On Saturday, I celebrated my 37th birthday. I still feel rather young, though every time I look in the mirror I realize that I’m not looking quite as young as I once did…
I graduated from high school nearly 20 years ago. In another 6 months, I will have been married for 17 years. And on Christmas Eve, my oldest daughter will turn 15. Between 1995 and 2005, I got married and had 5 children.
I wouldn’t have it any other way….but I did put my body through quite a bit during those 10 years.
When I look at the varicose veins running up and down my legs, or when I see the stretch marks covering my stomach and bottom, or when I notice the wrinkles on my face, I am reminded of my age and the wear I’ve seen since my high school graduation in 1992.
The other night, my friend Lisa from Mommyality and I were talking about the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that we’ve noticed as we’ve neared our forties.
As I described some of the struggles that I had been having this past month (namely, HUGE hormonal imbalance, terrible fatigue, and difficulty going to sleep), Lisa suggested I look up perimenopause and consider having my hormone levels checked by my doctor.
Me? NO! The thought of anything with the word menopause in it as related to me seemed absurd.
But then I looked at the symptoms and signs of menopause.
The signs of menopause and related hormonal issues include:
- Weight Gain
- Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
- Mood Swings
- Depression
- Low Libido
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Memory Loss
- Fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Premenstrual symptoms
- Vaginal Dryness
The fact is, I can relate with the majority of the items on this list. Another fact? Hormonal imbalances are the root of many chronic health problems and can increase your risk of serious disease (see BodyLogicMD’s article about Hormones). And, perimenopause symptoms can appear years before menopause.
Another fact – and this one is much more comforting than the rest – getting older is not all bad. Sure, I’m heavier than I used to be. I don’t have quite as much energy as I did when I was a young mom in my 20s. But I am able to enjoy and appreciate my children more than ever now. I have time to develop my talents and gain new ones. I have been through many different stages with my kids – from pregnancy and newborn to the teen years. And I have a lot to offer other moms who are earlier in their parenting journeys.
No, getting older is not all bad.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BodyLogicMD. As always, my thoughts and opinions (and aches and pains of getting older) are my own.
© 2011, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
Menopause is NOT the nightmare people would have you believe!
No doubt, it can be a challenging time, but with regular exercise, a clean diet and good nutritional supplementation, most women are able to sail through menopause.
For myself, it`s become a wonderful, freeing time of life. The kids are grown up so no need to be running behind everyone and a whole lot more time for me…finally. Enjoyed your post.
With my recent medical emergency, I am totally in touch with those emotions. I am too young for menopause, right?