Did you know that the hormonal shifts of perimenopause can start long before your final period, in fact as early as your mid to late thirties? 

 

Maybe menopause seems like a distant event, a ‘change’ that will happen when you’re much older, and you don’t need to worry about it until then. You may even be a little afraid of this period in your life, and no wonder; there’s plenty of stigma attached to this normal, natural process (that, by the way, happens to 51 percent of the world’s population!). But while ‘menopause’ refers to reaching a point in your life when you haven’t had a period for 12 months, the bit you really need to pay attention to is the 10 years before that happens. That’s the perimenopause and it’s a process, or sequence of events, that brings some BIG changes to your hormones, which can result in some BIG changes to your body, your vitality, your emotions, your sleep, your perception of life and your place within it. 

 

The important thing to realise is that by choosing how you get ready for this passage in your life, YOU can determine whether you struggle through this time with debilitating symptoms or can access the energy freed up as you leave your fertile years behind, allowing you to feel vibrant, healthy and able to step into this powerful time in your life.

 

So, how will you know when your hormones start to shift during perimenopause? Well, symptoms vary from one woman to the next, but you can expect to see some of these changes:

• Your period starts to deviate from your normal - perhaps that means longer or shorter cycles, bleeding for longer than usual, skipped periods, heavier flow, cramping or a mix of all of them!

• Difficulty sleeping - you may find it hard to fall asleep, or wake in the night multiple times, perhaps with busy brain, a racing heart or feeling hot and sweaty

• Mood changes - you may feeling less upbeat about things, and more angsty, tearful, or apathetic

• Weight gain, especially around your middle - this can feel like an extra layer of padding, and it can come on quite suddenly and be reluctant to leave!

• Increased tiredness - you may feel lethargic and heavy and would prefer to stay in rather than go out

• Forgetfulness - you walk into a room and can’t remember why you’re in there. You struggle to remember that actor in a film, or even the film itself… 

• Aches and pains - you find yourself aching when you get out of bed, or that exercise is harder than it used to be and leaves you feeling stiff and sore

• Hot flashes and/or night sweats - these can vary from mild and infrequent to severe and debilitating, and may make navigating your usual day and night time routines difficult

• Low libido - you don’t fancy having sex as often as you used to; reading seems much more appealing

• Allergies - hormone changes can make you more prone to react to your food and environment

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