Something I get asked a LOT is “am I in perimenopause”
If you’re a woman older than 35, then yes, you are.
“But doesn’t perimenopause mean I’d be having some of these awful symptoms everyone is talking about these days?”
No.
‘Perimenopause’ is NOT a medical ‘condition’, it’s NOT a set of symptoms, it is NOT a pathology – it’s a natural phase in a woman’s life, just like puberty and menopause are.
Physiologically, a woman’s body starts to move into the perimenopause phase from around age 35, whether she has symptoms or not.
Let’s say for example she’s 39, then she’s in perimenopause, symptoms or not.
If a woman is in post-menopause (e.g.,she’s in her 50s and she’s gone a full 12 months without a period), we don’t say that she isn’t post menopause just because she has no menopause symptoms, we say she IS in menopause based on the fact that she has stopped having periods for a year or more AND she’s in the age range for menopause to occur (natural menopause, not surgically induced). Symptoms or not, she is menopausal, and it’s the same with perimenopause. It’s a phase you are in post 35!
Being in perimenopause is not a bad or unwanted thing.
IT’S A NATURAL PHASE! What the media, supplement companies and some so-called ‘experts’ will have you believe though is that perimenopause IS a set symptoms, a pathology, or a condition. Nope.
Symptoms CAN (and usually do, especially in our modern, high stress world) manifest at 35, 36, 37, OR not until 45, 46, 47. Or NOT AT ALL (you could be lucky).
It will be DIFFERENT for EVERY woman
Symptoms are more likely to manifest if, for example:
- Stress is high or chronic
- Your life is always go, go, go
- Food/diet isn’t supportive of good blood sugar balance
- You have insulin resistance
- You’re sleep deprived
- You drink a lot of alcohol
- Exercise is always intense, long duration, only cardio-based
- You have a history of hormonal imbalances / conditions related to hormonal imbalance
- You have existing autoimmunity going on / autoimmune condition
- Your digestion isn’t optimal / gut health is compromised
Symptoms are related to cycles, periods, PMS, mood, cognition, sleep, weight + body composition, skin, immunity, joints, body temperature regulation, and more.
Do you have symptoms?
With love,
Francesca xx
PS. If you think you might like 1-2-1 support from me you can see my 1-2-1 offerings here.
Or, if you’d like to work through a self study course on how to thrive through perimenopause OR do this with live support from me by way of a weekly Zoom group support call for 12 weeks, you can join my Thrive Through Perimenopause programme here.
