As a Female-owned company, we have many goals: create high-quality products, support our customers, and partner with like-minded businesses. But we also want to play a role in normalizing conversations surrounding wellness, and that includes talking more about topics such as perimenopause and menopause as part of our everyday lives.
In a previous blog, we covered “Menopause vs Perimenopause: What’s the Difference?”, but since then, we’ve noticed something: there’s still so much more to the topic that we didn’t discuss. At the same time, we do not want this to stay a one-and-done conversation. Perimenopause and menopause are topics that we want normalized, discussed, and more understood than they are currently.
Let’s Stop Treating Perimenopause and Menopause Like a Secret
Before we get into the details, let’s go over one thing: Why is there still such a stigma surrounding perimenopause and menopause?
We talk about puberty, periods, pregnancy, and even sex more openly than we used to – but perimenopause and menopause can still feel like a secret. In fact, many people do not even realize that they may be going through perimenopause or menopause. So why do we wait until someone is experiencing symptoms to teach them about a major life transition?
The goal isn’t just to know what perimenopause and menopause are – it’s to make talking about them feel normal and reduce the stigma around a common, normal, and expected aspect of life. “I think I might be in perimenopause” shouldn’t feel embarrassing or shameful. For such a common life stage for so many individuals, conversations surrounding perimenopause and menopause shouldn’t have to happen in a hushed manner.
Perimenopause Isn’t Just a Period Problem
Let’s focus on perimenopause here. Many people may know about menopause, but the years leading up to menopause can still feel like a mystery. Perimenopause can begin years before menopause, and awareness efforts should focus on reaching people earlier so they’re not caught off guard.
People should know about perimenopause before they’re experiencing it.
It’s also more than hot flashes and irregular periods. Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can bring physical and mental changes that affect everyday life. Sleep can change. Anxiety and mood changes may show up. Your relationship with your body may change. Your sex life may change. Some people may also notice changes in weight or find that maintaining their usual weight becomes more difficult.
And these changes don’t just stay in the body. Symptoms during this transition can affect work, relationships, sleep, mood, and sex.
There’s More Than Hot Flashes
You may already know some of the more commonly discussed perimenopause and menopause symptoms, such as night sweats, brain fog, and period changes. But there are plenty of other changes that you may not realize can be associated with this stage of life.
Some of the less-talked-about changes can include:
- Body image changes
- Relationship changes
- Acne
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Bloating
- Changes in body odor
- Breast pain
- Dizziness
- Dry skin
- Joint pain
- Muscle tension
Check out The National Menopause Foundation’s Menopause Symptom Checklist for a more comprehensive list of potential symptoms one may experience during perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. You may be surprised with some of the symptoms you notice.
That doesn’t mean every new symptom is automatically caused by perimenopause. Bodies are complicated, and there can be many reasons why something changes. But knowing what could be related to hormonal changes can help you recognize patterns and know when it may be worth talking with a healthcare professional.
And if you think you may be experiencing perimenopause or menopause, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Talk to your friends, family, and healthcare providers about what you’re experiencing. You know your body, and you deserve to have your concerns taken seriously.
If you’re struggling to find a healthcare provider who understands perimenopause and menopause, you may also want to look for someone who specializes in this area, such as providers through Pandia Health.
The Importance of Self-Care During this Transition
When we say “self-care,” we often mean massages, skincare, sleep, exercise, or taking a day off. But what if self-care also meant paying attention to your overall well-being?
During this life stage, you still need to take care of yourself in all aspects of life: your body, sleep, mental health, relationships, and sexual wellness.
And self-care doesn’t have to mean adding another hour-long task to your already-full schedule. Even when life gets busy, we can carve out small moments for ourselves throughout the week – whether that means taking a bath, getting some extra sleep, journaling, moving your body, spending time with someone you love, or creating a little more space for pleasure and intimacy.
Sometimes, it really can be as simple as mini bite-sized self-care rituals throughout your week.
This is also where sexual wellness deserves a place in the conversation. Changes in hormones can affect things like desire, arousal, comfort, and pleasure, and those changes can sometimes be unexpected. Your sex life doesn’t have to disappear just because your body is changing. It may simply mean finding new ways to connect with your body, your partner(s), and your pleasure.
Self-care isn’t about finding the perfect routine or “fixing” every symptom. Sometimes, it’s about paying attention to what feels different and giving yourself permission to adapt.
The Wellness Conversation We Should Have Started Earlier
Wellness isn’t just skincare, supplements, or exercise – body literacy is wellness.
Knowing what your hormones are doing, understanding changes in your cycle, knowing what changes might be related to perimenopause, and feeling comfortable discussing your health are all forms of taking care of yourself.
Think about wellness as more than one category:
- Physical wellness – understanding and responding to body changes
- Mental wellness – acknowledging mood and cognitive changes
- Social wellness – having people you can actually talk to
- Sexual wellness – understanding changes in desire, arousal, and pleasure
- Emotional wellness – giving yourself some grace through the transition
Maybe wellness isn’t about optimizing every part of your life. Maybe sometimes it’s about understanding your body, listening to what you need, and feeling comfortable enough to talk about it.
Knowledge is power, and perimenopause and menopause should be more understood. Awareness can help people recognize changes, start conversations, and advocate for themselves.
You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to seek a second opinion. And you don’t have to just “deal with it”.
The more we talk about perimenopause and menopause, the less mysterious they become. And the less mysterious they become, the easier it is for people to understand what’s happening in their bodies, find support, and feel a little less alone in the process.
Read More:
Menopause vs Perimenopause: What’s the Difference?
Bite-Size Self-Care
Pleasure, Intimacy, and Sex: Part I
Pleasure, Intimacy, and Sex: Part II
