I Am In Menopause, And I’m Using Estroven

I Am in Menopause

September is National Menopause Awareness Month, but I’m sure women who are part of the baby boomer generation don’t need this reminder. I first experienced menopause symptoms almost twenty years ago. Are you a baby boomer who is embracing “the change”? Have you started menopause? As for me, I am in menopause, and I’m using Estroven.

The dictionary defines menopause as “the end of monthly cycles.” A better description is a natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. Both accounts are accurate, and no two women are alike. My soon-to-be 80-year-old mom has never had a hot flash.

I won’t tell you anything you don’t know if you are experiencing or have already experienced menopause. Menopause arrives at this stage of life for seasoned women; we do our homework to explore and understand the changes.

HRT! No, I never entertained the option of hormone replacement therapy to get me through the first phase of menopause, called perimenopause. Fast forward to 2016, the hot flashes still occur during bedtime. I think there is a direct correlation between temperatures and certain foods.

I’ve been an influencer since early 2013 and can’t believe I’ve never discussed menopause. I would be remiss if I didn’t share my fabulous modeling experience for a menopause product in New York City.

To be considered for the ad campaign, I had to fill in the blank for the following:

“I am in menopause, and I am ________________________.“

I resorted to the all-natural Estroven to help relieve hot flashes. My dedication to Estroven since 2003 resulted in my being selected to participate in a paid advertising campaign in August 2010.

I received a free trip to New York City with all-paid accommodations at the Cooper Square Hotel, now the Standard East Village Hotel; my children accompanied me. My adventure included working with stylists, makeup artists, and professional photographers in a loft in the East Village.

I mentioned that I thought I had started menopause early. I have since learned the onset of the change could be affected by personal traits, such as cigarette smoking, body mass index, race or ethnicity, illnesses, chemotherapy, radiation, and procedures such as hysterectomies that catapult one into this midlife event. I’m not sure why I had symptoms early, but statistics say _ _ _ _ _ .perimenopause can start as early as 30.

Exciting Facts About Menopause from Menopauseawarenessmonth.org:
♦  Perimenopause can begin as early as your 30s.
◊  The average woman hits meMenopauseround the age of 51.
♦  Some women experience postmenopause until around the age of 60.
◊ Smoking increases your odds of early menopause. Menopausal women suffer from hot flashes.
◊  40% of menopausal women suffer from mood swings caused by hormonal dips.
♦  By 2030, it is expected that there will be 1.2 billion women who are 50 years of age or older. This means there will be roughly 1.2 billion women suffering from menopause.

◊  Women are 3x less likely to have a heart attack than men. After menopause, women have an equal chance of having a heart attack as their male counterparts.
♦  1 in 4 women are affected by osteoporosis after menopause
◊  Even though fertility decreases as one approaches menopause, one can still get pregnant with irregular periods. The second highest unintended pregnancy rate is for women between 40-44 years old.
♦ A 1998 Gallup survey states that more than half of American women between 50 and 65 who had reached menopause are happiest and most fulfilled now more than ever.

As a baby boomer woman, are you embracing changes in your body? Do you have menopause? Have you used any unusual natural products to reduce hot flashes? Please share.

Have a fabulous and stylish week!