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With M for Menopause I am really eager to create a

With M for Menopause I am really eager to create a supportive community for ALL.

As I’m sure many of you are aware, June is Pride Month which encourages everyone to really take pride in, and show support for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly given the atrocities much of the community has had to endure, and still does.

So today, let’s talk about diversity in sexuality.

Many menopause conversations tend to pivot off the assumption that being heterosexual (that is, being attracted to the opposite gender) is the default and norm. For example, when talking about the impact of menopause on relationships, many of these conversations can exclude same-sex relationships from receiving support by the language used. I therefore think it is really important for information and support out there to use inclusive language i.e “partners” instead of “husbands” when speaking more generically💭. These little changes can really go a huge way.

Over the course of the month I’m going to be doing some research into the LGBTQ+ community and their experiences with menopause to continue to learn, improve and create an inclusive community.

I would love for any of my followers to share their experiences by commenting below or reaching out to me at mformenopause@gmail.com 🏳️‍🌈🌈

When going through perimenopause and menopause, it

When going through perimenopause and menopause, it can make a world of difference for those around us to make some adjustments and support us during our journey. This may be your partner, children, friends, colleagues or managers. Unfortunately, I abruptly left work as I did not have this support and I felt I could no longer cope.

What could those around you be it at home or at work do to best support you? Have you managed to get the support you have wanted or not?

So following on from yesterday’s post- how can w

So following on from yesterday’s post- how can we connect with nature to improve our mental health?

1. We are surrounded by nature. It doesn’t have to be a Forrest for us to connect with nature. It may be our garden, local park, community gardens or courtyards! 🍂

2. Engage your senses. Being truly mindful of our natural surroundings can really help to relieve anxiety and focus our mind. Listen out to the birds chirping, the wind blowing against your ears, the clouds moving, the rain on your skin. ☁️🌨🌧

3. Bring nature indoors. For those where it really is hard to access natural places, or you are unable due to anxiety, allergies, lack of mobility and other reasons. Bring nature indoors! Having some house plants really can give a boost to our mental health. Growing your own herbs on your window sill and incorporating it with your cooking can really give a feeling of accomplishment!🪴

4. Incorporate nature into your plans. Planning on going for a coffee with your friend? Why not take your coffee with you and go for a walk in a park, or sit in your garden! 🌸

5. Get active in nature. Walking or running outdoors in nature may help to prevent or reduce feelings of anger, tiredness and sadness. 🍃

6. Finally, don’t let the weather stop you! I am definitely guilty of this. However, whatever the weather, experiencing nature can boost our mood, state of mind, mental health and wellbeing. Instead, this can be a great way to connect with nature and be mindful! How does the cold/weather feel on your skin? Do you notice a shift in light and how it paints nature so differently? What colour are the leaves? How does your breathing change in the different weather?🌧☀️

#connectwithnature #mentalhealthawareness

As mental health awareness week comes to a close,

As mental health awareness week comes to a close, I thought it would be good to summarise the benefits of nature for our mental health. For many, myself included, nature has played a critical role in our mental health during the pandemic.

So I decided to do some research into why we should aim to incorporate nature into our daily life:

1. Reduces Stress. Taking at least 20 minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone (cortisol)🌿

2. Improves your mood. Breathing fresh air can raise levels of oxygen to your brain, boosting levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that stabilises your mood🌱

3. Increase confidence. There are infinite ways to interact with nature! This means you are bound to find the right interaction that works for you. You might discover you are really great at growing your own vegetables. This can really help provide a sense of fulfillment and boost your self-esteem🍃

4. Helps you keep active. Naturally, getting outside increases your movement and gets your blood pumping🍁

5. Helps you sleep. By being exposed to natural light, this helps to regulate the human body's internal “sleep clock.” 🌞

How do you interact with nature? Have you noticed it helps your mental health? 🧠

#ConnectWithNature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #selfcare

My menopause creeped up slowly and I had no inklin

My menopause creeped up slowly and I had no inkling what was awaiting ahead for me. To me, menopause meant I was going to be free from all the grief of my menstrual cycle. This was not the case at all. During (peri)menopause I had symptoms that overtook my life, and resultantly resigning from work.

My transition involved regular visits to the GP as I was unable to cope and my family was slowly breaking down. Instead of the GP being a listening ear and understanding what was happening to me she “treated” my symptoms and did not consider the deep-rooted cause. Rather, I was prescribed antidepressants. Reluctantly, I accepted and yes it helped my night sweats and sleep however, mentally I was deteriorating. The root of my symptoms were not being tackled: my hormones diminishing. I was not clinically depressed so naturally the antidepressants were not going to aid my low moods and other psychological symptoms. It’s like continuing to add water to a plant which instead, is lacking in sunlight, and resultantly unable to grow and flourish no matter how much you water it🌸🥀.

The first step for productive change is knowledge for ALL . Going through my change I didn't even realise that menopause had a specific stage known as perimenopause. I felt so stupid, how could I not realise? However, from the work I do I have realised we have been in a position where knowledge has not been circulated and support is inherently lacking. Instead, we have to pave the way ourselves. So now I realise, I was not stupid. My knowledge only has expanded because I was in a desperate state to understand more. I believe it is truly important to have knowledge before we even reach this stage. I also believe “perimenopause” should be the term circulated more, given this is when the majority of symptoms kick in.

Menopause needs to be understood, heard about and acknowledged. I was fortunate enough to share my story with, Linda Sands, from Finestripe productions and producer, @muirka , who were doing research for the documentary on @channel4 @davinamccall : Sex, Myths and the Menopause. I am looking forward to watching this and hope you and all your loved ones do too!

Today, I came across @fittobeatcancer’s story of

Today, I came across @fittobeatcancer’s story of her bowel cancer being misdiagnosed as menopause. I found this extremely saddening 💔

This made me want to highlight the point- that everything is not necessarily a result of menopause! Given the huge breadth of menopause symptoms it can be easy to get complacent and place it in a “menopause” box in our minds🗳. However, it’s super important to get any unusual symptoms checked out as this could be indicative or a symptom of other health conditions which need imminent attention⚠️.

So below are some reminders:
1) If you experience any unusual symptoms for longer than a period of 2 weeks be sure to get them checked out🔎.

2) If you are not convinced by the answers and results you are receiving, push for second or third opinions📞.

3) During any appointments, ask for clarity to ensure you're fully confident and understand the answers received💭.

4) Request a menopause specialist/ gynaecologist who is likely to carry out the required due diligence🩺.

5) Do keep track of your symptoms and note the dates. This will help you register how long you have been experiencing certain symptoms (which may be way longer than you think) and flags to you when it should be checked out ASAP👩🏽‍⚕️.

Finally, you know your body and any unusual changes it’s undergoing, so please don’t ignore and delay 😊

Join me and Dr. Nitu Bajekal this Thursday 8PM for

Join me and Dr. Nitu Bajekal this Thursday 8PM for an Insta live where we will be discussing all things HRT, myth- busting, alongside answering any questions you may have. Please feel free to comment below any questions you have in advance, or message me privately!

Please do check out @drnitubajekal’s instagram page and website where she has a wealth of content, resources and information on women’s health 👩🏽‍⚕️

This is a great opportunity for you to get questions in👏🏽

We look forward to chatting with you all on Thursday 📲

You may think this meme is dramatic for comical pu

You may think this meme is dramatic for comical purposes- well I really wish this was🤷🏽‍♀️. From my eyes, this is exactly how my manager responded when I opened up about my menopause.

As many of you may know, I left work after 23 years during the peak of my perimenopause journey as I didn’t feel supported at all by my employer at-the-time. More specifically, I tried to approach my manager but she had a completely “just get on with it” response. I thought given she was a female, and around my age, surely she would be empathetic? I thought wrong❌. I felt so embarrassed and angry after this encounter I had with my manager. Eventually, I felt I had no option but to leave😣.

Although on a more positive note this is what pushed me to pursue M for Menopause, I do not want women to feel they have no option but to leave work. There are options, and your employer has a duty to provide the necessary support and make appropriate adjustments according to YOUR needs.

It’s so great to see that within the past few years top organisations are making a huge step towards creating a menopause-friendly culture within the workplace 📈. If all organisations don’t follow suit, there is a huge risk that women will feel no option but to leave just like I did.

Do you feel supported by your work? How are you/ would you like to be supported at work? 🤝

Let me know in the comments below!

Perhaps it's the geordie in me, but I have always

Perhaps it's the geordie in me, but I have always loved my drink 🍸. However, during the onset of my perimenopause my body started undergoing changes and so my relationship with alcohol had to change. It was time to cut it down. Don’t get me wrong, I still do get days where cracking open a bottle of wine at the end of the day feels like it would relieve all stresses of the day🍷. Some evenings I refrain and other evenings I give in. However, for the latter I end up waking up the next day with severe migraines, dehydration and other repercussions😖. That’s when I remember that moment of indulgence was so not worth it👎🏽

This is why I am so glad to have recently spoken with and collaborated with Mel from @moozebooze12. She herself would find herself lost without a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge. The pandemic hit her and her previous business hard which led her to use alcohol as a comfort. She then decided it was time to get into Mindful Drinking and take back control. Mel, her best friend (Mo) and her newly discovered ADHD set out to come up with a solution.

From here Mooze was born (booze in moderation). Mooze 12% is an alternative gin botanical spirit of just 0.3 units per glass and 18 calories with a slimline tonic🍋.

If you would love to give this a go then enter our giveaway for a free bottle of Mooze 12% in my second last post.

What has your relationship with alcohol been like during menopause? 🍹

Menopause and sleep- well this is quite a paradox

Menopause and sleep- well this is quite a paradox for many of us😳

So, why do we actually tend to struggle getting that quality sleep we need during menopause?

Well, firstly it's important to understand our sleeping patterns are heavily influenced by our hormones. Namely, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone all work together to help us sleep. During perimenopause and menopause, these levels of hormones are dwindling. As a result this hormonal imbalance can induce night sweats and hot flashes🥵

Additionally, our levels of serotonin also decrease due to lower oestrogen. Serotonin plays a key role in stabilising our mood and so is known for its sleep-promoting properties. When levels of serotonin drop this can increase anxiety, depression and sleep trouble. As a result, this can not only make it hard to fall asleep, but also lead to poor quality of sleep, a broken sleeping pattern and early morning waking😴

What have I done to help myself sleep?

• I take HRT, which has helped restore hormonal balance in my body and reduce the above symptoms 🩹
• I have cut out caffeine, and now drink Rooibos tea (Red bush tea). It also contains phytoestrogens which are plant-based and have a similar chemical compound to our own body’s estrogen and so mimics its role! 🌱
• I have cut down alcohol, as drinking alcohol can reduce our REM sleep, just think of it as the sleeping stage which helps us feel rested! You do not have to go completely cold turkey, but be more mindful of what you are drinking. You can reduce how much you drink in a week or even turn to non-alcoholic alternatives or lower strength alcohols such as @moozebooze12 🍸
• I used to take magnesium, as it has many sleep-promoting and stress reducing properties. Please talk to your doctor before taking magnesium as other drugs may counteract any medications you’re taking. You can also increase your intake of magnesium by eating green leafy vegetables, avocado, nuts and many others 🥬

Have you found anything that helps you get a better sleep at night?

I am so excited to collaborate with @mymidlifeadd

I am so excited to collaborate with @mymidlifeadd founder of @Moozebooze12 and give you all the chance to try their amazing lower strength and calorie version of Gin! 🍸

Mooze 12% is Perfect for Gin Lovers. A Lower Strength Alcoholic Drink, at just 18 cals a pour, with a Premium Botanical Taste🍃

Here’s how to enter:
1. Follow @moozebooze12 & @mformenopause 📲
2. Like and save this post 👍🏽
3. Tag a friend in the comments below⬇️ (Each tag is one entry, so to increase your chances of winning tag all your gin-loving friends in separate comments!)

Bonus entry: Share this post on your story and tag both @moozebooze12 & @mformenopause for an extra entry!

The competition will end on Friday 2 April at 8pm GMT, and the winner will be announced that evening on @mformenopause Instagram story through a random name generator.

Good luck!🤩🤩

This competition is open to UK residents only. You must be 18 or over to enter. Must be following @moozebooze12 & @mformenopause to enter.

Following on from Mother's Day I thought this post

Following on from Mother's Day I thought this post would be perfectly fitting.

How to best support your motherly figure during their menopause! So let’s get straight into it:

1. Increase your awareness & learn the symptoms🔎
Well first off, how can you help your mum when you haven’t got a clue what exactly is happening to her? One of the key roots of anxiety for women is they don’t even understand what is happening to their body and mind themself. Therefore, showing you have an active interest, will help your mum not feel so alone. For example, you could suggest doing some research together!

2. Listen, empathise and support👂🏽Do your best to put yourself in your mums shoes. Let your mum know you’re there for her. If you notice she seems off, this can be a great conversation starter by sharing your specific concerns!

3. Adjust your expectations🎚
Many women, including myself, feel like they have completely lost their identity. They may be mourning the loss of their reproductive system, or characteristics of themself which have drastically changed. This means they may not be their usual self carrying out their usual tasks or sense of affection you are used to. It’s time for you to not only manage your expectations but also take on some extra responsibility. This might be helping your mum with usual tasks you were used to her “getting done”.

4. Be patient⏳
Cutting her some slack when she seems “out of it”, sad or angry will be highly appreciated. Her mind and body are going through huge changes and with this, it is likely there will be some unintended consequences.

5. Don’t demean her symptoms⛔️
I believe a key cause for menopause being hugely overlooked is due to many of the humorous tones attached to it in movies, programmes and society as a whole. For many women, menopause is a truly tough and personal transition. So, to laugh about it can make us women feel even more isolated.

It would be great to hear from all you mothers or motherly figures how you could best be supported during menopause?

Tag your kids below or anyone who you think will benefit from this post and the comments😊

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