PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE – A Blog for the partner in your life
Many men do not realise the extent of how the symptoms of the perimenopause or menopause affect their partners. Indeed some may feel that their partner has changed beyond all recognition and appear to be hijacked by hormonal fluctuations.
What do you do when your partner is happy one minute and in a pool of tears the next? Maybe you find yourself wondering “where is the woman that I married???? If any of the above resonates with you, then this blog is written especially for you.
Perhaps the tips in this blog can serve as a self-help guide to help you navigate what can be the turbulent ocean of the perimenopause/menopause.
What Can Men Expect?
So what can you expect from your partner at this time in her life (and yours)? What can you do help her feel better? Read on to get some helpful information to help both of you come out the other side stronger than you were before.
The following are the most common symptoms of perimenopause (the phase before menopause) and the menopause.
Your partner may have one or two of these symptoms, or she may have all. A great deal of how she experiences the perimenopause and menopause will depend on the diet and lifestyle she chooses to follow.
Diet and Lifestyle
A diet full of processed foods, takeaways, cakes and biscuits is not going to do her any favours. Unfortunately the body may become more efficient in gaining weight in the menopause years.
Maybe it is time to think carefully about what is going into the shopping trolley. Junk food is likely to land directly on her body very quickly when excess calories are consumed.
Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms
* Night sweats * Tearfulness * Weight gain
* Hot flushes * Anxiety * Loss of confidence
* Irritability * Loss of libido
* Mood swings * Loss of energy
Perhaps you have recognised some of the above in your partner? So what can you do?
Five Ways to Help Your Partner
1. Communicate
It is important to keep communication wide open at this time. You are her life companion, and hopefully a partner she feels safe and loved enough to share her concerns with.
When she does her best to try to tell you how she feels, please don’t interrupt her, don’t offer your expert opinion on this subject as you do not truly know what she is going through.
Learn to be a “heart with ears??? meaning; giving her the opportunity to tell you in her own way what she is feeling. Please don’t look away from her when she is speaking either, respect her enough to give her the attention she needs. Learn to really listen and truly “hear what she is saying???.
2. Reassure
Your partner may be feeling many different types of emotions. She may be feeling sad that her ability to conceive is coming to an end. She may feel insecure if weight is redistributing itself, or not be at peace with the ageing process and the march of time on the face and body.
Gentlemen, it is not the time to start an affair because you are unable to relate fully to your partner at this time. You may also want to think twice about criticising or belittling her. This is a part of a woman’s journey, and with small changes and an adjustment of mindset and lifestyle, this phase can also be viewed as a new beginning.
3. Maintain a Sense of Humour
It is a true saying that laughter is good medicine. Remember that you have not “lost??? your wife forever. She is still there, and she will be back at the end of the menopause journey.
Do things together that your both really enjoy. Go to the cinema and watch uplifting funny movies. Be with people that are positive and happy. Plan your future to include doing all the things you love. Be happy. Every day is blessing and life is precious. Spend your time well as tomorrow is a promise not guaranteed for everyone.
4. Maintain intimacy and affection
There may be days when your partner looks in the mirror and does not like herself much at all. If she is feeling less than “sexy??? she won’t be expecting you to find her sexy either. She may even rebuke your sexual advances.
Please don’t think she is being cold or rejecting you. Those hormones can do quite a dampening job on the libido. Add in to the mix that she may not be sleeping well due to night sweats, and insomnia.
You may be blissfully unaware that all of this is happening while you snore happily beside her. Give her what she needs. If affection is needed be it in the way of a hug, or putting your arms around her, then do it.
Maybe she isn’t in the mood for sex, but may be in the mood to lie together and be close. Once again she is not rejecting you. Be patient, kind and considerate. Great things can happen when there are no expectations.
5. Give the space she needs
As your partner navigates this phase of her life she may also be handling a number of other issues. The responsibilities of work, family commitments may be weighing heavy on her mind and on her time.
If she asks for some “me??? time, it is not because she does not want to be with you, it is because she wants to be with herself for a little while. Why not surprise her once in a while with a Spa voucher, or run her a nice bubble bath, buy her favourite magazine, and close the door and leave her be for while.
I hope the above has helped you in some way. If you have enjoyed this blog why not head over to the Sexuality and Relationships blog for more tips and information.
Have a love filled day!
Isobel McArthur – Founder of Flourish Beyond 40
