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Some ways to cope with Perimenopause
Perimenopause wasn’t invented when I went through it so I had no idea I was going through it! I just thought I was going through hell and tried to ignore it! DoTERRA was also yet to be invented, so there was no help there either.
Now it’s been invented, women (do men go through it too? I don’t know – that’s for another day) between the ages of 40 – 50 start feeling big changes in their physical and mental being, but I hear about some people starting the symptoms earlier than that. So, I feel it’s good to be prepared, so you know you’re not going crazy.
My mood swings were blamed on things occurring around me – and I apologise to anyone who bore the brunt of my spinning emotions – it was nothing personal. Then there was the weight gain – where did that come from? Had I just got lazy? Was it the bigger plates that were a must have in those days? Was it the glass of wine that helped me feel human?
One day I tried to sidestep over a low fence and couldn’t – my hip said nope. Luckily someone came along with collagen and I was able to cock my leg like an Alsatian (luckily I was spared the leaky wee, so it was only the leg action that was similar). They didn’t just come along the footpath with collagen, by the way, I mean a friend told me about it and I started taking it, noticing the difference after a couple of weeks – yay. That one got solved.
Then, TMI - Aunty Flow came to stay each month and had got HUGE – she had gone from slight and only a bit of a pain, to extremely overweight and positively unbearable. When I say she was HUGE, I mean I wore nappies to bed and didn’t go out for a week. I was consulted by a consultant genealogist who laughed (she was female, and for some reason thought she had the right to laugh at another woman’s misfortunes) and told me that I looked young for my age and that was my punishment! Menopause was not on the horizon, so they could either insert something which sounded more like part of a steam engine than a feminine device, or they could stick a blow torch up there and burn it off, or I could rely on a mocktail of fake hormones, or I could just live with it. Being a coward I chose the latter option and resigned myself to the fact that I would bleed to death on a monthly basis. The upside of this was that I was constantly anaemic so I couldn’t give blood which was a blessing as I hate needles and Rich Tea biscuits. Great shame tho, as I had plenty of blood to give – just not out of a vein in my arm.
So – young women everywhere – when you start getting cranky, hot & flustered, sleepless, achy, not able to concentrate, swinging between laughing, hating your loved ones, crying and yelling abuse at the woman in the post office, you’re not going crazy – it’s ‘Say hello to Peri’ time (hopefully, otherwise you need a different kind of therapy) Peri will be with you for around ten years, so it’s a good idea to get the better of it before it gets the better of you.
Now, I’m not an expert and there are plenty of them out there (nothing sexist here, but I would say seek advice from a woman as they have a vested interest in researching it, although husbands might benefit from a bit of a read, too).
What I have seen so far is that hormone balance is a vital aspect, and there are plenty of herbs, essential oils and foods that can help with this. Keeping fit is a good plan, as is getting plenty of sleep. You may decide to go down the HRT route and that’s great for some people but not for others. Here are some resources you might find useful if not invaluable;
Dr Mariza Snyder – women’s hormone health
Dr Nitu Bajekal – the plant based gynae
Me (haha) I have seen a lot of evidence that essential oils and supplements can have a big impact on hormones, as well as pain relief, sleep and peaceful mind. I am going to be sharing info on these regularly (once a month, maybe???) and I am always happy to talk, listen, research and share samples with people.
The first one I will share now, as it was formulated with all this in mind – Clary Calm from doTERRA - referred to as the Women’s Blend – not just for this stage in your life, but for any stage of the female journey.
and if you want to give it a go - https://doterra.me/4HFsRj to buy it.
I would also highly recommend a spray bottle, some distilled water and a few drops of doTERRA Peppermint oil. Spray randomly wherever it’s needed (but not in your eyes!) – it’s a godsend! It can also help with energy, head tension, and much more, plus being fabulous in coffee or chocolate!
So, this thing that could take you on a rough journey for anything up to ten years, can cause havoc with your life, so get prepared and don’t let Peri get the better of you
Get in touch if you need to – I’m here for ya and if I don’t know the answer, I will find it.
Speak soon
Pea xx
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