Perimenopause and post Menopause

I offer In Person - Acupuncture, Life Coaching and Natural Medicine and Reiki for Menopause Support

Zoom Sessions - Deep Transformational Life Coaching

My Menopause Story

I started into Peri-menopause from around the age of 48 coinciding with the start of Lockdown and my son commencing his teenage surge of hormonal angst. My symptoms were mainly emotional and included frustration, short temper, (internal rage at times I must admit)… also brain fog, a feeling of disconnect from others and energy fluctuations, these were the main issues that I was aware of, along with 6 week long spells of bloodflow... it was exhausting. Blood flow is good as it releases heat from our bodies and cools us down but excessive bleeding is draining and can lead to other health issues.

From a TCM Perspective most Perimenopausal symptoms are related to Kidney Yin Deficiency our bodies are overheating with the drop in hormones which would normally keep us cool and relaxed and our bodies are asking us to Yield to our changing state and rest and cool down. I had overdone things a bit - due to having partied and worked hard in my 20’s and early 30’s, then having had 4 children and being self-employed and then having to do lots of extra work around the home including homeschooling due to lockdown - that bit felt like the most challenging stage, the monotony of it was creating all of this extra heat and pent up emotion i in between bleeds. Luckily I had amazing supports in place. To support myself Spiritually and Energetically during lockdown I walked a lot and practiced daily Qi Gong with my teacher online John Munro which I believe played a part in supporting my immunity and keeping things/qi - flowing somewhat. I also continued diligently with my practice of Mantra Meditation. I found singing and prayer and breathwork to be my safe space and kept the anxiety largely at bay.

My supports.

I choose to have a consultavtion with SallyAnn in The Irish Menopause and attended their menopause information classes over Zoom - I would highly recommend SallyAnn and joining The Irish Menopause FB group if you are seeking clarification and support on what menopause and HRT mean. There are also many good podcasts and informative books out there such as Maisie Hill and Dr. Louise Newson. I also connected with holistic menopause experts in yoga and nutritional wellbeing and learned all about menopause from an Eastern to a Western Perspective. I also underwent training in a Master Course in Menopause and TCM. This course was fascinating to me as it focussed on women’s health and particularly their body types and differentiation of patterns from a Chinese Perspective and then recommended different treatment plans including Acupuncture, Flower Remedies, Herbal Tea’s. There are Herbs that you can safely take alongside your HRT and Nutrition depending on your constitutional type . I use much of what I have learnt on this course and on my own journey in my clinic today when treating clients for Menopausal symptoms

My favourite book on the Chinese Medicines approach to women’s health talks about ‘Second Spring’ which outlines the TCM approach to menopause and how we need to yield to our body’s and allow rest, forgiveness, wisdom and grace into our lives and enjoy this Second Spring at our own pace, no need to rush or be overly YANG anymore, and by amending our lifestyle to balance YIN and YANG we will help to balance our hormones at thier new levels. We are not looking to be 20 again, that’s for sure. In this book, The author gives plenty of case histories of women in menopause and philosophically talks about Menopause being a time of regeneration in many ways, a time of wisdom and ‘allowing ‘ life to unfold instead of always being in such a hurry or insisting on particular outcomes. Simultaneously alongside this incoming‘Wisdom’.. our Battery or energy stores (kidney energy)begin to deplete or overheat and the need to nurture ourselves becomes more compelling. The gateway for accepting the whole situation on an emotional /metaphysical level is in both forgiveness and compassion first toward ourselves… and then toward others and in allowing our Yin (feminine, self nourishing) side to lead instead of our Yang side (male, go go go )

I love the way women’s health is portayed in the book as being important to fathers and grandparents too as girls are given blood nourishing foods during their periods and before menarche by thier male or female caregivers as a way to nourish thier blood and qi and conserve thier jing/battery.

There is a misconstrued belief in the West that menopause does not exist for Chinese women as they are so ‘healthy’ and that it’s a Western Phenomenon - this is just a myth - In Chinese Culture many women have been repressed and cannot talk about their emotions and have learned to be silent about thier journey. The Author of Second Spring is Chinese and backs this up - she has many case histories featuring Chinese Women going through the Menopause and how difficult and shameful it has felt and how her TCM methods have supported them.

The bottom line is that we will all go through it as women no matter where we live in the world. Studies have also shown Nutrition, Exercise, and Acupuncture, and Herbs to be highly beneficial and helpful in preserving our well-being and can work alongside HRT if HRT is what you choose so it doesn’t need to be an ‘either or’ decision. Think of the long game when it comes to your wellbeing and balancing yin and yang.

What I treat both Clinic and via Zoom Consultations

Many women that I see over the age of around 42 start having peri-menopausal symptoms and we will address these together with TCM, Tongue Diagnosis, Coaching, Meditation. Acupressure/Acupuncture

During the menopause/post menopause stage we are seeing more frequent UTI’s, Shoulder issues, emotional and mental overwhelm, Joint problems, dry skin, night sweats, hot flushes. All can be

During our late 40’s, many women opt for blood tests to asses thier hormone levels, blood tests may be helpful, they are only a snapshot in time so can give you widely varied results of your FSH hormone depending on where you are in your cycle so use a ‘symptom checker’ and go from there instead. . Symptoms may include irregular cycle,emotional exhaustion, thyroid issues, sleep disturbances, itchy skin, panic attacks, dry mouth, night sweats, exhaustion, brain fog, achy joints, headaches, and more, The list is pretty extensive - see www.menopausupport.co.uk symptom tracker for examples of over 40 potential symptoms)

That said - Blood test are of use as during peri and post-menopause it is quite common to experience Thyroid imbalances, Anemia or Vit D issues, the blood tests will bring these issues to light.

My advice to women is to take a nurturing approach towards thier Bodies, Spirit and Minds from the age of 35 in order to have an easier time of it during our 40’s 50’s and beyond. My aim is to encourage and aid women in this earlier age category - age 35 plus - to really slow down which will help to keep thier hormones in balance, prevention is better than cure.