wht re embraced menopause. It's not always easy and so complex

[Jen_WHT]

@SweetiePie Menopause can indeed be complex and certainly no walk in the park for many people. But it can also be a time to rediscover yourself in a new chapter of life.

[SweetiePie]

Yes indeed.  Lots of change going on in my life and really hoping we can advocate for better education and support for women approaching perimenopause, as I tend to be behind the 8 ball on learning/understaing my own situation.  But looking forward to growth. 

[Jen_WHT]

@SweetiePie Absolutely, more education is definitely needed. You are not alone most of the women we speak to, had no idea of what to expect heading into peri menopause and/or menopause. Sadly, it is just not talked about enough.

[amber22]

Now onto our next question for the night for @Jen_WHT 

How might menopause be defined? 

For the Community: What questions, if any, do you have about menopause?  

[Jen_WHT]

How might menopause be defined? 

Menopause itself, is easy to define. You will have reached menopause when you have had no period, spotting or staining for 12 months. The average age is 51 years.

It is tricker to pinpoint the start of perimenopause. The time leading up to menopause. It usually begins in the 40s and can last 4 to 6 years, on average.  However, for some people it can last up to 10 years before menopause, and for others only a year.

At perimenopause, your ovaries are starting to run out of eggs and wind down. This causes fluctuations in the female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

Symptoms - Changes to your periods are often the first sign of perimenopause, but other common symptoms include hot flushes, mood swings, and disturbed sleep.

When it comes to perimenopause and menopause – everyone is different. There are a whole range of symptoms and experiences –

·         no symptoms other than no more period;

·         20 hot flashes a day vs none ever;

·         sudden menopause from a full hysterectomy vs gradual increase in symptoms that you only realise in hindsight was perimenopause starting.

[SweetiePie]

Is it such a lottery or can we influence our own passage through the period? Sorry. Bad choice of word passage through the change perps is better. 

[Jen_WHT]

@SweetiePie I didn't realise I was peri-menopausal until I had my last period. A lot of the women we speak to don't realise what is going on with their bodies straight away. We are often so busy caring for others we don't have time.

[Jen_WHT]

When peri-menopause and menopause occur is unpredictable for sure but there are things you can do to support your physical and mental health during this time.

Some people find relief from symptoms by seeking help from their GP in the form of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

[TideisTurning]

I'm curious @SweetiePie- when you say 'influence', what might this look like for you if you could have influence over this period of change?