WORDS: FRANCES LEATE AND MATT BARBOUR
These women hope their
experiences will help others...
S
leepless nights, fluctuating moods, hot
flushes, night sweats, brain fog, hair loss
(on your head), sudden hair growth (on your
face), dry skin, a leaky bladder. A staggering
85% of women over the age of 40 are expected to
suffer some kind of unpleasant symptom as a
result of the menopause. But despite it
affecting half the population at some
point, ‘the change’ is still something
many of us don’t talk about. In fact,
research shows that 78% of women
wish that they could open up and talk
about how they feel more freely.
Here, five bloggers – with very
different experiences – help to ignite
the conversation.‘It^ is a
time to be
celebrated’
Pamela Windle, 53, lives in Nottingham.^
She has a daughter, Nicole, 27.^
As a women’s health coach, it frustrates me
how we’re often made to feel like the^
menopause is a time to dread, signalling the
end of our femininity and desirability, when
this simply isn’t true. The fact is, women in^
their 40s and 50s tend to look and feel^
better than ever – we exercise, eat good^
food and we know more about our bodies
than previous generations. So, as long as we
are well-informed and have the support of
our family and friends, I believe the^
menopause is a time to be celebrated.Lifestyle changes
I first started missing periods around my^
52nd birthday, in March 2018, but thanks
to having a sister four years older, I already
knew I was perimenopausal by what I’d seen
her go through. I made lifestyle changes,
which really helped – I do yoga, practise^
mindfulness, eat plenty of wholefoods,
limit alcohol, make sure that I get enough
rest and take pleasure in the small things,^
like spending time with my family and going
out with my friends.
Now, I blog about women’s health,^
including the menopause, staying positive
and self-care, in the hope of educating and
empowering other women.
Women are still so confused about what’s
happening to them during the menopause,
asit was never taught in schools. That’s why
it’ssoimportantwehelpeachother.‘I was convinced I had
early-onset dementia’
Vicki Marinker, 46, lives
in London with her husband, Steve,
53, and their sons, Charlie, 13, and
Matthew, 10.
While my friend put a lampshade into
her already overflowing trolley, I could
feel beads of sweat dripping down my
back. It was November 2018, and I’d
agreed to drive to IKEA. Back home,
I burst into tears in Steve’s arms. ‘It’s
been the worst day,’ I wept.
As well as being an emotional wreck
for the last few months and suffering
from migraines, I’d become forgetful
andclumsy– trippingoverin the
streetanddroppingallmyshopping.
Ononeoccasion,I evenforgotmyson’s age. I was convinced I had
early-onset dementia, was terrified.
Days later, I watched a programme
on TV where a woman described the
menopause. I was stunned when she
talked about her mind feeling foggy
and cloudy. It was my eureka moment.Mood diary
Since then, I’ve been able to help
myself by keeping a mood diary,
which makes me feel more in control,
and I also started talking about the
menopause on my blog for women of
40-plus.I hopemyexperienceshelp
peopletorealisethey’renotalone.All the women
featured have used
the hormone-free food
supplement Femal to
successfully help them
deal with the symptoms
of perimenopause
and menopause.
femal.co.ukTHE MEN
We need to t
● Pamela’s blog: smarterchange.co.uk
●^ Vicki’s blog: lifestylemaven.co.uk