#001: Master Your Perimenopause: WTF is it anyway?
by Valerie |
Figuring out the what and why of perimenopause
Welcome to the very first issue of Wild Woman, the newsletter for women who are rewriting the script and trying to figure out what their bodies (and hormones) are up to.
We’re the sharp, bold, driven forces who laugh in the face of outdated stereotypes and shun traditional ageing tropes. We won’t shut up, we won’t play by the rules, and we DEFINITELY won’t quietly fade into the background. We’re here to live out loud, on our terms, giving way less fucks about what other people think (amen).
We’re women with big visions and big dreams. And yes, we’re also navigating perimenopause, but let’s be real - it’s just another plot twist in our story, not the headline.
At Valerie, we see perimenopause as one part of our lives, not the main event. It’s something that just happens to be happening to us. We’re not here to give you some toxic positivity and tell you to just get on with it, hide it, become another cog in the endless fight to be taken seriously as a woman.
We’re here to break the cycle of perimenopausal silence. F*ck suffering through our symptoms. F*ck pretending it’s not happening because it’s impolite. F*ck staying quiet and ignoring the hormonal havoc being wreaked on our insides. We want to pull perimenopause out of the shadows, feel comfortable talking about it openly and explore why and what is happening to us. If we can understand the full spectrum of experience, we can better support and advocate for ourselves.
Over the next few weeks, months, and (manifesting here) years, we’re going to hear from doctors, menopause experts, nutritionists, movement practitioners, coaches, and loads of other people who can really help us unpack all things perimenopause. We’re going to talk about symptoms, challenges, taboos, and societal double standards and drag it all, kicking and screaming, into the open.
We want this to become a space where nothing is off-limits. Nothing is too big, too small, or too embarrassing. We want you to know you are not and should never feel alone - together we can figure out this total hormonal shit show, together.
Remember: your perimenopause is the least interesting thing about you.
What we're chatting about in this week's Wild Woman?
We’re celebrating all things September. Not only does this mark the return to school for any parents out there (too early to celebrate?), September is also Your Perimenopause Primer before Menopause Month in October. We're taking September to demystify the paradox of perimenopause - that confusing warm-up act before menopause hits in full force.
- WTF is the perimenopause?
- Get your goodness: nutrition and perimenopause
- The power of the boogie
- Win tickets to Annie Mac’s Live at Midnight
WTF is perimenopause anyways?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, which is classified as the year anniversary of a woman going 12 consecutive months without a period. This can take anywhere from 4 to 10 years. There is no perimenopause playbook - every single woman will have a different experience and symptoms will fluctuate widely both between individuals and also at different stages of the transition.
There are 48 confirmed symptoms and likely many more (because surprise, surprise, there has been very little research done into the space), and because of this lack of information many women are not aware of how and when they are in perimenopause.
As mentioned above, we’re going to be holding an Insta Live with our resident NHS nurse Becks that explores the signs to watch for, but if you want to dive in now, here’s an interview with Dr. Linsey Leach, NHS GP and specialist in women’s health. We talked about how to recognise perimenopause, why these symptoms happen, how you can help alleviate them and how to get the most from an appointment with your doctor.
WTF Is The Perimenopause - Interview With Dr. Linsey Leach
Get your goodness: perimenopause and nutrition
Nutrition is always a tough one to crack and, while we are now largely aware of the different food groups and the balance it takes to feel good, what is actually going on at a micro-nutritional level? Why is Vitamin D the ‘Mood Powerhouse’? What is Chromium’s role in stabilising blood sugar levels - and where and how do you get this into your diet? And how does any of this help with perimenopause?
Nutritionist Claire Hitchen Shares How To Nutritionally Master Your Perimenopause
The power of the boogie: Never Lose Those Moves!
Why does moving your body to music feel so damn good? And how could it actually help the symptoms of perimenopause? Our community member Carly delves into the magic of moving and grooving and how a retreat taught her to reconnect with an expression of movement older than language itself.
She talks about her special power-blend 90s playlist, and she wants to take you back to a time before the chores, the kids and the relentless admin. We love the idea of bringing the joy of dance back into our lives. It’s not just for kids, teenagers or fanatical ravers. It’s for all of us!
Carly discovered all of this in a recent retreat. And she enlightens us on how, upon being invited to close her eyes, she was transported elsewhere and let her body fully move again. Feeling as natural as ever. She loved the way her body and the music felt, syncopated with the present moment and her intuitive thoughts, guiding from within: “Just feeling nice and without judgement”.
Sounds lush Carly, we can’t wait to hear more about it!
Nothing Left To Do But Dance
Get your sequins on, we are going out, out (well kind of)
Annie Mac has created the ultimate event for us wild women. Dance to some epic tunes and then be in bed before midnight.
Could there be more of a perfect concept? Maybe bed by 10pm, but we are not the organisers.
We’re heading to Gunnersbury Park in London on the 13th September for Annie Mac’s Before Midnight DJ set where we’ll be shaking everything we’ve got under the light of the moon. And we’d love 3 of you to be there too, on us.