We hope you can join us on this journey to explore and share experiences around the changes to our minds and bodies that is the menopause. It can be a very confusing time, after all you wouldn’t be reading this if all the answers were solved, but with your help we can unravel the complexities for each other and make some sense of this menopause mayhem.
It starts with questions, a lot of them! (READ MORE)
My body shape is changing, why don’t I look like I used to? My clothes don’t fit and I need to go up a size. I can’t sleep. I used to be confident, but now I doubt myself. Brain fog has descended and nothing is clear in my head. My partner says I’m moody, so I definitely don’t want sex! Trying to get ready for a night out, but I’m having one of those hot flushes again so I am back in my bra and knickers until things calm down. Will definitely be late now, but I suppose it gives me more time to try and find an outfit to hide that tummy that I just can’t get rid of. Oh, and I hope I don’t laugh or sneeze, and definitely not both at the same time unless I am wearing an incontinence pad ….and so it goes on.
Why can’t I just be my old self again? Everything used to be so straightforward. I was carefree in my 20s. My 30s were full of confidence and I had a great social life. But are we just looking back with rose-tinted spectacles? The truth is things probably weren’t always hunky dory, and definitely aren’t ever going to be the same as they were. But it’s about finding the little things that work for us as individuals that will enable us to gain huge steps in our confidence moving forward. Acceptance that we are still women, still have a life to lead, and can still have fun!
Our vision for The Menopause Handbag is ultimately to provide women with everything they need to help them through the menopause in one central place, with pockets of information around Style, Body and Mind. You can simply pick and choose which are relevant to you and carry them around with you in your own virtual Handbag. But if we haven’t got everything covered then let us know what you would like to see on here, or submit your own blog!
Many women don’t even realize that some of the symptoms and feelings they are experiencing are menopause related. There is no fixed pattern for when symptoms start or what they will be. Every woman is an individual. Equally important is to recognise the power of woman-hood, imagine what we could achieve if we worked together? As women we are notoriously bad at hiding our feelings, putting our own needs last and below everyone else’s (including the dog, well actually especially the dog). It’s estimated that around 13m women are peri or menopausal in the UK, which is equivalent to a third of the UK female population. So the chances are you already have a friend/sister/colleague/relative who knows how you feel. If we can just open up and chat about it, swop our experiences, and provide support to each other, it could make the world of difference.
It’s great to have you onboard and we hope you enjoy sharing this journey with us
Love Jo & Leanne