“My greatest fear is that Menopause doesn’t really exist and this is the real me”

We’re pretty sure you’ve shared in jokes and off the cuff comments about Menopause. We know there is a plethora of jokes on the Internet that you can laugh until you cry over. 

But whether you are in that phase of life or not, a lot of women seem to liken this stage to “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry” type of scenario. The changes in themselves are so strong and evident that some women actually feel like they are completely losing the plot! 

The reality is that Menopause is a pivotal phase of life that hasn’t been given enough credit for the potential and growth of a woman, particularly as we (women) are living 30 – 40 years beyond Menopause.

We simply do not know enough about it! And interestingly the most unanswered question women have is – What is Menopause?

In one of our recent articles Let’s Talk Menopause, we broke down what it is and the various symptoms women can experience. 

One of core missions at Own Your Health Co is to educate women from as early as possible about their bodies, their monthly cycles and the pivotal life stages that ALL women will experience in some capacity. 

With this in mind it’s so important to understand the phases of Menopause and what you can expect:

Pre-Menopause: The reproductive phase. The years that you experience your monthly menstrual cycle, typically described as 28 days long, but can differ for every woman. Hormones relatively intact.

Peri Menopause: The transitional period from the reproductive phase to the non-reproductive phase. You still have periods, though you experience “Menopausal” symptoms ie: irregular periods. Starts as Very Early Menopause to Early Menopause to Late Menopause. On average, can last anywhere from five to ten years, with varying symptoms throughout.

Menopause: Is one day long only. It marks the one year anniversary since your last menstrual period.

Post Menopause: Is as it suggests, after Menopause. It’s the non-reproductive phase, when periods have stopped. Symptoms should be dissipating although for some they can still be prevalent such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness and UTIs.

It’s important to note that Menopause can either be spontaneous (develops naturally), surgically induced (resulting from a hysterectomy) or Iatrogenic (resulting from treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy). It usually happens from the age of 45 to 55, the average age being 51 years old. How long it lasts differs for each woman, however, four to ten years is the usual period noted.

No matter where you sit across the four phases we want women to know and understand that this is a completely natural phase of life. Empowering yourself with knowledge to understand what is happening to your body will give you the upper hand.

Embrace life. 

Be a strong, healthy woman and live fully from this day forward!

Natalie and Lisa are on a mission to help women embrace their physiology and use it to their advantage. We have created Peri Menopause Power to help women be empowered so that they can control the impact of this life phase and embrace it with all that it has to offer.

This is your safe space to connect with YOU. This is your safe space of education, life nurturing strategies and most importantly connection and community with other women in the same boat as you.

The potential to live your best life, no matter what life stage is within you. We simply empower you to embrace it. Reclaim yourself on this pivotal life stage, click here to learn more.