Perimenopause. Good times.

Somewhere between the ages of mid-30’s to 40’s, women have a lovely transition right before menopause. Perimenopause. I questioned friends. What in samhell is that?! “Are you extra moody?” Yes.” Are you feeling more bloat in the tummy on the regular?” Yes.” Are you having a hard time sleeping?” Yes. “Are you having more migraines, regularly.” Yes! Well, you’re on your way to graduating to menopause which officially marks the end of your reproductive years. Who knew there was a pre-hell before the real hell?

There are a lot of symptoms that are the result of the body’s decrease in estrogen. You can have some (hopefully not all) of these: hot flashes, changes in mood, sleepless nights, day and night sweats. I think most of us knew about those. But there’s a list of other strange symptoms. Your body odor can change to a more musky smell. Your urine can emit a more ammonia smell (?!), bone loss. The list goes on and on according to friends and too much reading I did one sleepless night. And it’s extra fun if you’re dealing with any of this during a pandemic and your child is also going through changes in their own body-puberty! My one girlfriend said the bright side to all of this is for her is, NO MORE PERIODS/PADS/TAMPONS. No more pregnancy scares. And she feels a sense of being in a good place, emotionally in her early 50’s.

Hmm, I’m not fully convinced. For some reason it makes me sad. This last stage. Not that I am wanting to have another child. But I guess just knowing that I can’t, soon enough. I don’t like not having control of my own body. Something “telling me how it will be,” you know? But we don’t really have a choice. I guess it will be nice not having to deal with the periods, monthly. I guess.

For further more technical reading: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666

Thoughts by: Liv D.