My perimenopause (bumpy) journey

February 28, 2025

Savoring Simple Daily Pleasures

Savoring simple daily pleasures

If ever there was a reason to hone in on and drill down on the simple pleasures in daily life, it's most apparent when things are a little bumpy. To focus on the positives and feel genuine gratitude and thanks for everything you can appreciate that's going right, of beauty, kindness, warmth - all that good stuff.

And no matter how much you have managed to hone this skill in your everydays while travelling towards a life of contentment, bumpy patches occur.

Perimenopause Awareness

Perimenopause is, thankfully, much talked about these days, and more and more is being done to help and understand this life stage for women. And while it's certainly beneficial to have more information and potential relief and help at our fingertips, it's still a pretty white-knuckle ride for many.

This blog is a place of comfort, of positivity, gratitude, and hopefully, happiness and community. So I felt it was time to broach this subject - in essence, to assure anyone who is reading this who isn't necessarily at ease with discussing it with friends, family, or even your health care practitioner -

You are not alone.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

Self-awareness is a core component of living a life of contentment, and that encompasses all aspects of our well-being: Mind and body.

I had blindly ignored the early warning signs that my body was starting to change initially, and frankly, at that stage, I'm not sure I knew the difference between perimenopause and Menopause and just thought it was essentially when a woman's cycle stopped after a few hot flushes.

Boy. Tip of the (ignorant) iceberg.

An accumulation of a few symptoms began appearing, which at the time, I didn't link. These little niggles increased steadily, and it wasn't until a good friend sent me a link to an article

"42 Signs you might be in perimenopause" that the penny really dropped. I ticked 41 of them.

What are the 34 symptoms of menopause?

Above I linked a similar article - many of the same symptoms are described - so many of which never occurred to me could be anything to do with my hormones or perimenopause.

A matter of days after this revelation, I took a walk with another dear friend who educated me on the benefits of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and her own recent journey.

I booked an appointment with my GP.

Living in New Zealand, while I have the utmost respect for my family GP and am grateful for our healthcare system, I firmly believe in many instances we are a little on the back foot with some medical practices and what is available to us. I was prescribed a low dose hormonal patch - to be increased in increments - and progesterone tablets to take at certain points in the month. Then I was recommended to be fitted with a Mirena (IUD) which would slowly release progesterone over time.

This was all a little daunting, but I had read up a little, talked to friends and acquaintances, and listened to podcasts, so I felt I was making an informed decision. It's not right for everyone, so I encourage you to do your own research and look into family history before considering.

I am also hyper aware that a one-size-fits-all solution is just not feasible in this field, and we have so much more to learn and discover about how to help women through this phase. I cannot understand how 75% of the women I know in this stage of life have all been prescribed the exact same medication to varying degrees - surely it's not that simple.

Now, I won't dwell on it, but suffice it to say the insertion of the Mirena, for me personally, was very unpleasant. I know many women see it as little more discomfort than a regular Pap smear, but for me, it was a pretty painful few moments. (On recommendation, I did also have a biopsy performed at the same time to check for womb health.) What I wasn't expecting was the ongoing cramping and spotting for as long and as strong as it was.

So this is not to scare you, but so perhaps some of you out there can gather information and be informed - especially those who perhaps don't find it easy to have these open conversations with medical practitioners or indeed other women. Looking back now - 18 months on nearly - I would still have made the decision to have the Mirena; it also transpired I have developed an underlying common condition for which the Mirena is the recommended course of treatment in any case. But I would have felt better forewarned that the cramping and spotting, in my case, went on painfully for a good 3 months and finally petered out around 6 months in.

Since embracing my perimenopause journey, I am mindful to continue to educate myself on new findings and evidence, recommendations, and important women's health discoveries from a holistic perspective.

Through my fairly extensive personal research, the core pillars are continuously reinforced by scientists and medical practitioners, as well as dietitians and naturopaths:

Good diet
Moving your body daily
Good sleep hygiene

The last few months, I have sadly experienced firsthand some fairly brutal sleep deprivation and poor-quality sleep despite my best efforts. I have good sleep hygiene practices - I do all the right things (hydrate, magnesium, no alcohol, no smoking, plenty of time outdoors and a variety of exercise, good healthy diet, low sugar, limited refined foods and carbohydrates, no screens before bed, regular nighttime routine, lavender, shower, dim light... you name it!) - but sleep has still been eluding me, which has spiraled into affecting my everyday.

After another GP visit to check what I can do from here and some blood tests to make sure there's nothing else going on, I am slowly getting back on track. I have some new medication - including sleeping tablets, which I tried for a couple of nights, but they're not for me. I have re-looked at my daily supplement intake and upped a few things based on some independent digging and listening to science-based podcasts, reading articles, and talking to knowledgeable people. So now, as well as my morning Age Mate (AgeMate) and nightly Metagenics Magnesium (Metagenics MetaRelax Raspberry 241g Powder: New Name, Same Great-Tasting Formula.), I am also re-introducing Iron alongside some vitamin C and taking a daily vitamin D3 supplement. At this stage, I feel I am probably getting adequate Omega 3's from my diet, but as winter draws in, I will re-look at all these again and tweak as necessary.

So sleep is a big component, definitely not to be overlooked.

But another HUGE one for me personally has been anxiety.

A couple of years ago, I would go as far as to say I would have poo-pooed the idea entirely. Having thankfully never struggled with mental health personally in any capacity, I just didn't get it.

I am now at a point where I am re-learning my limits, my boundaries, and my headspace capacity - just for now, it's all transient. As we know, all emotions are evanescent. But while we are experiencing them, they are very real indeed. Self-care and learning to say no are major changes for me. A self-care bubble bath is one thing, but pulling back on things you enjoy, turning down invites, and listening to your mind AND body takes a change in mindset and conscious effort, not to mention, at times, an inner battle with disappointment, and let's be honest - fear of missing out.

We are creatures of biology; our bodies and our minds are constantly changing, particularly women, which requires us to remain students of our health and well-being throughout.

A podcast I absolutely recommend you take the time to listen to - I listened over several days during my afternoon walks, and it's now saved in order to re-listen and further absorb - is the Diary of a CEO with Dr. Stacy Sims. An exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist, and expert in female-specific nutrition and exercise. A mind-blowing wealth of knowledge, and I guarantee that if you listen, you will experience multiple "Aha!" moments of symptoms or issues you have experienced explained in a biologically scientific way, not only validating them to some extent but also reassuring you that it's part of this process.

We are incredibly fortunate to be going through this time in our lives in this day and age. I'm certain my grandmothers just quietly battled on privately, and I know a lady from my book group's grandmother was sectioned - put in a mental asylum by her own husband - for being hysterical! The poor woman was most likely experiencing hormonal changes! It doesn't bear thinking about!

So while today's post is a long way from the usual content you will find here on the blog, I hope that it reaches out to someone who needs to read it. Or that it's passed on to a friend you know could benefit. Or that you take the time to listen to the podcast linked and educate yourself further on such an important topic.