Are You Perimenopausal?

How to handle the changes before “The Change”

Sometimes being a woman feels like an uneven conveyor belt of emotions, hormonal changes and social expectations (two children or three?). From the moment we get our periods, our lives revolve around a 28-day cycle that seems restrictive when we’re not trying to conceive. And just as we get our heads around fertility, our biological clock and anti-ageing creams, along comes perimenopause!

Haven’t heard of it? You’re not alone. It’s not a topic that receives a lot of airtime. When actress Gillian Anderson started to experience perimenopausal symptoms in her 30s, she said, “How wonderful would it be if we could get to a place where we are able to have these conversations openly and without shame?”

SO, WHAT IS PERIMENO PAUSE ?

According to gynaecologist Dr Raewyn Teirney, it’s the medical term given to the years before your body experiences menopause, which is when you stop having periods. This can happen as early as your mid-30s, but is much more common in your 40s.

“The term ‘perimenopause’ refers to the symptoms of hormone imbalance that many women will experience before they reach menopause,” says Teirney. “This imbalance can present itself in many ways.”