Is this Perimenopause? What women in Sandringham need to know about the change, before ‘the change’
A Chinese Medicine Perspective on the transition nobody warned you about
Symptoms of perimenopause - Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, Sandringham, Bayside Melbourne
So, what’s going on for you recently?
✅ Your sleep has fallen off a cliff
✅ Your mood can turn on a dime
✅ Your cycle is doing things it’s never done before
✅ And has someone cranked the heating up all of a sudden?🔥
You’re not sick exactly, but you’re definitely not yourself!
Are you over 38 and have been taken off guard because you weren’t anticipating these changes so soon? Then, welcome to perimenopause, my friend! 🫶
Here’s the thing nobody tells you, that perimenopause can begin up to 10 years before your last period. That’s an eternity to feel out of sorts, without anyone connecting the dots for you.
So what actually is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the hormonal transition leading up to menopause, when your oestrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate and gradually decline. It is a completely natural phase of life, but that doesn’t mean that it’s comfortable or easy to navigate.
The official definition of menopause is having been 12 months without a period. Everything before that is perimenopause.
How will I know?
Symptoms vary enomously from woman to woman, but commonly include:
Irregular, heavier or shorter periods
Sleep disruption, often waking between 1-3am for no apparent reason
Hot flushes or night sweats
Irritability, mood changes or feeling emotionally raw
Anxiety that seems to appear out of nowhere
Brain fog, poor concentration or memory lapses
Fatigue that sleep won’t rectify
Low libido
Vaginal dryness
Joint aches
Unexplained weight changes
Sound familiar? You’re not imagining it and you’re not going mad.
What does Chinese Medicine make of all this?
In Chinese Medicine, perimenopause is seen as a natural shift in a woman’s fundamental energy. As the body redirects its resources away from reproduction, the balance between Yin and Yang begins to change. Kidney Yin, which governs cooling, nourishment and hormonal balance, tends to decline first. This is why so many women experience heat symptoms, restless sleep and emotional turbulence during this time.
Instead of viewing perimenopause as something to be feared, suppressed or endured, Chinese Medicine considers this period as an invitation to slow down, nourish deeply and attend to what your body has been trying to tell you for years.
You don’t just have to cope
Perimenopause is not a disorder, however it is a significant transition, and you deserve proper support through it.
In Chinese Medicine, this life stage has long been referred to as your ‘Second Spring’. Far from an ending, it is seen as a powerful recalibration, a time when energy once devoted to reproducing, becomes available for the gaining of wisdom, creativity and a deeper relationship with yourself. Many ancient texts describe a woman entering her most potent years after menopause, provided she has nourished herself well through the transition.
That reframe alone can be quietly revolutionary for women who have only even been handed a list of symptoms to manage.
So, whether you’re in the thick of symptoms or just starting to wonder if something is shifting, the earlier you pay attention, the better placed you’ll be…
You have options. You have time. And you are definitely not alone.
Contact us to find out more, or book your appointment today.