Perimenopause and a woman’s “Second Spring”
In Chinese medicine we see perimenopause as being a huge energetic shift from the fertile years to the non-reproductive years, often referred to as women’s “Second Spring”.
This transition out of the procreative years grants a women occasion to nourish herself and the chance to conserve her Yin and Blood. Studies have shown that Australian women in their 50s and particularly 60s, report an improvement in negative mood scores as they transition from mid-life into their later years1. This appears to be related to the positivity around having more time to focus on themselves as at this time it is normal for care-giving roles to reduce and work hours to shorten.
As a woman still in her fertile years, I like to think that there is much to look forward to when I reach my “Second Spring”, but most women enter peri-menopause with much trepidation and even fear about the possibilities of a whole plethora of different symptoms.
Chinese Medicine attributes perimenopause as the natural decline in Kidney Yin becoming complicated with heat, stagnation and dryness. This can be seen in symptoms such as night sweats, hot flushes, insomnia, flooding and/or irregular periods, vaginal dryness, brain fog and mood changes. So, what can we do to set ourselves up for a better transition into our “Second Spring”? And how can we normalise menopause to bring back to light its value in our society?
Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare state that 34% of women’s disease could be prevented by avoiding or reducing certain risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, poor diet, overweight/obesity and physical inactivity2. As a simple example, only 9% of women in 2020-21 met the recommended guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake (that’s 5 serves of veggies and 2 serves of fruit ladies!).
As a Chinese medicine practitioner I like to think I have many amazing options in my toolbelt for improving quality of life during the peri-menopausal years using herbs and acupuncture. But honestly, after years of treating this in my practice I have come to the conclusion that if a women’s foundational health is not addressed at the same time, the herbs and acupuncture fails to deliver lasting results. So below I have outlined some baseline Women’s Health tips for Perimenopause:
Clean up your diet
I have already written an article about low-inflammatory diets, and this next diet is along the same lines but really hones in on specificities of what is needed during perimenopause. My first go to recommendation for women in perimenopause is the Green Mediterranean Diet with added phytoestrogens3. This diet emphasizes the importance of healthy fats for brain health, specific eating patterns for metabolic flexibility and phytoestrogens for hormone balance. It’s not as technical as it might sound once you learn how to tweak what you are currently doing.
Stop burning the candle at both ends
It is common practice today to wear many hats, say yes to more than we can handle and end up with more balls in the air than we will ever catch. It’s so common that it has become a normal state of being, and we now feel “guilty” if we aren’t living life this way. Well, in Chinese Medicine this is considered to be very depleting, especially to our Qi and Yin. Doing less of what doesn’t bring us joy is self-care. In fact, studies show that women experiencing stress or becoming upset report a 21% increase in frequency and intensity of symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats4.
Practice compassion for your body’s changes to honour ageing gracefully
When we go through puberty, we are taught at school about all the changes that will take place in our bodies. It is clearly described as being something that is normal and unavoidable. We are taught about how our raging hormones will bring about budding tender nipples, wider hips and thighs, pubic hair and a monthly bleed. What is not spoken about is the unavoidable changes that will take place when we come out of our fertile years. Hair loss and thinning, cellulite formation, dryness of the vagina and vulva, a drop in sex drive and bone density loss. Of course, I am not saying that you should give up on trying to look after your body but rather that we need to practice acceptance that ageing is a natural process. This can alleviate a lot of the stress of holding onto the “past” body you might have had in your 20s and 30s.
Connection and community
Perimenopause can be a very isolating time due to the patriarchal society that still casts a shadow over this precious stage in a women’s life. Finding a support network that works for you is imperative. This might be made up of family, friends, community support groups, online support groups, monthly women’s circles, yoga classes, book club or even golfing buddies.
The quality of the company we keep, denotes the quality of the life we live. If you spend time with women who fear and under value this life transition, then you are more likely to feel the same way. Conversely, if you choose to surround yourself with a positive perspective then you will find that you can face these changes with resilience and grace.
At Ranges Integrative Health we have many forms of support available for women nearing their Second Spring and I for one love working with women during this time. For some lucky ducks simply following the above tips will be enough to get them through perimenopause. But if you find that you are overwhelmed by symptoms or would like to feel more supported through this challenging time then please get in touch.
Read more about Dr Shirley TCM
Dr Shirley O’Dwyer currently practices at Ranges Integrative Health on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Bookings can be made online from our bookings page or by calling 9754 2062.
[1] Campbell, K. E., Dennerstein, L., Tacey, M., & Szoeke, C. E. (2017). The trajectory of negative mood and depressive symptoms over two decades. Maturitas, 95, 36–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.10.011
[2] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/men-women/female-health/contents/lifestyle-risk-factors
[3] Kumari et al., 2024; Image source: Vargas et al. (2016). The functions of estrogen receptor beta in the female brain: A systematic review. Maturitas, 93, 41-57.
[4] Arnot, M., Emmott, E. H., & Mace, R. (2021). The relationship between social support, stressful events, and menopause symptoms. PloS one, 16(1), e0245444. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245444
