Perimenopause … it’s a whole thing

September is Perimenopause and Menopause Awareness Month! 

If you are perimenopausal like I am, I'm here to give you some flowers and acknowledge the challenges you may be facing physically and emotionally 🌻 

We'd like to raise awareness, as some folks may miss symptoms since this is another one of those "taboo" women's health topics.

Facts:

🌸 #estrogen levels rise and fall unevenly during perimenopause so your #menstrual cycles may fluctuate- lengthen and shorten

🌸 you may stop #ovulating and you may miss a #period without being pregnant

🌸 other symptoms may include: (but are not limited to)

🌸 #hotflashes - an internal heat or #blush that comes up from inside and has nothing to do with external temperatures

🌸 #insomnia and other sleep disturbances

🌸 bodily #fluid changes and #bloating

🌸 #brainfog and short term memory loss

🌸 increased #inflammation in the body - musculoskeletal aches and pains

Definitely seems like you deserve some flowers, right! This is a lot to contend with! And it's another rite of passage that often gets ignored... the real issue with this one is that there's no one moment... these symptoms can come and go for years and may seem like there's no end in sight. 

For me, it's been difficult that familiar symptom associations that I've been used to all my life- for example, bloating when ovulating, may no longer signify the same things. So for those of you like me who are constantly tracking your body and what it's doing, you can feel really thrown off. And having cycles of 60 or 70 days with no bleeding but then menstruation strikes again! 

You're not considered #menopausal until 12 months pass with no bleeding. 🩸

What's helping me?

🌸 talking with other folks experiencing the same

🌸 working with a skilled acupuncturist/herbalist

🌸 receiving regular (every 2 weeks!) #bodywork #massage to manage #stress and symptoms 

Just as @mamassage_brooklyn is here to support fertility, pregnancy and postpartum - we are also here to support reproductive health in all it's forms, including during the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause. 

Book a manual lymphatic drainage or massage for reproductive health session today to reduce your symptoms and support your system. 

🌸 Kiera