Discovering a New You

Discovering a New You:
The Spiritual Side of Menopause

If you are going through menopause, then you may be experiencing a wide range of emotions. You may feel happy, you may feel relieved, or, like many women, you may feel scared and apprehensive. In the past, menopause has often been associated with negatives: the loss of fertility, the loss of youth, the loss of inner vitality. In fact, these views couldn’t be further from the truth. Menopause is a time of exciting change and spiritual beginnings.

Menopause: A Woman’s Curse
Like a woman’s menstrual period, menopause is often seen as a terrible "curse" to bear. It comes along with a variety of uncomfortable menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, mood swings, and heart palpitations. It is also associated with serious complications like osteoporosis. You can often hear women complaining that they have reached "that age" where everything seems to go downhill. But menopause hasn’t always been seen as a such an awful curse.

Menopause in Matriarchal Times
In the past, menopause was seen as an exciting and powerful time in a woman’s life. These views extended from thoughts about menstruation. Menstruation was associated with mystical powers and strength. Because a woman could bleed without falling sick or dying, she was given a magical status. Menstrual blood was also revered as it could provide life to unborn children.

During menopause, women became even more revered. Because they no longer lost their menstrual blood, menopausal women were thought to be able to retain even more power and strength. They could use this blood to help themselves and others. This blood also made them wiser and gave them intense spirituality.

Current Views on Menopause
Current views on menopause vary drastically from ancient matriarchal times. Standard views of menopause classify it as a "disease" or as "the end".

A Disease: We now tend to see menopause in clinical terms, using medicines and machines, doctors and nurses to treat it. It is no longer given the special status that it once was. Menopause is also typically thought of as a disease, instead of a natural part of life. Women afflicted by menopause are assumed to be in physical decline, experiencing mental deterioration, and are seen as having a lack of social worth.

An End: Menopause is often feared because it is associated with the end of life. Because it signals the closing of your childbearing years, you may feel that menopause is the end of your womanhood, youth, and freedom. Society often assumes that menopausal women are at the end of their shelf life just because they can no longer bear children.

Redefining Menopause
Though you may be nervous, apprehensive, or even afraid to experience menopause, it is something that all women must go through. By redefining menopause you may find it easier to experience this natural process.

Menopause actually signals a new beginning in a woman’s life. Yes, the time of menstruation is over, but with each end there is a new cycle that starts. This is a time to focus on you. In the past, you were expected to cater to everyone – your partner, your children, your coworkers, and your friends. Now is the time to answer your own needs and wants. The energy that you once had to dedicate to others is now yours to use. Take this opportunity to do things that you have always wanted to do. This is the beginning of new spiritual maturity.

What Menopause Offers
Menopause can offer you so much - it’s just up to you take advantage of it. You are now free from the burden of periods and childbearing and have time to get to know the real you. Consider trying some of these activities, which will help you to discover yourself and your place in the world:

• Travel: Now is a great time to see the world. With the better part of your childrearing days behind you, you can explore the world at your own pace and just the way you would like to.
• School: You may have put school on hold in order to raise a family. Or maybe you just feel the need to learn about new things. Signing up for a course at school or your local community centre can be liberating and fulfilling. You may even discover a new passion.
• Work: In the past, you may have had to work for financial reasons in order to support those around you. Or maybe you chose to work as a homemaker to be close to your family. Menopause is a great time to explore the world of work for your own benefits. You might even consider starting your own business.

Maintaining Your Spiritual Menopause
As a woman, you have the right to enjoy your menopause. It is a time for you to explore yourself and the world around you. Here are some tips on how to ensure a wonderful, spiritual menopause.

Tend to Your Body: Pay attention to the needs of your physical body. Get enough rest and relaxation. Pamper yourself and show your body love. Maintain your health through exercise and proper nutrition.

Tend to Your Mind: Menopause is not the beginning of mental decline. Instead, it is a time to expand your knowledge and embrace new ideas. Reflect on your past and acknowledge your emotions. Read books, magazines, and newspapers to absorb new information.

Tend to your Spirit: Menopause is a time for spiritual growth. Try meditation to get in touch with the inner you. Take up religion or continue with your own spiritual beliefs. Take a spiritual retreat to help nurture your spiritual health.

Menopause and Pregnancy

Getting Pregnant During
the Menopausal Years

If you are going through menopause you may be thinking that you are about to be free from the burden of children. Maybe your kids are just leaving home and you are thinking about how wonderful it will be to have the house to yourself again. Well, before you redecorate you should probably know that, even during menopause, it is possible to become pregnant. Women as old as 50 have been known to get pregnant naturally, particularly during perimenopause. It is therefore important for you to know as much as possible about your options during menopause to ensure a safe and healthy reproductive life.

Pregnant? That’s Impossible!
During menopause, your periods can be very difficult to chart or predict. One month you may have it, the next month it’s gone again. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going through menopause. In order to be menopausal you have to have been period free for at least 12 months. If your periods are still showing up every now and then, you are probably still ovulating and thus have a chance of becoming pregnant.

Chances of pregnancy are lower in your menopausal years than during your 20s and 30s. By the time you are 40, your chances of becoming pregnant naturally are reduced by 50%. This percentage continues to decline the older you get. However, you are not completely infertile until your periods have stopped for at least one complete year. In fact, two-thirds of women between the ages of 40 and 44 ovulate regularly during perimenopause.

Risks of Pregnancy During Menopause
A lot of perimenopausal are unaware of the facts surrounding pregnancy during menopause. More than 60% of unintended pregnancies in women over 40 are aborted. More than 50% of women between 45 and 49 are not using contraception. 10% of these women in this age group use natural methods to protect against pregnancy. Natural methods are not enough to prevent pregnancy during this time. Your periods are too irregular, and symptoms of menopause may distort your cycle. Although your risks are low, don’t get caught unaware.

Pregnancy after the age of 35 is associated with a number of risks for both you and your baby. Chances of premature birth, low birth weight and still birth all increase after 35. Your baby also has a greater chance of being born in a breech position or via cesarean section. After 40, dangers to you and your baby increase again. You are at increased risk for developing bone loss or osteoporosis. There is also a greater risk of your baby developing gestational diabetes or chromosome abnormalities. Additionally, chances of spontaneous abortion increase.

Contraception and the Menopausal Woman
If you are going through menopause, you probably didn’t think that you were going to need contraception. But the fact is that pregnancy is a real risk during this time. If you don’t want to become pregnant, then look into getting some contraception that is appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

The most popular method of contraception among women over 40 is sterilization. Tubal ligation is a simple process in which your doctor cuts, ties, or clamps your fallopian tubes to prevent any eggs from traveling to you uterus. This process must be done in hospital under general anesthetic, but recovery time is only about one day. 20% of menopausal women have partners who have been sterilized. Vasectomies are quickly and safely performed, and involve cutting the vans deferens (the tube that carries sperm) to prevent fertilization.

Oral contraceptives continue to be one of the most effective methods of contraception. When used perfectly, the pill offers 99% protection against pregnancy. Low dosage pills are safe to use for extended periods of time and help protect against ovarian, endometrial, and uterine cancers. They also have the added benefit of reducing symptoms associated with menopause, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Barrier protection, like condoms, sponges, and cervical caps are well suited to women who only need occasional contraception. Barrier methods also provide protection against some sexually transmitted diseases.

Life after Menopause

Life after Menopause

In the past, menopause has been reduced to a sign of old age and the end of life. Women who entered menopause had to give up their work, their independence, and their sexuality and relegate themselves to the life of an old spinster. Thank goodness we now know better than to think this way. An abundance of new information about menopause and post menopause has led to a much greater acceptance of this phase in a woman’s life. Women are now free to enjoy their changing bodies, and can live an abundant and joyful life. There is life after menopause, and you may find it far more exciting than you thought possible!

Society and Menopause
Even as recently as the 1980s, menopause was looked upon as a scary, and even disgusting change. Women who were going through menopause were "cursed" to a life of solitude and asexuality. You may remember your mother or grandmother refusing to talk about menopause - she may not even have acknowledged that she was going through it. This was because society looked down on menopause as unnatural. No books or pamphlets were available to read, and if you so much as snapped at someone, it was evidence that you were definitely going through "the change."

Nowadays, we are witnessing a huge change in the perception of menopause. In part, this is due to that fact that women live over a third of their lives after menopause, in a period called postmenopause. Also, large numbers of women are now entering menopause thanks to the "baby boomer" generation. Women who are postmenopausal no longer have to be the old spinster. Postmenopausal women can be business people, homemakers, writers, travelers, and lovers. If you are postmenopausal, you now have the freedom to enjoy your life without having to hide your body or your emotional self. Society no longer views menopause as a sign of asexuality, but instead as a natural part of womanhood.

Well-Being after Menopause
If you are going through menopause or perimenopause, you may still be worried about what your life is going to look like after it’s all over. You are probably a little scared about how your body will feel, how your mood will be, and whether or not you will be able to enjoy life in the same way. Well, put your fears to rest, because life after menopause can be quite enjoyable.

Physical Well-Being: As you were going through menopause, you probably suffered from quite a number of unpleasant symptoms. From hot flashes to depression, you may have felt it all. Well, postmenopausal life should be a lot more comfortable for you. Symptoms of menopause will begin to decline and stress will fade, leaving you much more relaxed (and less hot)! As your body becomes accustomed to your new hormone levels, you will begin to feel more comfortable in your body. You may notice a few changes, including weight gain, but this is natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Be proud of your body and remember, you are still the same person you were before menopause, only with some great new features!

Sexual Well-Being: Many postmenopausal women wonder what their sex life will be like once they have completed menopause. Some worry that they will lose their libido or that their partner will no longer be interested in them sexually. However, a recent study in the UK found that most postmenopausal women actually have a better sex life than they did before menopause. 65% reported being happier in their sex lives and this may be due to the lack of concern over an unplanned pregnancy. Postmenopausal women may find themselves free to enjoy sex now that many of the worries associated with it no longer apply. Postmenopausal women also seem to have an easier time reaching orgasm, and are more likely to experience multiple orgasms during intercourse.

A small percentage of women do experience a reduced sex drive during and after menopause. This may be due to physical changes in the body, such as vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable. Emotional concerns can also impact your sex drive after menopause. If you are worried about the way your body looks or the way your partner may react to your body, this could impact your sex drive negatively. Health concerns such as heart disease or osteoporosis may also affect your desire to have sex. If a lowered sex drive is becoming a problem for you or your partner, discuss it with your health care provider, as treatments are available.

Emotional Well-Being: After menopause, you may find yourself experiencing new levels of satisfaction in your life. In a recent study, more than 75% of women reported that they were having more fun in their everyday lives, and 93% reported an increase in their independence. Menopause can be a time when new doors open up for you. You may find yourself having the freedom to explore new job options, travel, or leisure activities. Many women also find that they have time for greater self-exploration.

Some women will find that their mood may lower at certain times after menopause. Increased financial responsibilities, health concerns, and work problems can all contribute to low mood. Pile this on top of the menopausal changes that you have undergone and it just may be too much. If you find yourself very unhappy, speak with your doctor, as treatments are available. You may also want to look into joining a menopause support group.