A word from wm retreats’ medical expert
Guidance on Navigating Menopause
For decades, menopause has been shrouded in fear and mystery. Both social stigma and shame keep women from talking about and getting the fact-based health information they need about menopause. But c’mon, this is our health we are talking about here. Not fully understanding what is happening to and within us can have deleterious health impacts.
Breaking the social taboos and talking openly and honestly about menopause is more important than ever because the number of women going through menopause is exploding.
In 1990, there were 471 women aged 50 or older worldwide.
Today, there are 1.9 billion and by 2050 the number of women aged 50 or older is expected to balloon by 70 percent to 3.2 billion. That’s billions of women living through something they know little to nothing about.
wmretreats is on a mission to change this by offering open, honest conversations with women in this phase of life. Today, we have a conversation with our wmretreats’ team doctor, OB/GYN + NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner, Dr., Maureen Tart....
What is menopause?
Menopause is officially the last menstrual period, which is determined after a year of no bleeding. The ovaries no longer produce follicles (eggs), which leads estrogen levels to significantly decrease. Think of it like puberty in reverse.
Like puberty, the menopausal transition can range from ages 45 – 55 and last for years. It can even start as early as 40 and end as late at 58 years old. In fact, women over 50 may spend up to 40% of their life post-menopause.
During the menopausal transition, our ovaries stop producing eggs regularly and this causes our hormone levels to fluctuate. Now, we have to remember that we are all different and unique and wonderful in our own ways. But this means that each of us will experience menopause in our own way. Not every woman will experience menopause the exact same way.
Because our bodies are different, our menopausal experience will be unique for each of us. Some women can experience heavy and unpredictable bleeding preceding menopause; hot flashes that disrupt work meetings or sleep; mood changes that include anxiety and irritability; vaginal dryness and painful intercourse. Some women can experience weight gain, sleep disturbances, memory issues, and joint pains. Our bodies can struggle with diminishing levels of estrogen. Estrogen actually provides many health protections prior to menopause, and when it goes, we feel the effects. Lack of estrogen can profoundly affect our bone, cardiac, and sexual health. Many of these symptoms can be treated medically or with other supportive measures.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to separate menopause related changes from those of normal aging. Not all issues can be reduced to hormonal changes. We also enter menopause at time in our lives when we are raising children or becoming empty nesters, dealing with aging relatives, and working demanding jobs. And so, parsing out what is and is not menopause related can prove difficult. There are resources to help like the Menopause Society.
What can I do?
Now for some good news! For most women, menopause means the end of contraception and periods. You can’t get pregnant - so no more diapers to change (until grandkids!)
It’s also helpful to remember that menopause does not define us. One hundred years ago, women went through menopause at 57 and then died by 59. We go through menopause and have a whole lot of life left to live! If we are prepared and armed with facts and support, we can weather this change like any other.
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