Journeys through MENOPAUSE

Three women share their own experiences and challenges

‘It’s natural – nothing to be ashamed of’

Kate Beavis, 49, runs marketing consultancy The Indie Practice and lives in Cranfield with her husband Adam, 48, and their two children, aged 13 and 11.

I’m currently in the midst of the menopause, and my oestrogen levels are so low, I’m often exhausted. While I’m managing my symptoms, perimenopause began in 2014, at 42, which I discovered after a visit to my health practitioner, who specialises in women’s health.

‘I’m constantly on edge. I want to kill someone!’ I told her. Once calm and relaxed, I now lost my temper frequently, telling off my children, then six and four, over the smallest things. ‘Where’s my wife gone?’ asked my husband, Adam, then 41. I had no idea what was going on, so how could I expect him to?

When I heard the word ‘perimenopause’, I didn’t know what it was and listened in horror as the health practitioner told me my body had begun the transition to menopause. ‘But I thought it happened later,’ I said, confused. I’d always considered myself well informed, but only now was I learning it could last for 10 years.

Tests showed my progesterone levels were on the decline, explaining the bouts of rage. A coil helped, but while the anger subsided, migraines started, which my GP told me was down to my changing hormones. By now, I had terrible anxiety and acne, and my moods were volatile. I stopped drinking alcohol, and this gave me a clearer head.