menopause Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Menopause Series – Part 3 – The Bright Side of Menopause

Paula — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 11:34:01 +0000

Perimenopause and menopause might still fill you with anxiety and concern over bizarre symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, memory, bladder and libido changes. And while you’ll probably experience some or all of these to one degree or another, there is also a bright side to menopause. I don’t want anyone to finish this series dreading the thought of menopause or worrying over ever talking about this naturally occurring phenomenon in women’s lives. In fact the more we talk about menopause the better it is in my opinion. We have talked about Perimenopause in Part 1 of this series. And we have also talked about Myths of Menopause in Part 2 of this series. Today let’s look at the silver lining of Menopause. The Bright Side of Menopause Like the old saying says, always look on the bright side. I’m a silver lining glass half full kind of girl. The uncomfortable symptoms of menopause may be there, but there are also some upsides to this physical and hormonal change. No More Periods I still find it a bit funny that as girls we all spend months pining for the chance to get our periods, and then often after that we spend years wondering why the heck we ever wished for our periods. I had painful periods with cysts and endometriosis so I was more than happy to end those when I had a hysterectomy. I don’t know about you, but the thought of never having to buy another pad or tampon is wonderful to me. There’s also the fact that my uterus will never become an angry, cramping ogre in my abdomen ever again. Yay! No More PMS And speaking of ogres, no more PMS! PMS is a thing for almost all of us, and for some of us, it is worse than for others. For instance many of us have had brutal cramps with periods and that can impact the experience of PMS and make it even crappier. One HUGE bright side of menopause is no more PMS symptoms. [tweetthis]Consider this: hormonal migraines sometimes lessen or cease after menopause.[/tweetthis] No More Contraception This is a big bright side for both men and women. Unless your tubes are tied or your husband has had a vasectomy, you’ve probably been taking the pill or your husband has been using a condom, or both. Menopause means no more worrying about any of that. In fact have all the sex you want. I have heard some women state that this is a lovely side effect of menopause that sparks renewed interest in sex. Everybody wins! [tweetthis]No more contraception needed? Menopause has some bright sides.[/tweetthis] Less Migraines For some women, hormonal migraines are an almost debilitating, regular occurrence. For these women, migraines coincide with some part of their monthly cycle. After menopause, when monthly cycles no longer occur, hormonal migraines are not a worry. Any woman experiencing these will say that this is a very definite bright side of menopause. Actually I know several young women who have had chronic migraines onset at the time of puberty when periods start. I get a lot of migraines, or used to get a lot of migraines prior to removing sodium and gluten from my diet. But my point is I have spoken with several whose migraines run in their families and the pattern seems consistent for those families as well. Where there is a hormonal component and migraines that started at puberty it is often true that they will also stop at menopause. More Manageable Fibroids Fibroids are tumors of the uterus which are almost always benign. While they aren’t cancerous, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t painful. Uterine fibroids can lead to symptoms like pain, heavy menstruation, and pressure on the bladder. These symptoms can range from mild to severe. Fortunately, fibroids tend to stop growing or shrink as estrogen levels decrease during menopause. Menopause Doesn’t Have to be a Horrifying Proposition Although many of the symptoms of menopause can be harsh, there is a bright side to all of the changes we’ll go through as we hit our 40s and 50s. This bright side is a combination of less worry, less expense, and less pain. Imagine how much money you save not needing pads and tampons anymore. Now think about how great that can be when you travel for instance. Saving money, plus fewer pads and things to pack? Awesome! I don’t know about you, but life is busy enough having one less thing to worry about is pretty awesome actually. Related articles across the web The Role Hormones Play in Migraines Going For An Assortment Of Soy Products For Menopause Relief Naturally And Safely Age Determines Symptoms Experienced In Some Breast Cancer Drugs

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Myths of Menopause

Paula — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 05:56:18 +0000

Myths surround menopause on pretty much every level. From what age it begins, to what a horrible life event it is, there are no shortage of myths surrounding the physical, emotional, hormonal, and mental changes women go through in our middle years as menopause starts to happen. [tweetthis]Menopause myths abound. Here’s the truth about menopause. Part 2 of series. [/tweetthis] The Myths and the Facts of Menopause It seems that every woman you talk to has a story about what to expect when menopause hits. You’ll feel horrible. You won’t feel bad at all. It starts in your 50s. It starts sooner. You’ll gain a lot of weight, or you won’t. I remember my own mother going through menopause and I also recall the myths even back then. I especially recall the ones about hot flashes. The scuttlebutt even then was that everyone knew someone whose hot flashes were so extreme that they remembered the day she couldn’t handle them anymore and she ran outside with summer clothing on when it was snowing, essentially hurling herself into a snowbank just to cool off. I’ve had some hot flashes and I have never done that. For those of you who recall and who have been here for a while reading this blog, you know that I had a hysterectomy in my 30s because of cysts and Crohn’s and scar tissue. Anyways, the myths abound. Let’s cut through some of the baloney and get to the truth. [tweetthis]Pretty much every woman you talk to has a story about menopause. Here’s some factual info for you instead. [/tweetthis] Here’s some menopausal truth for all of us. Menopause Begins in Your 50’s While the average woman rolls into menopause at around 52, women can being the transition to menopause as early as their 30’s to as late as their 60’s. I say transition because technically, menopause is simply a 12 month period with no menstrual cycle. Women can feel symptoms while still having periods. In fact, the period known as perimenopause can last from a few months to upwards of 13 years before true menopause occurs. MYTH: Your Weight Will Balloon During Menopause One of the biggest menopause myths isn’t a myth per se, but it doesn’t have to be your reality. Women do become more prone to weight gain during perimenopause and menopause due to hormonal imbalances as our bodies move out of their childbearing years. It’s actually the body’s way of helping regulate hormones. Fat helps to produce more estrogen, which helps a woman’s body level out its hormones. However, estrogen also helps to store fat. It’s a vicious cycle, but with a minor reduction in calories and increase in physical activity, it can be controlled. During menopause and after retirement my Mom developed a regular fitness routine heading to the gym three times a week. Her routine was much better than it ever was during her 30s or 40s when she worked and single parented two children. I know she was physically her healthiest after menopause. She put me to shame and she stayed fit and active. She never gained weight only muscle. I hope to follow that pattern and am trying hard to do this as well. Myth: Menopause is Menopause One of the myths I’ve heard off and on over the years is that menopause due to total or partial hysterectomies is just like regular menopause only faster. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The difference between natural menopause and surgically induced menopause is like the difference between walking down a flight of stairs and jumping down the stair well. There is no adjustment period for the body. It’s literally an overnight jump directly into menopause with any of the bodies months or years of natural preparation. I had surgically induced menopause in my 30s. I controlled some symptoms with hormones, exercise etc. If you want to learn more about controlling symptoms of menopause you can read this article about menopause. Hot Flashes Are the First Sign of Menopause Not true. By the time you’re having hot flashes, you’re more than likely well into perimenopause. The actual first signs of menopause are fatigue, irregular periods, irritability, mood swings, depression, weight gain, hair loss, forgetfulness, fuzzy thinking, and low libido. [tweetthis]The actual first signs of menopause are fatigue, irregular periods, irritability, mood swings, depression, weight gain, hair loss, forgetfulness, fuzzy thinking, and low libido.[/tweetthis] Myths of Menopause Exposed I know it sounds a little like a tabloid title, but that’s basically what this article was all about. There is no end to the amount of misinformation and myths surrounding menopause, and this article only covers some of those that I have heard over the years. Perimenopause and menopause are major changes in our lives, but they don’t have to be scary. In fact, when you get beyond the myths, menopause isn’t so scary. It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon that should be dealt with and acknowledged in the same manner we handle getting our periods. Your body changes. Women are strong and we can handle the changes that are happening with awareness and education. Menopause can be just another phase in your life. See Part 1 of the series here: Perimenopause. Stay tuned for Part 3. The final part of this series. Related articles across the web Inexpensive Foods That Promote Sleep More Than Youd Think Science Shows You Become Fitter When You Sleep Going For An Assortment Of Soy Products For Menopause Relief Naturally And Safely 16 Signs of Excess Estrogen (and How To Protect Yourself) Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle Helps Your Reproductive Health

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Menopause Series – Part 1 – Perimenopause – Your Changing Body #Health

Paula — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 05:59:21 +0000

I went through some of this early because I had a hysterectomy early on in my 30s, actually right before I had my daughters. I like to sometimes share that and see people’s brains trying to put that factual information together. (We adopted our girls. LOL) Anyways, I know a lot of my readers are in my same age bracket and going through this experience right now. I also believe talking about women’s health and fertility/infertility, changes and health care concerns and issues makes it much simpler to handle and find support as needed. With all of that in mind today I am starting my Menopause series with the first instalment on Perimenopause. Perimenopause is something that every woman will go through. As our bodies move out of child bearing age, they begin to change. The hormones that we needed before perimenopause begin to lessen, and our bodies’ go through changes because of those hormonal changes. Perimenopause Symptoms Although we all go through it, perimenopause affects us all to greater or lesser degrees. It’s important to know what symptoms to expect. Some women think they’re sick when they’re really just feeling the changes of menopause. Menopause is not a sickness and neither is getting your period. There are things that happen to women’s bodies that are simply part of being female. This is one of those life events. I feel like we do each other a disservice as women when we fail to share these stories. Irregular Menstruation As we move into this stage of our lives, we’ll begin to see changes in our cycles as our bodies’ ovulation becomes more unpredictable. Our flows may be heavier or lighter than before, the length of time between periods begins to increase, and we may skip periods altogether. As a rule, if you experience a change of more than 7 days in your cycle fairly regularly, you’re in the early stages of perimenopause. One thing to note is that even when your periods become irregular, you CAN sometimes still get pregnant. Continue to use contraception until you haven’t had a period for at least 12 months. Hot Flashes Coupled with Sleep Problems During this time in our lives, many of us will experience hot flashes. How strong they are, how long they last, and how often they hit can vary from woman to woman. These flashes can effect our sleep, and for some reason, sleep problems occur even in the absence of severe hot flashes. Changes in Mood Many of us can experience varying degrees of mood swings and irritability and be more prone to depression during perimenopause. This is believed to be attributed to disrupted sleep and the hormonal upheaval of this time in our lives. Vaginal and Bladder Issues Some of us will lose lubrication and elasticity of the vaginal tissue as we our estrogen levels decrease. This can lead to painful intercourse. Decreasing estrogen levels can also cause us to be more prone to urinary and vaginal infections, and loss of tissue tone can lead to incontinence or light bladder leakage. This is something you might want to talk to your doctor about because there are ways to help alleviate both of these symptoms. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s natural for many women. Changes in Sexual Function Perimenopause may cause a change in sexual arousal and desire for some of us. However, for most of us, everything should remain fairly similar if we had a healthy relationship with sex beforehand. Bone Loss As our estrogen levels drop, we being to lose bone more quickly than we replace it. This leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis. Exercise and physical activity are strong and important partners right now. Memory Here’s one I did not know and was not aware of until recently. I was on hormone replacement pills until this past year. When I told my doctor that I had stopped taking them entirely he warned me that I was at high risk of bone density loss. CAVEAT: I do NOT recommend stopping any medication on your own. Due to my history of Crohn’s Disease and prednisone required as a teenager to get those symptoms under control my bone density and osteoporosis showed up early. In fact I was 25 with osteoporosis. Now my bone density has improved. How? It is currently under control with exercise and healthy eating. BUT in addition to that, the doctor warned me that memory issues will begin as estrogen is tapered off. The memory issue concerns me so I am in fact currently replacing some of that lost estrogen with a hormone. I asked that the amount be decreased dramatically. But memory is not something I am willing to compromise. I have fought hard to be healthy so this is one area I will keep nurturing. Stay tuned for more in this ongoing Menopause series. The next instalment is Myths of Menopause.

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