I’m not great with life transitions. As women, we have to deal with more physical and mental transitions than men in our lifetimes.
Turning 40 was one thing, motherhood at 42 was another but nothing prepared me for perimenopause with a toddler. I thought I was losing my mind. I think I did lose my mind at one stage. I wasn’t really sure if the exhaustion, brain fog and mood swings were a result of the childcare/working/running a household or there was actually something deeper going on.
After my 3rd car accident due to complete lack of spatial awareness (they were fortunately minor and no one was hurt), 3rd year in a row when I had previously never had an accident in over 16 years of driving, I finally realised there was something wrong. Embarrassingly, it was my homeopath that suggested I may possibly be going through the very first stages of perimenopause. I was 46, a practising pharmacist, nutritional therapist and mother yet I had no idea I was entering into a different part of my life cycle. It was a total shock and I didn’t really know how I felt about it.
My first thought was that this can’t be right - I’m not that old yet! My second thought was how on earth did I not realise this? It was like it had crept up on me like a vague dream and I felt completely unprepared. I felt sad I had come to the end of my childbearing years.
I tried herbal supplements first as there are less related side effects and I got lucky. Within a few weeks, the herbals I opted for managed my symptoms well and I fortunately did not need to go down the HRT route. I speak to so many women who don’t really want to start HRT but feel they have no other choice. There is absolutely another way! Things that worked for me were:
Siberean Ginseng - fatigue and energy levels
Red Clover - brain fog and mood swings
Vitex/Chasteberry - hot flushes
Magnesium glycinate - sleep and anxiety
following a low refined carbohydrate diet
following my Healthy Hormone Tips
The hormones involved in the menopausal shift are linked to many systems in the body and have far reaching effects on many areas in us. One of them is the gut microbiome and for me, this had a major impact on my digestive system and I suffered a relapse in my previously managed symptoms. It’s funny how easy it is to slip back into old habits when you stop listening to your body, even if you know your triggers well. As any parent knows, you just want to do the best for your family, your own health takes a back seat and you just keep going. The flare up forced me to take a step back from the life I was living, reassess my needs against the backdrop of what my family needs from me. This journey is ongoing still and I can begin to see myself again.
If you would like 1-1 support with your hormone balance, get in touch and we can work towards feeling yourself again.