Stages Of Menopause

When you reach your early-to-mid forties, this cycle begins to slow down, and the hormonal system isn't as regular as it used to be. Perimenopause ("peri" means "time before") is a time when you can begin to learn all you can about your changing body and mind.

You may begin to experience the following symptoms of menopause:

• Your periods may become irregular, or you may find that it's harder to get pregnant.
• You may have your first hot flashes, as your hormonal system pumps harder in an attempt to keep stimulating the dwindling supply of eggs in your ovaries.
• You may have emotional symptoms, like moodiness or irritability.
• You may experience a drop in energy and an increase in tiredness.

Menopause occurs when there are very few eggs left to be fertilized, and the output of estrogen and progesterone is so small that the eggs are not stimulated to ovulate. For most women, menopause happens in their early 50s.

For other women, some external event brings on menopause:

• Bilateral oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries) puts the body into menopause immediately because there are no ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone. A partial oophorectomy has a less severe impact on the body because only one ovary is removed.
• Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) speeds up menopause by approximately 2-3 years.
• Chemotherapy for cancer or pelvic radiation may damage the ovaries so they can no longer produce hormones. However, some younger women who are treated for cancer may begin to menstruate and ovulate again.

When you have not had a period for 12 consecutive months, you have gone through menopause. After menopause, you no longer need to be concerned about birth control or having monthly periods. This is a milestone for every menopausal woman, and with all its inconvenience, it definitely has a plus side. It means you have passed through an important transition and are now ready to meet the challenges of the next half of your life - hopefully with more self-awareness and self-confidence than you had when you were younger!

It's common for women to spend decades taking care of everything and everyone but themselves - a husband, a boss, children, pets, a home - but this is a time for you to make a conscious choice to discover what it is you really want out of life. This is your moment to re-establish your principles, your priorities, and your passions.