I often get asked, “Is perimenopause real?” 

And my answer to that is… absolutely!

But the question I need to ask back is: “Is it menopause that’s causing your symptoms or could it be something else?”

Every big hormonal change, from puberty to pregnancy to menopause, can unmask hidden imbalances in our bodies.

It’s why some women develop thyroid issues post-pregnancy and it’s also why some women experience severe symptoms as they approach menopause.

Even though there’s a lot of stigma around going through menopause – like being too old or not worthy – transitioning into menopause is a wonderful natural process. 

It’s actually designed to help us live longer, healthier lives by allowing our bodies to divert energy away from the menstrual process and distribute it elsewhere because our bodies expend a lot of energy during our menstrual cycles.

But when our hormones are out of balance, it can also cause distressing symptoms like:

🛑 Much heavier than usual periods

🛑 Very painful menstrual cramping

🛑 Migraines

🛑 Weight gain

🛑 Heavy emotions 

So it’s quite normal for these symptoms to come from a thyroid imbalance and not the natural process of going through menopause. Especially when a woman enters menopause with high stress levels.

But it’s really hard to pick up because thyroid symptoms and perimenopause symptoms are very similar.

That’s why I always tell my clients to get their thyroid checked out before they assume their symptoms are from menopause. And get them done independently because the standard tests done by the doctors don’t always pick up these more subtle imbalances.

So as we approach menopause, it’s so important to:

👉 Work on keeping your hormones balanced

👉 Checking your thyroid health regularly

👉 Supporting your adrenal function

👉 And eating a diet rich in healthy fats essential to hormone production