How To Cope With The Dreaded Menopause

From our early teens, we have periods! Every month, we get grouchy, suffer the worst pain and eat far too much chocolate. Then just as we are over our childbearing years, we have worked out a way to live with our monthly curse. And mother nature throws menopause at us. To me, this makes her a bit of an asshole. So now you need to learn to cope with menopause so you can make it through the other side. 

Many women are still having babies, right into their forties. But the menopause can start for women at any age from 45 right up to 55. The start of menopause is called peri-menopause. Perimenopause is when the symptoms start, you might get hot flushes and miss a period or two. Because your hormones start to play up, this is the time a lot of women suddenly find themselves pregnant.

They think they have gone through menopause already and stop using precautions in sex. Then they find themselves with a late pregnancy, which is usually high risk. So if you think you are going through menopause, keep using precautions. 

You will know when you are perimenopausal because of how you feel. It will be like something you have never felt before. The night sweats and the lack of sleep. Mood swings and anxiety. Then there are the hot flushes and palpitations. Don’t even think about a sex life because between the really heavy periods and the lack of libido. There won’t be a sex life. The actual menopause hits when you have gone a whole year without a period. What a wonderful time that will be!

How To Cope

You can try hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which will replace the hormones that are missing from your body and relieve most of the symptoms of menopause. You will need to speak to your doctor about the pro’s and cons of HRT.

There are also alternative remedies that can help with the symptoms of menopause. You can take supplements like Menopace, these will help to give you the extra vitamins that you need, especially vitamin D, to keep your bones healthy. During menopause, you can find your bones weakening. 

Some people struggle with their hormones and with advice from the doctor, they start taking anti depressants. This does not mean you have failed to get through this on your own. It means that you need a little bit of help to settle your body down a bit. There is nothing wrong with needing some extra help, it will help you to get through menopause easier. 

With the hot flushes, you can do things to help yourself through these. Cutting back on alcohol and caffeine can help you to cut down on the hot flushes. Also if you are having hot flushes, think about the clothes that you wear. Wearing natural fibres such as cotton and linen are better for hot flushes. Man-made fibres will make your hot flushes worse. 

When you are at work, let them know that you are menopausal. I know sometimes it isn’t easy to talk about personal things like this. But by letting them know that you are struggling with menopause, they may even empathise with you. Although, this is much easier if a few of the women are going through it at the same time. If you need the air conditioning on at work, to counteract hot flushes, then put it on. You need your workplace to be as comfortable as it can be. 

Chat With Your Friends

When you have your kids, you usually mingle with mums of the same age at the school gates. Or you meet them at a baby group and keep in touch over the years. So if you are the same age, you can be sure that you are all going through menopause at the same time. 

There is nothing to be ashamed about and sharing how you feel will mean that you all help each other. You can share how fed up you are or laugh about the hot flushes or brain fog that you are suffering. Don’t be afraid to share how you feel, be open about menopause. Because if you don’t share the feelings, you will not get the support that you might need. 

It’s Just Another Hurdle

Menopause is just another of lives hurdles that women have to jump in life. You will get through it! You might need a little bit of help or you might get through it like a breeze. But it won’t be around forever and you will win the small battle with Mother Nature.