I love that we’re finally talking more openly about perimenopause. It’s wild to think our mothers and grandmothers may have suffered through it silently, without even the comfort of knowing their experience was shared or normal. I often think of my mum who started having gut and digestive issues in her late forties and spent nearly 10 years thinking she was gluten intolerant… when really it was probably perimenopause. She also had frozen shoulder at some stage and had no idea why. And there was the time she had four fender-benders in one year, all of them her fault! Perimenopause? Probably.
Anyway, my point is, the more we share with each other, the more normal we feel, right? And the more specifically we share about our symptoms and challenges, the closer we may get to finding the right solutions.
Last year, when I asked readers and followers to share their favourite perimenopause resources, I received so many great tips with suggestions for Instagram accounts to follow, books to read, podcasts to listen to, etc. Since then, I’ve been following some really great doctors and I feel like I’m learning something new every week. Information really is power, especially when it comes to our own health and wellbeing.
One thing I’ve discovered is just how many weird and unexpected symptoms fall under the perimenopause umbrella. For years, women have probably endured these changes or challenges in silence, wondering what on earth was going on. I find the emotional or mental changes super interesting too — things like rage, irritability, anxiety, brain fog, etc. Imagine thinking you were just going crazy with no idea it was a common symptom of perimenopause that others were experiencing too!
So today I thought I’d share a few of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing so far. I think I’m still early in this transition, and I’m sure more challenges will come, but here’s where I am currently (watch the video above for a funny story on losing in backgammon!). And if you feel like sharing your experiences too, I’d really love to hear it.
