I have received some lovely messages and emails from Menopausal ladies asking me to write a bit about the Menopause for their men!
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The Menopause and Men
Now I am no doctor and certainly no expert, but I have to say with some of the things that I hear, there is a complete lack of information out there for women let alone men! Even though roughly half the World’s population is female, the Menopause is very rarely spoken about or of, unless you’re watching ITV at lunchtimes (when most people are at work) and those wonderful ladies at “Loose Women” talk about it. There have been a few documentaries in the last 12 to 18 months, but personally I didn’t feel it was very well publicised beforehand.
The Menopause is often hard for women to understand as there are numerous symptoms, so there is no hope for men!
Some key facts that they should know about The Menopause…
Once you hit the Menopause, and that can start with Perimenopause (before), Menopause (during) and Post-menopause (after) all these stages take many years and it’s a long road for some. It doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes years to build up, with sleep problems, anxiety and mood swings to name but a few.
Every woman experiences a completely different Menopause, so it’s important for men to realise that women won’t experience the same things in the same way.
Lots of men think that it must be better for women than their normally monthly period, but for most women they think it’s like dementia and body hell put together.
There are lots of physical changes which can be very debilitating and hard to accept, your hair changes, skin changes, mood swings, depression, anxiety, weight gain, low libido, brain fog, wanting to be alone and not venture out, and the list goes on.
For women who have always been relatively slim, suddenly a Menopausal baby arrives! Whilst we all expect weight gain, suddenly it’s very hard to make this excess weight budge. Some women find that just everything drops down, so maybe men need to accept this and hope that with lots of exercise, and eating healthily this will tone and firm up in time. If you really need to snack ladies, then graze offers healthy snack alternatives!
Another huge side-effect of the Menopause is that a woman’s metabolic rate slows down, and despite not eating any more than usual, the increase around their middle still occurs. Going to the gym and exercising at least a few times a week and eating a sensible diet is essential at this time.
So, gentlemen…
The advice is, when it comes to bad moods, try and understand that it isn’t you. Sometimes treating her to a nice day out is a massive boost and shows you care.
When it comes to anything physical just remember that her body is changing and her confidence may have dropped as well as any drive she may have once had, just be respectful and be willing to talk about these things.
Maybe share with her the differences you see in your own body i.e. your skin is more wrinkly, your waistline is bigger than it used to be and it’s nice for her to know she’s not the only one going through changes.
Women lose lots of confidence at this debilitating and awful time, but to feel you’re being supported on this long journey is a huge support to her. A surprise meal out or a treat shopping day or something she loves to do, can to her, make all the difference in the world. Another great idea is to treat her to a nice relaxing time away!
A book that maybe all women should buy their men is by Ruth Devlin “Let’s Talk Menopause” this is to help men understand this phase of a women’s life. Most women say their relationship has been affected and lots of women struggle to work. What once was an unspoken topic is finally being accepted and talked about!
We all just need to “get talking”!
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*DISCLAIMER*This page does not provide medical advice; it is
intended for informational purposes only and is based upon my opinion and
experiences. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment
because of something you have read on The Executive Menopause Coach website. Always seek
professional medical advice.
Well done you! Menopause definitely needs to be spoken about more.
You was one of the first women that has spoken openly about this subject to me a while ago now and helped me massively to understand what the hell was going on.
I’m sure this will help many women and men understand what they are going through.
Thank you 😘
Thanks Laura! I think it’s been a taboo subject for too long! Half the population are women! As you know, it’s totally debilitating and knocks some women for six! Claire💕
I’m very lucky with my hubby. We attended a couple of menopause seminars when I first started having symptoms and my husband was the only male in the audience He attended with me when I went to our GP, despite being asked by the GP if he wanted to wait outside. We are a very open family and no subject is a taboo. What we don’t understand, we find out.