Speaker 2: 0:06

Welcome to the Uncomplicated Perimenopause Podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:10

I'm Kate Grosvenor, your friendly perimenopause expert and life coach, and I'm Gabriella Kate's daughter, representing all the women who are nowhere near perimenopause but want to understand it better.

Speaker 2: 0:23

Whether you're just starting your perimenopause journey deep into it. Better, whether you're just starting your perimenopause journey deep into it or you're a loved one trying to support someone who is we've got you covered.

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We'll be answering all of your burning questions, exploring the ups and downs, and sharing expert advice and personal insights.

Speaker 2: 0:39

So grab a cup of tea, get comfy and let's dive into the wonderful. Get comfy and let's dive into the wonderful, sometimes wild, world of perimenopause together.

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And remember, no matter where you are on your journey, you are not alone.

Speaker 2: 0:55

Welcome to the Uncomplicated Perimenopause. Hello, my darlings, and welcome to episode eight of season two of the Uncomplicated Perimenopause Podcast. My name is Kate Grosvenor. I'm a prayer menopause expert and life coach.

Speaker 1: 1:11

And I'm Gabriella Grosvenor, Kate's daughter, here to learn with you all.

Speaker 2: 1:14

And we're just hoping that you don't develop a very strange lisp halfway through.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Yeah, I was just going to say I am lisping a little bit.

Speaker 2: 1:20

So we're recording it later on in the week, this week, because you've you bless you you've had a very severe tooth infection. Yes, and my wisdom tooth dead face, lacking wisdom.

Speaker 1: 1:30

I've already removed two, so you're gonna be a bit like by the end of the week. I don't know. I'm gonna carry on the rest of my life?

Speaker 2: 1:37

no, no wisdom teeth at all yeah but fortunately it has nothing to do with it. So we're all okay. Yeah, I do in this, I in this cold, though I think we all turn a bit lacking yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:48

It's hard. January's not doing it for me. January's hard. Everyone knows Everyone's broken January like recovering from.

Speaker 2: 1:54

Christmas. I'm not broke. I'm broken, I'm just cold.

Speaker 1: 1:58

I don't enjoy it, but the snow has melted. The snow has melted.

Speaker 2: 2:01

The snow has melted and now it's mushy. No, it's gone. No, but it's. It was mushy yesterday. No, but it's Okay. It's slushy. No, it's gone. No, the ground is slushy. Oh, it's muddy. Yeah, it's horrid, don't like it.

Speaker 2: 2:13

I don't want to annoy people that are I was going to say south of the border and I don't want to annoy people in Lancashire. But I did see a really, really funny post on Facebook the other day that said it was like a dig at Lancashire because you know the War of the Roses, yorkshire versus Lancashire. And actually, manchester, we love you because you're our number one city, so we do love you, manchester. But it was quite funny because it was like a Manchester ice cream and it was a Manchester slushy and it was just basically a whole pile of sludge in an ice cream cone, because manchester is very, very well known for being, um, a rainy city.

Speaker 1: 2:48

I have been to manchester three times in the last month and twice that it said no. Four times, three times it said it wasn't going to rain and it did anyways.

Speaker 2: 2:57

It always rains when you go to manchester and it and scott will always tell me, my partner always tell me it's something to do with the, the something, something and it's open, it's on the something coast and and the rain from the water, from the something and I go, it just rains it just rains, mate, you don't need to know why it just rains.

Speaker 2: 3:14

Yeah, it's like we always get the snow in yorkshire. We all, everyone else go. Oh, I, I wish, I, I wish it's no, no, you don't wish it snows. You say you wish it snows until you get to the point where you're trying to dig a car out and you're late for a meeting in the school run and snow is lovely when you have nowhere to go and you just watch Harry Potter all day yes, and you're indoors with an open fire, looking out snow is so beautiful and where we live, obviously in the middle of nowhere, it's glorious, glorious, it's glorious, it is, unless you have to be somewhere and then it's wait.

Speaker 2: 3:46

What county is manchester?

Speaker 1: 3:48

in lancashire. Who is?

Speaker 2: 3:49

it. So we're literally the war of the roses, because we're white rose and they're red rose. You can't say that they're our number one. No, I do like manchester.

Speaker 1: 3:56

Manchester actually is my favorite it is you do.

Speaker 2: 3:58

Actually, I've always liked manchester.

Speaker 1: 4:00

I think it has such a good balance of everything City life, city girl.

Speaker 2: 4:05

Yeah me, no, I'd actually quite like to live in. My dream house is actually a castle in the middle of Scotland, in nowhere near anything. Why? Because I just want peace, peace and quiet.

Speaker 1: 4:19

Got one neighbour. One neighbour too many. They're lovely.

Speaker 2: 4:22

They don't. I'm the loud neighbor in this. You are. You're the problem.

Speaker 1: 4:26

It's you, it is me they must hear me on the phone in the like on the phone in the garden I think you're a bloody woman.

Speaker 2: 4:33

I'm a gypsy. What can I say? People are now very confused because you're known to be loud. No, no, who's known to be loud? You, you, you.

Speaker 1: 4:43

You are known to be loud, not us, there's many listeners in egypt and they would agree with loud you, you, you. You are known to be loud, not us. There's many listeners in egypt and they would agree with me you are loud we are charismatic, we are funny, which describes me. You are loud. I've gotten so much better, though you have to be fair.

Speaker 1: 4:56

I used to be loud yes, but I'm just a lot more semi semi loud, demi semi loud I think Rowan's the loud one when she's here. You're all loud, I'm not, I'm chilled, mummy, I'm peaceful.

Speaker 2: 5:11

Anyway, we digress. What is the question for today? I picked this one for a specific reason. Say that, one with a lift.

Speaker 1: 5:18

Specific reason Because um fuck it Briella, forget it tmi. I am also on my period, so I just thought are we talking about periods, jolly? Good, lovely. So this question is from emily, it's gonna be a very long podcast, hi, emily in ireland hi hi, emily in ireland, so she's 45. Okay, she says my periods have been unpredictable over the last year and it feels like my body just has a mind of its own. Yeah, yeah, yeah, standard. Sometimes they're super heavy and last for ages and other times I'll skip a month altogether.

Speaker 1: 5:56

Yeah, it's not just the physical side that affects me, but the emotional rollercoaster is just exhausting. Yep, and it's hard to plan my life in advance when I don't know when I'm supposed to expect surely? Period. Is this normal? Yes, perimenopause, yes, and if so, how can I manage these changes and not let them take over my life?

Speaker 2: 6:14

okay, yes, completely normal, utterly normal, and I don't know the answers. You want to know the answer as well. Okay, so, completely normal. As you go kind of mid to mid perimenopause onwards and you're coming towards the menopause era, very, very normal, um, one of the main characteristics of kind of mid perimenopause onwards is the unpredictability of your periods. Not everybody, but the vast majority of women, will find that their periods just become a bit wappy, um, shorter together, further apart, getting heavier, getting lighter. It's all very, very normal. That doesn't mean it's fun, but it's very, very normal. Some women find that their periods change in the same way every month, in that their periods are just getting lighter and lighter and lighter, or closer and closer and closer, and some women, like poor Emily here, just find that they're just going bonkers. So what's happening is that your hormones you'll be obviously not shocked to hear, um, and and we're talking about estrogen and progesterone, we're talking about these two, yes, and your good old favorites but wait, sorry, before you carry on.

Speaker 1: 7:23

Yeah, isn't periods when you produce more testosterone, when you're on your periods?

Speaker 2: 7:28

You don't get them confused. I am no, leave that alone.

Speaker 2: 7:32

What we're talking about here is you're surging, your oestrogen and your progesterone are the ones that are responsible for releasing an egg, and then, if the egg isn't used, releasing the egg from isn't used it's not it's not needed this month, darling, and then make preparing the, the lining of the womb for you, getting the egg ready and then, if it's not used, shedding the lining of the uterus, the womb, and releasing the egg so that it comes down and forms as a period. Right, that's all well and good in a normal cycle, when you're, when you're not in perimenopause, and when you don't, when you're not pregnant. That's how it would normally work. Now the thing is that, as we've talked about lots of times on the podcast, your, your estrogen is going to fluctuate up and down through perimenopause and through your cycle, but your progesterone is also going down as well. So in any one month your progesterone is the one that helps to release the egg and say we're not needed. But if your progesterone is low, that, if your oestrogen is low, that month your progesterone might be trying to get rid of, like saying, oh, we're going to release the egg and but you, your, your um eastern, hasn't actually released an egg to.

Speaker 2: 8:47

So they can vary month by month. Yeah, which one's higher, which one's lower, and this is that, here in life, the problem. So in a normal cycle they'll be in perfect balance and lovely harmony. So one produces the egg and the other gets rid of the egg and all is, all is well with this gorgeous glorious flow of cycle. But suddenly you might have Eastern dominance, so you might end up with this really heavy period. And then other times you end up like you're seemingly so far apart because you're just not producing this egg. And then other times you end up with this really, really heavy one and it's just this roller coaster, because you might have a surge of hormones which gives you a heavy period. And it's just this roller coaster because, um, you might have a surge of hormones which gives you a heavy period and prolonged period. The next month you might not ovulate at all and you're gonna skip a period, and you're, and what? You might not ovulate at all, so and no egg might be released. Wait, wait, hold the phone what does that mean?

Speaker 2: 9:44

what do you?

Speaker 1: 9:45

mean what I've only ever in my life skipped one period.

Speaker 2: 9:49

It just didn't happen yes, so you didn't ovulate how, how, how, how, how.

Speaker 1: 9:54

How does that work though?

Speaker 2: 9:56

so you didn't ovulate, so your eastern levels dropped to the point where you're. You did not release an egg that month what happened? I don't know, I wasn't, I wasn't, I didn't ask. That's crazy. But this is the point of hormones, your hormones, you have to have enough. So there's. We're going to go way off track if we start talking about lutealizing stimulant and fs and follicle stimulating hormones and these things. But those are the hormones that tell your body to release an egg they tell them okay yeah, it's, it's a whole messaging system.

Speaker 2: 10:29

We'll talk, we'll talk, okay, so I forget I can talk to you, not just on the podcast, you get access to me 24, 7 and so, the point being that your body starts playing its own guessing game. So. So some might be heavy, some might be further apart, sometimes it skips all together. That's its own story. But these hormones don't just affect your cycle. They affect your emotional ups and downs, and this is where the roller coaster can come in One minute you're fine, and then, seemingly the next minute, you're, you're, you're, you're on this roller coaster and you're in tears and it's exhausting. So I hear Emily. When Emily turns around and says I, I can't plan my life around these changes. I, I hear you, I really hear you. It's, it's like your body's got a mind of its own. So what we need to help Emily with, and so many of the listeners, is how do we find ways to help them get back some control?

Speaker 1: 11:24

and even like how do they prepare in terms of, like you don't want to ruin your underwear? Do you know like, at my age, I can almost see what dates I'm gonna start? So I don't have to wear black yeah so there's this.

Speaker 2: 11:35

there's different things you've got to do, so you've got to help yourself manage your cycle, and then you've got to help yourself manage practical element of it, okay. So, when we look at managing the changes, first, number one is start tracking your cycle, okay, okay so, because before it was tracking your cycle, as in every 28 days I'm due for my period. You're not going to be doing that. You're going to be looking for patterns, yeah, okay so the pattern may be no pattern. Yeah, or the pattern may be they're getting further apart but you will start seeing a pattern. So start by tracking your periods. You can use an app, you can use a journal.

Speaker 1: 12:12

There's a really good app I've used this since I started clue okay best period app. And if you, this is like, sorry, shameless, like plugging this up, but if you pay um seven pound, it's 29 pounds a year. With the app that also gives you um like a like, analysis of like, just it predicts everything for you in advance and it tells you why you missed it. This then it'll read all your patterns, basically, but you can also get it for free. Okay, clue best one, fill in every time you're on your period, fill in the details. Amazing, and it will like. It will predict when your next period is, based on all the information that you've put in let's see if it's good for paramenopause wounds.

Speaker 1: 12:56

See if it doesn't it does have an article about paramenopause there.

Speaker 2: 13:04

Have a look at apps like clue or journal it. Although it may not make your periods more predictable, it will help you notice the patterns or the triggers. So, for example, in perimenopause, stress is a big plays a big role because our bodies will always um, we cortisol is a big issue in perimenopause. Stress is a big issue in perimenopause. Stress is a big issue in perimenopause. It can go out of control.

Speaker 2: 13:33

Stress cortisol is our stress hormone. It is produced in the same place as progesterone. Progesterone is the one that helps to release an egg, to release the egg from the womb lining, and it's also the hormone that makes us feel calm and makes us feel relaxed and is very important for us to feel less wired. But it's produced in the same place, from the same area as cortisol, which is our stress hormone, and there is something called protreanin steel. Now the problem is is, if our body is busy making cortisol, we can't make as much progesterone, so we end up in estrogen dominance very, very bad for us. So, um, we might end up with way too much estrogen or we might end up in a very weird kind of hormonal pattern because of stress. If you track things like stress or your diet. I know that where I am in my menopause because I'm 51 this year that sugar plays havoc with my hormones always has, always will. It's getting worse.

Speaker 2: 14:53

So eating too much sugar has an impact on my neuralgia has an impact on my hormones, has an impact on my sleep, and it's a shame, because I love sugar, I love chocolate you don't have periods anymore, do you?

Speaker 2: 15:06

I don't have periods, but it but it makes me feel hormonally off balance yes and it does with your neuralgia and it has an impact on my neuralgia, it has an impact on my sleep. So tracking those symptoms will give you an insight into what's going on. Also, it's worth thinking about supporting your hormones. So there's a way to support your hormones through things like balancing your blood sugar. So if you ate and I hate doing this because it's, I feel like a grim, you know person my day but eating 30 grams of protein at every meal will help to balance your blood sugar. Eating three meals a day will help to balance your blood sugar. Staying away from refined sugars will help to don't shoot the messenger.

Speaker 2: 15:46

I mean I always thought yeah, yeah, no, no, it actually is true, I think that my age, I think I know, and I just I just hated people that talked about it because I always used to think, well, it's all right for you, and you're putting like really healthy kind of yogi that hugs trees and eats nut butter and it blah, blah, whatever. And it's so true and I really wish it wasn't. I really wish the answer was to eat donuts and eat chocolate and sleep in and watch netflix. I wish that was the answer. Burger a day yeah, like why is the answer not eat burger? And? And like, drown yourself in crisps and oh, mommy, do you know what I mean? That's never the answer and it's just such a. Anyway, but if you eat protein and healthy fats and fiber and stay away from too much coffee, caffeine and sugar, and alcohol.

Speaker 1: 16:35

Yeah, yeah, all the fun stuff. All the fun stuff. That was funny.

Speaker 2: 16:38

But it really will help you. Yeah, it will negate the ups and downs, the emotional ups and downs. We don't ever correlate it because we feel like I don't know why I feel so emotionally unbalanced today. A lot of it, unfortunately, is because our blood sugar goes like spikes, then crashes, and it takes our emotions with it. The smoking no, smoking is a stimulant. It doesn't have the same impact unless you're trying to quit, and then you know what, how that feels and which you successfully did full.

Speaker 1: 17:09

Yes, highly recommend to quit, but don't take a week off work yeah, go nowhere.

Speaker 2: 17:14

Come to my house and I'll help you through it. Yeah, um, but but yes, stress and diet are two things that they will have a massive impact on your hormones how, how your hormones feel regulated, um, and taking care of them will help you on your hormonal journey in to a huge extent. Yeah, and the the hits just keep on coming, because if you exercise I'm sorry, just gentle movement, though, I'm not talking about hip workouts, I'm talking about yoga, because I know you are a big yogi.

Speaker 2: 17:48

I am a big yogi, but walking yoga works wonders. It helps to regulate your hormones, it helps to manage your stress, it helps improve your mood. If you, if you, every time that you wanted to like stick your head in a vat of chocolate which is a feeling I get most days you actually did 10 minutes of yoga, your life would change can I ask you this and this is like a bit it's weird to ask my mom, but you know they say like having sex, yes, a good workout, and stuff like that it's not that good a workout, oh right, okay, it depends how you're

Speaker 2: 18:19

doing it you lose a lot of calories you don't use? You don't actually use that many unless you're like swinging from the rafters.

Speaker 1: 18:25

To be fair, you use some so sex would not be a good. It's not good enough it's okay.

Speaker 2: 18:32

Okay, it depends how vigorous you are and how many different positions you're getting yourself into. Just being honest, I mean, I asked the question, you asked the question, you get what you asked for, uh, it's, it's okay, but you're not being that sustained and that you know. It's probably better at your age than it is ours. However, it's about the thing about yoga is it's intentional, it's mindful, you're in a different head space. You're becoming that you. It's the flow of yoga. I mean, you can't I don't really want to embarrass you, but you can get into flow during sex if you're with the same partner and you both are in that comfortable mindful state. Facts, facts.

Speaker 2: 19:17

No, you can I agree Genuinely, but it's Okay. Yeah, it's, you really have to. Just if you were having sex every day, it would. It would be enough to to to. Would it be considered exercise? Yes, it would. If you had. If you had at least 10 minutes of reasonable sex every day, would it be considered exercise? The thing is, is a woman in perimenopause like to have sex every day? Doubtful, yeah, quite frankly, because we're more like to stab our husbands in the eye than have sex every day. Sorry, something to look forward to, yay, funsies. Um, consider supplements, and you know I'm not gonna get go anywhere without talking about supplements, because my life has changed as you should.

Speaker 2: 20:01

Um, magnesium yeah, vitamin b complex massively important during this time um, those two together. Magnesium complex, because it's going to help with muscle relaxation. So the magnesium complex that I always recommend is obviously our one, but because it's got magnesium, malate taurate and glycine in and what those three are going to do is going to help you to to relax your muscles, relax your um anxiety and help you to sleep. So those three are going to be really helpful. And a vitamin b complex as well. It's going to help you to sleep. So those three are going to be really helpful.

Speaker 2: 20:36

And a vitamin b complex as well is going to help you to balance your hormones. So those two supplements together I would highly recommend, just to help you feel more balanced and consider if hrt is the right fit for you, because it can help you through this. Now some women will say that because their hormones, because they're finding the periods and the lack of predictability so difficult to tolerate, they might decide to go on the Mirena coil, because what the Mirena coil will do is to release the steady flow of progesterone, so you will not have any periods. Some women are like no, I don't like the idea of not having periods and I feel that's not natural.

Speaker 1: 21:18

It's a 50 because I have that coil and they told me you probably won't have periods, but I always still did I have the, I have the coil and I don't have any periods, so that just depends on the woman. Yep, oh, okay so yeah, it's, it's.

Speaker 2: 21:34

Some women opt for that one.

Speaker 1: 21:36

And the doctors can't predict prior if you're going to have.

Speaker 2: 21:39

but they did tell because I've had two now but you might not, but you're oestrogen dominant because you have endometriosis, so you are already in a state of oestrogen dominance. And don't forget, oestrogen dominance means so when you're taking the, so a normal person I don't mean that in a disrespectful, disrespectful manner, but because you have a lot of estrogen, your progesterone, that they're giving you a low level of progesterone to balance out the estrogen. So that's why you still have your periods to make from extreme estrogen to they're balancing it out. Somebody who doesn't have, who has a regular amount of estrogen, yeah, yeah yeah um, it would be enough to to make it more balanced.

Speaker 2: 22:18

It. Does that make sense? So consider hrt if that's an option that she wants for emily. Um, and the other thing is to prioritize rest and self-care. It's not indulgent, it's vital, really. Really is meditation, warm baths or even just saying no. No is a full sentence and saying no to things that you don't want to do, that don't feel right to you right now, that don't serve you um, that aren't essential. Anything that you feel is draining is non-essential, highly recommended in perimenopause.

Speaker 2: 22:49

You learn to say no yeah it's just just give yourself a treat like this is the time where you learn to as a treat to yourself. This would be the first time in your life that you learn to just go.

Speaker 1: 22:58

Nope, it's a good feeling.

Speaker 2: 23:01

Oh, it's the best it's amazing, it's a blessing, and if you've never learned to do it before, this is the time you learn to do it.

Speaker 1: 23:08

Okay, just absolutely learn to do it, yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:11

So what about practical, practical stuff? Um, as in practical, practical, practical stuff, yeah, um, buy yourself some period knickers. Yeah, they're amazing, they are so comfortable they are they are super duper comfortable. So, um, obviously we have some in the lifestyle brand.

Speaker 1: 23:30

That was one of the most important things um, honestly, not shameless plugging here Worth the investment Really, really, really worth it?

Speaker 2: 23:37

You gave me one and they are and booty always have like the softest things anyways, and it just.

Speaker 1: 23:43

They're so comfy it really is an amazing option. I mean thing is, and they reach if you have periods.

Speaker 2: 23:49

Yeah, well, here's the thing I don't have periods and I still use them when I'm going to be out for the day. Why? Because weighty am I, that's okay. But women, when you get even further through the perimenopause, sometimes you have a leaky bladder. So if I'm, if I don't know where the loos are, yeah, and I'm because I just I'm at that age now where it's like, if I'm, if I'm like slightly late, or I can't excuse myself and I'm going to run to the loo and I might just leak a little bit.

Speaker 2: 24:15

So period knickers means that I'm never embarrassed because if I leak a little bit, it doesn't matter. Just sneeze, laugh, cough, can't find the loo in time. None of it matters, because the period knickers means it's all completely absorbed. They're so comfy as well. They're like, we do them in all different. We do them different weights, so you can get heavy period knickers, medium period knickers. We do them in different sizes. I love the big granny ones. I'm not ashamed to say it, my name is kate and I love big knickers. Um, I do wear g-strings as well. I'm one of those either or I'm like a big knicker or a g-string type of a girl.

Speaker 1: 24:49

Okay, um, I'm not, but yeah yeah, I think when I, when I like, get pregnant, that's all. I'm gonna wear big knickers, period knickers specifically. Oh, because I have a. I can't I sneeze and I leak and I I've not can't remember the last time I jumped, because every time I go on a trampoline that was game over. We need to talk about um pelvic floor exercise at some point. But like exercises, they I'm the same every time like I sneeze when I'm on my period and I've exercise they I'm the same every time like I sneeze when I'm on my period. And I've got the, I'm fine, I'm fine. Like I'm so good, I am good, it is okay.

Speaker 2: 25:23

No, shame, cool no, but they are gorgeous and because they're bamboo like I've got, I've got to the point now with the bamboo stuff because I, you know, I always bamboo pajamas and knickers right and bamboo knickers that's all I wear, but I can't even be bothered to wear anything. That's not like. I won't even wear a non-bamboo vest. Yeah, like I've got some marx and spencer's cotton vests and I put them on. I'm like, oh it's so uncomfortable.

Speaker 1: 25:45

You gave me a lot of them.

Speaker 2: 25:46

Yeah, I gave you all my, my marx and spencer's vests because it's just, it's just not, it's just not, it's just not doing it. Yeah, I can't do it.

Speaker 1: 25:53

I can't be bothered. They're so chic, yeah, but just ugh. No, no, like the bamboo stuff. Oh, I just love them so chic.

Speaker 2: 25:59

I love them. Jenna got some for Christmas. Oh, you all did. Yeah, can't be bothered to know Sorry, we've gone off on one what we're saying. Yeah, so really, really worth the investment and it's just. You can get little, you know, you can keep little pouches and just I have this thing with handbags.

Speaker 2: 26:17

You know I love a good handbag and I look after my handbags, like I have some older than me. I do have handbags on you, but I'll only buy a good one every five, ten years and I'll take beautiful care of them. But I have hand, I have handbag savers in all of my handbags and I'll you know. So I'm like you can move them back to back. So it's worth investing in like a handbag saver where you just take the same handbag saver from back to back and just have a little pouch with some goodies in, you know, and have a little thing with your essential period things in and just move it every day. Absolutely fine. And but if you think you might be, this is where the tracking comes in. If you think you might be, this is where the tracking comes in. If you think you might be around, or about just period, knickers are practically very, very good Question. Yes.

Speaker 1: 27:02

You know this might also be a my age thing, but you know like we can kind of sense when we're going to become on our periods because the boobs your boobs will hurt. So is it not the same for women and people?

Speaker 2: 27:09

It is. But we can get sore boobs at other times as well, because sore boobs is a real oestrogen thing and because our oestrogen is so fluctuating. Right, we can get sore boobs without necessarily having a period cramps. Maybe not so much, but it depends, because some women maybe have got fibromyalgia. We do get cysts as well in perimenopause.

Speaker 1: 27:27

It's just a whole so it's a little bit more difficult.

Speaker 2: 27:29

It's a little bit more to separate the the the issue. So, um, and I also I think, practically, I think the mindset shift is something I think you have to, um, shift away from a loss of control to just a phase of transition. Just understand, this is just a transition. It's not your body working against you, it's just your body transitioning to a new chapter. So it's not, you're not in a battle, it's not a war, it's not you against your body, it's not us. Again, you know, type of thing, and I know that sounds dramatic, but I remember feeling quite angry like what is it doing now? Type of thing. Trust me, on the other side is freedom. So you want to go through this, if that makes sense.

Speaker 2: 28:16

When you get to menopausal age, there is a lot of things that you get to do again, and I'm enjoying being 51. I'm enjoying my life. I get to have a lot of things back again. There is a lot of life I get to live now. So don't worry about the loss of things. Just see it as a passageway. You're just going through this passage. You're going through this transition. It's just getting to the next chapter. You're going down the hallway, that's all it is, and it's okay.

Speaker 2: 28:55

Honestly, um, when it comes to flexibility, just try and be a bit more flexible. Although it's unpredictable, just try and be practice flexibility if you if that's okay leave some buffer room in your calendar. This is a good time not to pack things in too tightly if because if you have a heavy period or a very emotional day, you, you're going to come a little bit of a cropper of things are packed in around there. So if you know that the you know this, this might fall around a period day, or just in general, just don't expect too much of yourself. Give yourself some room to breathe.

Speaker 2: 29:37

I think is what I'm trying to say, because it is a lot, and so if your calendar's not full to the rafters right now, that would kind of be a good thing, yeah, and the last kind of practical thing I think would be lean on your find support and actively look for it. Lean on your friends, um, family females. Come if you're I mean, you're obviously not, was this in our perimenopause on whatsapp, um, but if you're not, in our perimenopause support group, come, come, hang out. I think she is okay. I recognize the face. Okay, I think she is okay if you're and if you're, if you're in, if you want to join our um perimenopause membership. That's a great place as well. We've got lots of resources in there.

Speaker 2: 30:20

It's it's good to talk to other women going through the same thing, because you're not going to be alone and, of course, we're always here for you in this, in this space we got you, we, we do, and I think it's just really important to know that, although your body might make you feel like life's unproductable right now, you do have tools and resources that help you navigate this. Small steps, find out what works for you, try and take it lighter as much as you can. That's not gaslighting you at all. It's very unpredictable. It is challenging, but there are a few things that you can do, as I said, that help you.

Speaker 2: 30:56

Challenging, but there are a few things that you can do, as I said, that help you as much as you can. Try and help yourself with balancing things out. Try and make life easier where you can, and if you have any more questions, just reach out and ask us. That's what we're here for. And then, if anybody here relates to Emily's story I'm sure you, so many of you do just please know you're not alone in this. We can always help as as much as you can to help you navigate perimenopause with grace, resilience and, hopefully, a little humor along the way, as always, whenever we can, and if you have any questions about perimenopause, do feel free to reach out by WhatsApp or in our group, and we will be here to answer your questions again next week. Take care, my darlings, and we'll speak to you soon. Bye, thanks for joining us today on the uncomplicated perimenopause podcast. We hope you found this episode helpful and inspiring.

Speaker 1: 31:55

Don't forget if you have any questions or topics you'd like us to cover, you can reach out through our perimenopause group or on whatsapp for more information on my coaching, perimenopause supplements, books or upcoming events, please visit wwwkatebrovnercom and if you've enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, rate and review our podcast. It really helps us reach more listeners, just like you. Until next time.

Speaker 2: 32:21

Remember, perimenopause doesn't have to be complicated. We're here to help you every step of the way. Stay uncomplicated. Bye.