Hi, my name’s Jenni, I’m 43 and I’m perimenopausal. As an entirely natural and inevitable stage of life, why then does this feel like an opening statement at a support group?!
Perimenopause and menopause have long been shrouded in mystery – I remember only a few years back the hushed tones of “She’s going through The Change” as the sole explanation about someone if they weren’t acting their normal selves, so unable were people to even say the word ‘menopause’ (gasp, shock, horror!) let alone talk about it further.
The word perimenopause wasn’t even generally used then – the entire thing was lumped under the term ‘menopause’, even though perimenopause is the period of hormonal upheaval leading up to menopause that can last years, while menopause is simply the final day of your last ever period.
Awareness and education of perimenopause has got waaaay better over the last few years, thanks to a number of high-profile women and experts who are talking about it, shining a light on it and normalising it.
And this is something I am so grateful for, as it meant I didn’t wonder what the hell was going on when I started to experience perimenopausal symptoms, and I could educate myself on how to navigate it.
I’ll talk about perimenopause with anyone who’ll listen – and also those who won’t!
Why am I talking about all this? Well, as Founder of a natural skincare brand aimed at women aged 40+, the majority of my lovely customers are going through, or will soon go through, perimenopause.
I talk about being perimenopausal openly – to my husband so that he understands what I am going through, to my 10 year old daughter so that perimenopause is completely normal to her (after all, she will experience it in the future), to my female friends in solidarity and to share experiences and advice with each other, and to my male friends so they aren’t completely unaware/so darned frightened of the mere mention of the word!
(When I’ve spoken about it with male friends, it usually prompts genuine interest as most have known little to nothing about it, although I have had someone act with horror every time I merely mention the word perimenopause, which only prompts me to talk about it more so that I may in time normalise it for him! 😁)
And so too, dear reader, I am now talking about it with you, to normalise it and to stand in solidarity and support you.
Where to get help with perimenopause
We have a number of articles about perimenopause on our website, from understanding perimenopause better from a perimenopause expert, to how perimenopause can affect skin, to confidence boosting tips from women who have been there, done that, had the night sweats!
But if you’re experiencing hormonal changes, or changes in yourself that you might not have put down to perimenopause (for example, many women have been wrongly diagnosed as depressed rather than perimenopausal, or some women have worried they’re getting early onset dementia instead of realising they’re perimenopausal), I urge you to read up about perimenopause.
If you’re unsure where to start, check out our guide on where to go for help with perimenopause and we’ve also got some good perimenopause book recommendations here.
You know yourself best
I’m 43 and I’ve been perimenopausal since 40, which is considered early to start. I’ve even had some women tell me flat-out that I can’t be perimenopausal, like I’m not allowed into an exclusive group that I never asked to join anyway!
You know yourself better than anyone else, so if you've wondered "Am I perimenopausal?", then educate yourself to arm yourself with information and guidance on what to do next and don’t let anyone be dismissive of you. You don’t need to be afraid of perimenopause, you just need to know how to navigate it.
Willowberry is nutritious natural skincare for grown-ups, for your best skin.
Designed especially for the needs of grown-up skin without telling women to be 'anti-ageing', Willowberry’s luxurious award-winning products nurture and nourish, for a brighter, hydrated, radiant complexion. We want you to Age Without Apology.
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