Perimenopause: Hold the Date

By Ellen Dolgen

Event: Perimenopause

Location: Perimenopause is located in your head (mental/emotional symptoms) and below your head (physical symptoms).

Start time:  Usually when you are young and active (typically begins between the ages of 40-48 years young).

End time: Perimenopause ends when menopause begins (when you are period-free for 12 consecutive months) The average age to hit menopause is 51 years young

All Day Event: __X__

Attendees: You, your husband, boyfriend, lover, children, family, friends, coworkers, and grocery store clerk!

Importance: HIGH!!!

Notes: I know this may be a shocker, and your calendar is trying to reject this entry, however, you need to squeeze this in between the family birthdays, your kid’s carpool, business meetings, dinners, and holiday planning. You know how we like to plan. We have everything scheduled in our Iphones and planners.  It is time to plan for perimenopause and menopause!

The biggest myth about perimenopause and menopause is that it begins when you are old. SO NOT TRUE! Perimenopause begins sooner than you think!  Once the symptoms start they can last up to 6-10 years or until you reach menopause. Remember, you have not entered menopause until you have been period-free for 12 consecutive months. To help you understand if you are in perimenopause download my free Menopause Symptoms Chart.  Start charting your symptoms.  If you have marks on this chart, it is time to find a Menopause Specialist . Give this chart to your perimenopause and menopause specialist, so that you can get the individualized care you deserve.

Many women don’t realize that perimenopause begins at such a young age. They often think the age of menopause is 60 or over. No such luck!

If you find that you are are in menopause before the age of 40, it’s generally classified as premature menopause.  Premature menopause can be a result of one’s genetic make-up, an illness, or medical procedures such as a hysterectomy.  You may come across the term early menopause as well.  Early menopause describes both natural and induced menopause before the age of 45.  No matter when you begin the process, between the onset of your first perimenopause symptoms, and the point at which you hit menopause, there’s enough time for bell-bottoms to be in style, go out of style, and then come back in style again. (Check out the new looks…they are back in now!!!)

The most important thing to remember is that there is no magic age of menopause and there is no right or wrong age of perimenopause. Your body has its own schedule! Most importantly, be prepared and trust how you feel.  You know when things are changing and you’re not functioning properly.  When you sense the change brewing, reach out and get the help you deserve. Now that’s something worth putting on your calendar!

Remember:  Suffering in silence is OUT!  Reaching out is IN.

For more great tips on how to find a menopause specialist and deal with menopause download my free ebook: MENOPAUSE MONDAYS  the Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving During Perimenopause and Menopause.    

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Ellen Dolgen, spurred by her own experience struggling with the symptoms of menopause, is devoted to helping women everywhere. Through EllenDolgen.com and her FREE eBook, MENOPAUSE MONDAYS The Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving During Perimenopause and Menopause, she shares the expertise of numerous specialists to replace confusion and embarrassment with medically sound solutions, presented in an entertaining and informative way. From hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, mental fogginess, loss of libido, heart health, and lots more in between, EllenDolgen.com provides empowerment for women to become their own best health advocates. Her motto is: Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN!