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Perimenopause is a transition of hormonal changes, with an adjustment phase before an exciting new chapter begins. To understand the experience of perimenopause from someone with first-hand experience, we sat down with one of our in-house health experts, Erica Smith, to reflect on her perimenopausal health journey.
We asked Erica about her experiences, and if she could go back in time and have a conversation with yourself about her journey, what would she say? Erica shares her insights with us on the wisdom she would share with anyone woman who is yet to transition through perimenopausal hormone changes.
Erica is a naturopath and vibrant professional health educator on all things to do with women’s health and pain management. Outside of her 9-to-5 role, Erica is a dedicated Ukelele and Pilates Enthusiast who spends her time travelling and exploring the Australian East Coast with her husband.
Did you ever think about perimenopause before it happened to you?
Erica: “Not in the slightest! If anything, I probably didn’t want to consider it. I think I believed that menopause happened to ‘old ladies’ who had wrinkles and grey hair and grumpy moods, which is not the case! I don’t think I even realised what a hot flush was when I had my first one in my 40s.”
“I think that is still quite common to be afraid of perimenopause, but the way women think about it is changing thanks to more awareness about what perimenopause actually is.”
Did anything shock you about your perimenopausal experience?
Erica: “I don’t think I was shocked. But it wasn’t something I knew much about, to be honest. There were a lot of things back then that weren’t common knowledge. These days, it’s a lot different. I think I’m probably more shocked that there was a time were there wasn’t much education, because nobody else tells you about all this stuff you got to go through.”
“It’s something like 6 million women a year enter perimenopause. I think that perimenopause awareness has a come a long way for the better.”
What was your experience of perimenopausal education?
Erica: “It wasn't spoken about, to be honest. I knew that my mother was in a low mood around the time she would be in her late forties and early fifties. So maybe I knew that might be something that could happen to me from seeing my mother go through it."
"My education came from realising my symptoms were connected to my hot flushes. I remember for me there were days that the littlest thing could set me off and make me irritable or crabby – I had no idea it could have been hormone changes! But that was the amount of education I knew at the time, going through perimenopause.”
What would you say to yourself if you could go back and talk to your younger self?
Erica: “If I were talking to 30-year-old Erica, I would tell myself that it’s not an ‘old lady’ thing where you suddenly are ‘old’, if anything, you feel more energised. It’s like becoming a teenager again, with the best still yet to come.”
“If I could talk to Erica in her 40s and 50s, I would tell her "Make friends with hot flushes and joint pain, and listen when they flare up, because they are telling me that I am probably tired and run down, and I need to look after myself better.”
Have you got any general advice for women on the topic of perimenopause?
Erica: “I would say it’s just another journey to learn more about yourself and to embrace the beautiful things about it. I would encourage anyone to investigate things to help with a Healthcare professional and be curious about it.”
We thanked Erica for her time, and hope you found this interview as insightful and refreshing as we did!
For more information on what to expect during perimenopausal transition after 40, check out these articles here and here to learn more about how you can be proactive on the perimenopausal journey.