Mosaic Clubs held alternate Thursdays 9-1pm Sonya Gibbons RN – Perimenopause Coach. What is happening to me? Help… why wasn’t I told? Relate to any of these? Period and cycle length changes, exhausted & fed up, hot flushes & night sweats, increasing fatigue, sleeping problems, weight gain - especially around the waist, food cravings, brain fog, anxiety, depression, palpitations, mood swings, intolerance to crap, loss of libido - sex do I have to? relationship issues/changes, dry vaginas that don’t want to play the game the same way anymore, urine leakages, skin issues, acne, loss of elasticity, headaches…………………………………..OMG Enough. Sorry, but it sounds like you have been visited by the menopause fairy. As a coach, I’m here to guide you from OMG to feeling calm and positive about your journey into menopause. By understanding what’s happening & using simple, doable lifestyle solutions we are on our way to creating more hormonal balance & fewer symptoms. Even with my 20 years + experience as a Registered Nurse I had a limited understanding of hormones & menopause. It’s not talked about or studied much. I just assumed menopause would happen in my 50’s. My period would stop, and I might get hot flushes! But, I was menopausal at the age of 44. I had no clue that what I’d been experiencing was typical in perimenopause, didn’t even know the term existed. Insomnia & exhaustion, lying awake feeling anxious and ruminating, tiredness leading to hunger, carb cravings and weight gain, the sexuality changes, being stuck on the busy mum treadmill with no sense of self as an individual and feeling stressed & overwhelmed. They were all heightened by my transition into the next phase of life. So off I went on a journey of self-discovery and hormonal understanding. It wasn’t till afterward I realised how different my experience could have been if only I’d known how my lifestyle was impacting my hormonal changes and symptoms. During this time, I was inspired to upgrade my health & I changed how & what I ate and consequently lost:
• 10+ kgs and have no intention of ever finding it again.
• Sugar & carbohydrate cravings that at times were insatiable.
• Backache & my inflamed joints I’d attributed to standing and lifting whilst nursing.
• Bloated abdomen and my lethargy- I would have slept every afternoon if possible.
• Insomnia & my sleep greatly improved. Along with my dietary changes which had such a profound impact on my health I learned how to recognise & manage my stress levels through a practice of self-care. Since transitioning into the “menopausal woman” my passion for helping women has led me to study Health & Wellness Coaching and functional nutrition. Some women struggle physically and emotionally if this is something you relate to, please don’t lose hope or feel alone. Women typically have postponed their own needs whilst being a super mum raising and nurturing our families. So, if your body is crying out to be heard and taken care of, maybe it’s time to listen. Rock the Pause 💎
