Perimenopause is the period of time when your body makes a transition from normal to menopause. This generally lasts for 4-7 years.
I myself have been dealing with this condition for the past 6 years. The word ‘Difficult’ does not do justice to what I have been going through. And just when I think it’s over, a painful cycle arrives and lasts for days. Telling me all over again that it’s not yet over.
Every other day, women my age converse about the problems we have been facing on a daily basis, thanks to this. Loss of stamina, body pain, migraines, abdominal pain for days together, irregular bleeding, hot flashes, mood swings, etc. Many of these symptoms occur during regular periods as well, but at least we could predict the arrival of discomfort.
Unfortunately, perimenopause does not let us prepare for what’s to come, and when.
For me, it’s irregular abdominal pains, irregular flow, nausea, and migraines. And frequent visits to the gynaecologist. I know many of us are in the same boat, and that’s exactly why I wish to point out something here.
Other than randomly mentioning, ‘Oh, I am going into menopause’, how many of us are actually doing anything about it? Or in simple words, taking care of our health?
There are medicines to reduce heavy flow and I have heard about some hormonal injections and all, but I am not talking about any of that. A check-up for sugar and cholesterol took me to a diabetologist, who in turn suggested a dietician and it was with her that I discussed all my problems. Trust me, perimenopause topped it all. And I would jot down a few points she advised.
Pause, she said, is as the name of the condition suggests. Our body at this stage is trying to tell us. To pause for a bit, to relax, to take it easy. Stress doesn’t necessarily induce menopause, but definitely aggravates many symptoms.
From her, I learnt, to eat well, in proper quantities, and at the right time. Wherever you are, she mentioned, in the middle of a meeting or a gathering, make sure you have breakfast and lunch in time. Hunger pangs lead to major ailments, and we women, amidst work, husband, and children, often sacrifice our meal time. That she said was the reason for 50% of women experiencing giddiness and nausea. And I had to remember, I wasn’t a teenager anymore.
Sleep, she advised was equally important, and the need to rest our body and sleep for 7-8 hours gets more significant with age. Alas, we women tend to stress more and sleep less as we grow older.
Exercise, meditate, walk, jog, choose whatever you wish to, but take at least 30 minutes off your schedule to adhere to some fitness routine. After a certain age, it’s difficult to burn it out in the gym, but a walk or run is something we could all afford to do. This reduces stress, increases blood flow and in turn, helps reduce abdominal pain and bloating. We, on the other hand, wake up to a gruelling routine of cooking, packing tiffins, going to work, tutoring, mentoring, cooking, tidying up, sleeping late, and waking up again…
Most importantly, learn to say No. Make yourself your topmost priority. Stop carrying all burden on yourself, at home or at work.
And finally, she said, menopause is unavoidable and has to be faced, head-on. So why not approach perimenopause positively? Spend time with yourself. Read. Make your family aware of the condition. Don’t carry work home. Drink water, hydrate, laugh and rest. Because our body is ours and it’s our job to nurture and nourish it.
There’s no guilt in feeling tired or being slow, you don’t have to achieve a myriad of accomplishments in one day. The more gently we treat ourselves, the lesser hassle perimenopause could be.
I am trying to inculcate a lot of this, and I am now very vocal about my perimenopause. I don’t hesitate to mention it on any platform and I hope this article helps you to discuss this with husbands, colleagues and sons.
Physical and Mental Relaxation is the Key.
By Preethi Warrier
Preethi Warrier has completed her Masters in Electronics Engineering and is an Assistant Professor. She is one of the winners of the TOI Write India Campaign Season-1, for the famous author Anita Nair. She can be contacted at: warrier.preethi@yahoo.com
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