Dear Akriti,
I am writing this blog when you are just 11 year old but while I was researching on questions like “What is menopause?” , “When does perimenopause start?” etc you came to see what I was doing and asked me about menopause after seeing my screen & Hence I thought to write about it in the most beautiful way I can so that when you reach your 40’s ( I would be in my 70’s) you will be able to read this and there will be no fear about the menopause.
Let’s sit down with a chamomile tea and picture this – your body is like a beautiful garden, you have tended for 40 years. For decades your ovaries have been like two busy flower factories, churning our eggs every month and releasing two main hormones : estrogen (the bloom maker) and progesterone ( the protector). These hormones tell your body, we are in our fertile season – everything is growing.
Let me explain what is perimenopause before I deep dive into the hormones harmony.
One day the factories starts slowing down. Not because they are broken but because they’ve done their job. They’ve made life possible. Now they’re transitioning to quieter season. This is perimenopause -the years leading upto to menopause oftenstarts in late 30’s and early 40’s.
The garden starts whispering changes – basically it shows perimenopause symptoms.
- Periods get irregular (shorter, longer, lighter, heavier).
- You might feel hot flashes ( like internal summer), Sleep get choppy, moods swing or belly fat sneaks in.
All starts adjusting to lower steadier hormone levels. Its like moving from monsoon to winters -everyhting feels different but its still your garden. Then comes menopause itself – The official milestone. Its not a single day , its when you’ve got 12 full months without a period. Your Ovaries say we’ve done releasing eggs. Estrogen drops significantly ( from 400 pg/ml to 20 -30 pg/ml) progesterone even lower.
But there is the comforting part, This isn’t the end of your garden – Its post bloom season. Its flower may change but now you nurture roots (Bones), Soil (Gut) & sunlight (energy) with clean eating, movement, sleep rituals & community support, You thrive here. Many women say their 50’s feel freer, wiser, lighter.
Your Body isn’t betraying you -its graduating to wisdom.
I am sure you must be wondering why I called estrogen as a bloom maker and progesterone as the protector – Well, thats in my next story.
Your nutritionist Mamma – Kirti
