What is perimenopause?

What actually is the perimenopause?

How do you know if you’re perimenopausal?

Big questions, hard to answer in a blog or social media post.

The perimenopause is that phase in your menstruating life when your periods and ovulation may become irregular, and you experience fluctuations in hormone levels that can create a whole host of symptoms (hot flushes, mood changes, high anxiety, skin and hair changes, joint issues, energy fluctuations, insomnia, etc etc). *

Menopause is the end of your menstrual cycles (officially 12 months after your last bleed). Symptoms may continue after this time.

How do you know if you’re in it?

If you’re in your mid 40s it’s pretty likely that you are perimenopausal.

If you’re late 30s-early 40s you can ask your GP for a FSH hormone test - which may, or may not, give a definitive answer. The average age of menopause is 52. There’s a lot of variation in the length of time we go through the perimenopause experiences.

I think there are LOTS of positives we can find in perimenopause. A renewed investment in ourselves, re-prioritisation of our wellbeing, a chance to get to know ourselves and our cycles better in order to better manage our experience.

What do we need to know about perimenopause?

It’s a transition phase. We have to go through it and we will ALL experience it differently. I truly believe we can improve our experience by improving our self awareness and making adjustments to lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, movement and more. HRT and supplements may take a really important role, but everyone is different.

And this is the essence of my work. My clients are all in this perimenopause phase. Some are also taking HRT or have support from other therapists as well as their GP.

But what I can contribute is support for their lived experience AND a chance to create an updated vision for their future - future health and future life.

It’s a privilege and a pleasure to do this work.

Want to know more about perimenopause, download a free mini guide via the button below:

*lots of these symptoms can also have other causes - so it’s really important NOT to dismiss them but to keep having conversations with GPs and health professionals.