In this episode we talk about what perimenopause is, what it means for women over 30, and what the most common symptoms are.
You’ll also learn how fertility changes during perimenopause, what age perimenopause starts, and how you know you’re in perimenopause.
Sign up for my free masterclass: Reset Your Body & Brain and Feel Like Yourself Again here!
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Episode Transcript
(00:03):
If you are in your thirties or forties right now, and you’re still a little bit fuzzy on what perimenopause is, then this episode is for you. We’re gonna be talking about what perimenopause is and why it happens, perimenopause versus menopause, what’s the difference? What age does perimenopause start, perimenopause and fertility, and how you know you’re in perimenopause. Hello and welcome. I’m Stephanie Holland. I’m the creator of The Body:Brain Reset. I help women in their thirties and forties reset their body and brain and feel like themselves again. Now, you probably found this video by searching what is perimenopause on Google or YouTube. So I’m really curious, let me know in the comments what has made you curious about perimenopause right now. So let’s dive straight into the content. Okay, so what is perimenopause ultimately, and this is gonna sound really crazy, but bear with me. But perimenopause is kind of like puberty in reverse.
(01:04):
So to understand perimenopause properly, we really need to start this whole conversation today with puberty. Now puberty is the gateway to fertility and the reproductive period of your life. So picture this, your body reaches a certain age, usually sometime between the age of eight years old and 16 years old, and suddenly it’s like a switch has been flipped, right? Your body starts producing a hormone called GnRH, which sets off a series of events. Two other hormones, LH and FSH come into play and they kick off ovulation and the release of a mature egg every month preparing you for the possibility of pregnancy. But that’s not all that mature egg that’s being released every month is the catalyst for the production of your superpowers more accurately called your sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. And these three hormones work their magic leading to the development of your breasts, ovaries, uterus, vagina, and of course, the beginning of your periods.
(02:10):
It’s kind kind of like there’s this symphony of hormones guiding your body into womanhood and fertility. At least that’s the way I like to think about it. But what you may not know is that your sex hormones, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are chemical messengers that tell the body what to do and when. And they’re not just responsible for fertility and conception and pregnancy. They’re responsible for the optimum health and wellbeing of every single cell tissue and organ in your body and your brain. Every single body system is reliant on your sex hormones and an adequate supply of them to function brilliantly, right? So as far as I’m concerned, they shouldn’t really be called sex hormones because this is somewhat misleading in terms of the essential and extensive role they play in your body and brain. So anyway, sometime between eight years old and 16 years old, this cascade of superpower hormones and and physical changes are coming into play, but puberty isn’t just about physical changes.
(03:18):
Your mind is on its own rollercoaster ride too. During this time, there’s confusion, there’s really strong emotions, and there’s all these newfound experiences with your body. They, this becomes your new normal. So do you remember going through puberty and feeling anxious or just weirded out by your changing body and all those weird things happening like hair growth in different parts of the body, like your legs and underarms and pubic hair. That was the strangest thing ever, right? And, you know, needing to wear deodorant because you were developing body hour body odor and starting to sweat. So puberty can be a really strange and sometimes overwhelming experience, but everyone goes through it at their own space, at their own pace, rather just like in perimenopause. Okay? So puberty and perimenopause share a lot of similarities when it comes to the physical and psychological changes.
(04:13):
So just as puberty brings on hormone fluctuations and this cascade of, of hormones, perimenopause brings a rollercoaster of its own. It’s kind of like going through puberty in reverse. And boy, oh boy, it can really throw you for a loop, right? Why does perimenopause happen though? So sometime, most usually on average, sometime in your thirties and forties as your egg supply gradually diminishes your sex hormones start flu fluctuating subtly at first and then more dramatically and eventually falling, leaving the cells, tissues, and body systems that rely on them to function optimally in a state of confusion. It’s as if your body and brain are going haywire. So during perimenopause, you may experience changes in your periods, yes, and, but a whole array of other symptoms as well, like weight gain, mood swing swings, skin changes, joint pains and fatigue, and the list goes on. There are 34 official symptoms, we’re gonna talk about those in a minute, but it’s like your body and brain are doing a flip flop during perimenopause, mirroring the chaos of puberty. And this period of time can last for about or up to 15 years. Eventually your period will stop, right? Your period, your monthly periods will stop, and that’s menopause, okay? But there’s a nuance to menopause that you need to know. The official definition of menopause is the day, 12 consecutive months after
(05:56):
Your last ever period when I’m, I’m talking about day 365 after your last ever period. So menopause is actually just a one day event. Everything after that is post menopause. Menopause is just one day, and perimenopause is that period of time leading up to per leading up to menopause, when symptoms start. And that can last up to 15 years. So if you’re enjoying this video so far, hit the like button and subscribe. This will help other women discover this information as well. And I really wanna make sure that every woman is prepared for perimenopause. Okay? So let’s move on to part two. What age does perimenopause start? That’s the burning question, right? Because you know about it, you wanna be prepared for it, so you kind of wanna know when it’s starting, but that’s a really tough question to answer because everyone’s on that own biological clock.
(06:52):
Okay? But let’s break it down and do the maths. So the symptoms of perimenopause can kick off up to 15 years before menopause. And we know that on average menopause happens between the ages of 45 years old and 55 years old. It’s a predetermined biological event that’s going to happen in at some point in time, but the timing is unique to individual just like puberty <laugh>. So, but for example, let’s just, you know, let’s just take an example and do the maths. If your menopause is scheduled <laugh> in advance to happen at 45 years old, that’s the earliest age in that average age range, and you start experiencing symptoms 15 years before, that means you can start the symptoms of perimenopause as early as 30. Now here’s a mind boggling statistic as well. Three out of a hundred women experience menopause before the age of 40, and one in a thousand women will experience menopause before the age of 30.
(07:57):
So this isn’t just something that happens to women in their fifties. No, the average range is 45 to 55. And for many women around the world, in every country in the world, this will happen a lot earlier. And there are various reasons for menopause happening earlier, including illness and surgery, or no reason at all, just because it’s your biological clock. But it is a reminder. These stats are a reminder that everyone is on their own biological clock. You are chiming to your own rhythm. And you know what? In many ways that’s a beautiful thing. But essentially what this means is that no one is too young for menopause and therefore no one is too young for perimenopause. It can happen at any age and you can’t really plan or predict it because yes, it might be scheduled, it might be predestined, but you just dunno when that’s going to be.
(08:46):
It’s only in hindsight that you can go look back and go, ah, yes, I remember when those symptoms started. ‘Cos Perimenopause is ultimately a timeframe that you can’t control. But that’s why it’s so crucial for every woman to be aware of the symptoms of perimenopause because by being informed you and your doctor and your healthcare team, your health and wellbeing team that that’s also of course filled with alternative and holistic healthcare providers. You and your health and wellbeing team can focus on the cause of your, your, your, your symptoms and can factor in hormones as the cause of your symptoms to find the best solution for you. But ultimately, it’s all about resetting your body and brain understanding why your body’s doing what it’s doing and figuring out a way to feel like yourself again when any condition strikes, but particularly when perimenopause strikes, because it’s going to happen at some time in your thirties or forties, 80% of women have symptoms that affect day-to-day life, and 25% of women have symptoms so severe that it throws a real spanner into day-to-day life and can end careers and marriages and relationships and just make you feel like you’re going crazy.
(10:04):
So be aware of the symptoms and question your symptoms as they arrive and kind of factor in your hormones. Could it be my hormones? Could it be perimenopause? But listen, perimenopause symptoms can be subtle. They can turn into severe symptoms if you don’t deal with them. But at the end of the day, regardless of how subtle or severe your symptoms are, it’s not something you have to suffer through. Absolutely not. You can prepare for it by educating yourself about what to expect and what to look out for. And you can power through it and not just survive through it, but you can actually thrive through perimenopause. You and your body and your brain have the ability to reset at every stage in life, no matter what physical and emotional symptoms you are going through. And in fact, when it comes to perimenopause, you can actually feel better than you did before.
(10:58):
And that’s precisely what I help you with, right? I created The Body:Brain Reset all the content on all my channels, but in particular The Body:Brain Reset is also a 14 day micro course that helps you create your own personalized strategy to help you reset your body and brain and feel like yourself again, The Body:Brain Reset course and all my content is the best Friends guide to perimenopause and the secret to feeling like yourself. Again, the course isn’t actually available yet, it launches in two weeks time, but you can jump on the wait list right over here at stephanieholland.co. And I will let you know as soon as it launches. I’m very excited about getting this out into the world and helping women just like you reset their body and brain and feel like themselves again when you, oops. When you head over to stephanieholland.co Yep. It says ‘waitlist’
(11:52):
Everywhere. You can sign up wherever you’d like. Okay, so let’s get into it. I want to, to touch on perimenopause and fertility. It’s really important to note that perimenopause, the start of perimenopause is not the end of fertility. It’s just the beginning of a slow transition out of fertility. So while, while fertility does decline throughout menopause, and of course it declines as as you age the, the kind of decline of fertility doesn’t happen as quickly as you might think. Like on average, fertility declines to about 50% at the, at the age of around 35 years old, and it declines to around 45% by the age of 45. That still means at 45 years old, you’re, you’ve got this, the 55% fertility is still happening, right? The the opportunity is still 55%, which is actually more <laugh> than you are infertile right?
(12:57):
Now. Many women these days are having babies in their thirties and forties. And of course, you know, because there’s so much life to be lived before you have a family there’s been businesses to launch and careers to grow and the world to see. And it’s, it’s possible because fertility and get this, because I think this is extraordinary, and I didn’t know this until recently. Fertility can continue up until two years after menopause. Fertility can continue up until two years after your very last period ever. So if you were to go into ha start menopause at 55, that means you are potentially still fertile until the age of 57. And the same as if you go into menopause early at 37, you have the potential to conceive up until you are 39 years old. So remember, perimenopause is not the end of fertility.
(13:52):
If having kids is your dream and you want to continue growing your family, perimenopause doesn’t have to be the end of that journey. It doesn’t mean the end of fertility. I wanna make this so, so clear to you. So don’t let the fear of perimenopause discourage you from starting or growing your family. Acknowledge your symptoms, reset your body and brain get really, really healthy. Take really good care of your care of yourself, and reclaim control over your fertility journey. Now, everybody’s on their own fertility clock as well. I’ve just shared average, average data with you. Everyone’s on their own fertility clock, but perimenopause is not the end of that clock. Remember, you are on your own individual clock. And also likewise, if you don’t want kids, then you still need to have a rock solid contraceptive strategy in place until two years after menopause. Okay? So surprisingly, 75% of pregnancies after the age of 40 are a surprise because
(14:50):
Most women wrongly think they are less and less fertile as they grow, grow older. Yes, they are a little bit less fertile, but as you can see, there is still a lot of fertility potential as we get older and it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, are questions bubbling up for you about perimenopause right now? Let me know in the comments what are your questions about perimenopause. I want to create a ton of amazing content about perimenopause, about hormonal fluctuations, about hormone balance, about hormone imbalance for you that answer your questions because I wanna know I want every woman to know exactly how to reset her body and brain during perimenopause. Okay? Next section. There are a ton of questions that are put into YouTube and Google. Can you reverse or avoid perimenopause? That’s a burning question. It’s a valid question, but the simple answer is no.
(15:51):
Perimenopause is uncharted territory that you have to go through. You’re just gonna go through it. It is just like the bookend of your reproductive life that starts with puberty and perimenopause is the end of your fertile, your reproductive period. It’s just, it’s just this beautiful symbiotic way that our bodies work. It’s a natural predetermined biological event, but you don’t have to suffer through it, okay? You have the power to reset your body and feel like you’re suffer again at any stage no matter what you’re going through. And that’s what this channel, The Body:Brain Reset TV channel and my free content and the Body Brain Reset course launching in two weeks is all about helping you reset your body and brain and feel like yourself again. It’s possible, okay? Perimenopause is like this portal to a whole new universe. It’s just an invitation to start taking extraordinary care of yourself, but in a different way with a new biological reality in play.
(16:52):
So embrace the journey, reset your body and brain and you know, you can thrive during perimenopause. Next burning queen question is, how do I know if I’m in perimenopause? Okay, great question. We need to know about this, right? So there are actually 34 officially recognized symptoms of perimenopause that the medical world talk about, but the medical world is only just catching up with this area of women’s health For a long time, there’s been a massive shadow cast over menopause and perimenopause and the hormonal fluctuations and how it changes the woman’s body during this, this stage of life. The medical world are just catching up, but we know there are many more symptoms than 34 because when our hormones fluctuate, the parts of the body, which is every single part of the body that’s waiting for these hormones to operate efficiently, are kind of like wondering like, where is my supply of hormones?
(17:51):
And they’re kind of, all these body systems are kind of wondering what to do, and they kind of go a bit haywire. So we know that potentially any physical or emotional symptom that you can be experiences experiencing during perimenopause could be caused by perimenopause, right? Perimenopause can affect every part of your body and brain. But one common symptom that leaves you wondering if it’s all in your mind, because it seems quite vague in your head, is just simply feeling flat and off your game. So if you have been feeling flat and off your game lately, like something’s off, you’re not really sure what, like you don’t really feel like yourself at the moment, and you’ve kind of noticed that that’s kind of happened recently and it’s getting more intense, I created an entire video about it. So click over to that video and watch that right now.
(18:43):
And coming up is also another episode on the most unusual signs of and symptoms of perimenopause that might surprise you. You might be experiencing them and you had no idea it was a sign of symptom of perimenopause, and it might be something that has been misdiagnosed in your thirties and forties. So click to watch that right now. So if you found value in this episode in this video, please hit the like button and subscribe. There is a lot more content coming up about how to reset your body and brain during perimenopause, including hormone balance and how to balance hormones naturally, how to get your glow back, how to feel amazing, how to feel like yourself again. And in the meantime, don’t forget to sign up for The Body:Brain Reset that launches in two weeks. I will let you know all about it when it launches in two, two weeks.
(19:36):
If you get on the wait list, StephanieHolland.co, you can do that over there. But perimenopause yes to, to reiterate is an unavoidable natural event, but is the exciting part. You have the power to reset your body and feel like yourself again during perimenopause and beyond. It’s a window of opportunity for your health and wellbeing, and it’s also an opportunity to future proof your health for the next coming decades until your nineties and beyond. That is what this channel and The Body:Brain Reset are all about. In the meantime, take care. Have a beautiful week and I’ll see you in the next episode.