The P Word
No, not that "P" word <<clutches pearls>>I'm talkin'.... PERIMENOPAUSE
Or rather, the intersection between perimenopause and postpartum. Two Ps!
First, some background.
Perimenopause is the 10ish years before actual menopause. The average age of menopause is 51, so perimenopause can start around age 40 - but late 30s is also a common age to start noticing some changes. During this time we see a slow and steady hormone shift where progesterone and estrogen start to decrease in preparation for THE PAUSE.
Another quick definition - “menopause” itself isn’t a very long stage. One day you will not have periods anymore - and when it’s been at least 12 months since the very last one, we officially call that menopause.
(NO - you are not in menopause if you just had a baby, are breastfeeding, and haven’t had a period in longer than 12 months. That’s lactation amenorrhea and we’re not talking about that today!)
Back to perimenopause symptoms.
While you've probably heard of symptoms like hot flashes and weight gain as typical leading up to menopause, there are actually much earlier signs that show up as changes to your period and mood.
The typical path goes like this - progesterone starts to fall before estrogen, leaving a gap between the two hormones. This then can cause:
-Period changes - either super light and short periods OR suddenly very heavy and long periods.
-Cycle irregularity - skipped periods, shorter cycles, spotting between periods...
-Mood changes - anxiety, insomnia, mommy rage, low stress tolerance...
As you can see - there is a lot of individual variability on how our bodies interpret this shift in hormones and so the treatment isn't one-size-fits-all either. More on that in a minute.
Now what does this have to do with postpartum?
Glad you asked!
If you happen to be in the "older" crowd when you had your baby(ies) - like if you ever heard the very rude term "geriatric pregnancy" being thrown around in your presence then we have a situation where your postpartum is knocking on the door of perimenopause.
What does this mean? The combo of progesterone + estrogen already being low due to postpartum hormone shifts PLUS the natural decline in these hormones during perimenopause can equal a harder time getting hormones to come back to center after having a baby.
What does this NOT mean? That you're screwed and destined to a terrible decade + of transition. Au contraire my friends. Hormones are simply communicating messages - and when you are getting symptoms like the above it's simply your hormones screaming and throwing rocks at your uterus window.
The good news? Hormones are SUPER responsive to diet, supplements and lifestyle medicine as long as we are using the right treatment for our unique chemistries. I've seen pretty dramatic period changes in my clients in as little as one cycle - and continuing improvements through the next 3. Once we get on the right path, your body just takes over!
How do we know what the right treatment is for your unique situation?
First, let’s determine if your symptoms are coming more from postpartum or perimenopause.
If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you are a mom of babies or little kids who is having hormone symptoms.
Since both perimenopause and postpartum can have a similar hormonal story, there are a LOT of symptoms that are the same:
Mood changes
Anxiety
Difficulty with weight
Insomnia
Hair loss
Libido loss
Vaginal dryness
Memory issues/ Brain fog
Period changes
Low energy
Night sweats or hot flashes
Here’s where we can tell the difference.
We can focus on postpartum changes if most of these are true:
You have a baby less than 2 years old
You’re breastfeeding or recently stopped
Your periods are different but you’ve had less than 6 cycles since pregnancy
You have broken sleep from kids waking you up
In general - your hormone symptoms are getting BETTER with time (even if it’s slow)
If this sounds mostly like you - let’s focus on nourishing your postpartum body and feeding your hormones with my Mother Recover course.
Now, what about perimenopause? If these are mostly true, we want to focus there.
Age 40+ (ish. This can definitely be late 30s as well)
Weight gain without obvious reason
Worsening PMS
Period changes (getting closer together, lighter or much heavier)
Breast tenderness
Some may experience heart palpitations, fast heart beat, and recurring UTIs (these symptoms warrant a check up from your doc before chalking them up to perimenopause)
In general - symptoms are getting WORSE with time
If you know at what age your mom became menopausal - and you’re within 10 years of that age. If you are asking mom, make sure to remind her of the definition. A lot of people call themselves menopausal when they have hot flashes.
If this sounds like you - my Mother Reboot group program is the right move to get your body ready to rock perimenopause.
Ultimately though, your symptoms and how they cluster together tell a story. The definition of postpartum or perimenopause is less important than listening to your body’s signs, and running some tests.
Your body’s pattern of symptoms + data from the RIGHT tests = a personalized diagnosis and treatment plan.
My point - your body is sending you messages, and learning to listen is absolutely key to not only postpartum healing and balance, but in a healthy transition through our 30s and 40s.... and BEYOND. While there's not a lot of information in typical women's health care about this, none of these life cycle transitions need to be super painful - there's help!
What is your body telling you? Need some help figuring it out? Check out my course offerings or book a call with me to talk about a personalized program with functional hormone testing.
