Midlife Flow

It all started back in 2021 when the perimenopausal symptoms first kicked in. Heart palpitations, poor sleep, and mood swings became my new normal. One evening in 2023, while travelling overseas  to Portugal with my family (You can watch "the return" series here), and after an especially rough day with the children, my cousins wife, seeing my frazzled state, sat me down and said, "You need to start taking better care of yourself." It felt confronting to hear that, but she was right... Taking her advice to heart, I began experimenting with different self-care routines when I returned to Australia. Mornings became my time to reconnect with myself. I started with yoga, practicing gentle stretches and deep breathing exercises. There was something incredibly grounding about starting the day with mindful movement. Summer, my 6-year-old at the time, even joined me occasionally, turning it into a fun bonding activity before the rush of school drop off. Once I had my stress...

One morning, I was making breakfast for my daughters, Leah and Summer. As I scrambled the eggs, I suddenly felt my heart racing. Then I panicked because I thought something was wrong. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling, and then it was over 10 minutes later. Leah, my 10-year-old, asked, "Mum, are you sick? " I smiled and said, " No, sweetie, it’s just something called perimenopause" . "What's perimenopause?" "My body playing tricks on me." If you came across this article, chances are and you’re in your 40s or late 30s, you might have noticed some strange changes in your body and mood, and are not exactly sure what is going on. You feel something is off, but cant put your finger on it.  Don’t fret - you might just be entering perimenopause... What Exactly Is Perimenopause? Perimenopause is the transitional period leading up to menopause, when your ovaries gradually start producing less estrogen. This phase can last anywhere ...

I remember the day my body decided to give me a sneak peek into the start of PERIMENOPAUSE. I was on my way to Westfield Shopping Centre (a mall in Australia for my American friends) following a full day of homeschooling in the spring of 2021. We had just parked the car and I was helping Summer, my 3 year old at the time, out of her booster seat. When suddenly my mouth went dry, I felt faint and my legs went weak. I had this overwhelming urge to leave.  I couldnt breath.  Leah, my  7-year-old at the time asked, "What's going on?"  I explained to my kids, what was happening and why we had to leave. "Mummy's not feeling well and we need to leave". I didnt know it at the time but I was experiencing my first onset of perimenopause. Then came the mood swings. One minute I was laughing at an episode of Bluey , with Summer and the next, I was tearing up and I didnt even have a valid reason as to WHY? As for  Sleep? That became a distant memory. I’d wake up at 3:00a...