Wow. And thank-you! I haven't considered women's various cycles of life in my ancestors - other than to note when someone got pregnant very early in life (or didn't if married early) and how late a few of them had children. How it affected them, not a whisper have I ever heard. Looking back on my mother's life, the only one that I was a witness to, yes, it affected her. At the time I blamed it on a very tumultuous marriage to my father as I was young and hadn't experienced my own menopause enough to recognize it in another. Great article - one I will give some thought to!
Very interesting article - thanks for writing this and bringing it to mind! My mother and her sisters all had hysterectomies, and I'm the only female to have made it through the change without surgery. So, I was alone in that journey. In the late 1990s I belonged to an online group (remember newsgroups?) that dealt with the change -- and the term "perimenopause" was definitely a thing then, about 1998 or 1999. We talked each other through it, sharing information and commiserating with each other's situations, and I'm so grateful.
In my professional capacity, I had to resort to subterfuge at times because I was simply too heavy or had too much of a headache to function in the office. I remember calling my boss one day to say I'd be working from home. Worried, he asked if I was okay, and I decided that since his wife was also in the years of change, I'd just go ahead and let him have it: "My personal office of flood control dictates that I stay home today." "Ick," he said, sympathetically. "See you tomorrow," I said. (He definitely understood).
Thanks for reading. I vaguely remember newsgroups. Had no idea in the 90s people were using those terms. I took had to have a talk with my boss last year. thankfully she got it.
What a great topic to peel open. Bravo. It's been nearly 15 years for me but I think every woman over the age of about 55 can relate to the experience — many of their partners too, I imagine.
As I reflected back on my pregnancies and helping our daughters navigate through those slammed-doors moments of adolescence, I've come to regard hormones as the most powerful drugs to ever affect the human bloodstream (male and female). It's humbling to realize we still we know so little about it.
No, nothing was shared with me about my ancestors or their experiences. I have looked back at times when I remember my mom acting completely irrationally to realize that she was probably suffering migraines and hot flashes. It does open a level of empathy doesn't it?
It wouldn't be very hard to create a calculator to apply to a family history timeline calculating the decade between 45-55 years of age in which most women in the family probably went through perimenopause and menopause. 🤔 interesting all by itself!
Thanks Barbara! Yes, I started mapping out when my female ancestors were 45-55 to see what else was happening in their lives. So many things we just never spoke about.
Wow. And thank-you! I haven't considered women's various cycles of life in my ancestors - other than to note when someone got pregnant very early in life (or didn't if married early) and how late a few of them had children. How it affected them, not a whisper have I ever heard. Looking back on my mother's life, the only one that I was a witness to, yes, it affected her. At the time I blamed it on a very tumultuous marriage to my father as I was young and hadn't experienced my own menopause enough to recognize it in another. Great article - one I will give some thought to!
Thanks for reading Karla! I'm glad it inspired you to take a different look at your family history.
Very interesting article - thanks for writing this and bringing it to mind! My mother and her sisters all had hysterectomies, and I'm the only female to have made it through the change without surgery. So, I was alone in that journey. In the late 1990s I belonged to an online group (remember newsgroups?) that dealt with the change -- and the term "perimenopause" was definitely a thing then, about 1998 or 1999. We talked each other through it, sharing information and commiserating with each other's situations, and I'm so grateful.
In my professional capacity, I had to resort to subterfuge at times because I was simply too heavy or had too much of a headache to function in the office. I remember calling my boss one day to say I'd be working from home. Worried, he asked if I was okay, and I decided that since his wife was also in the years of change, I'd just go ahead and let him have it: "My personal office of flood control dictates that I stay home today." "Ick," he said, sympathetically. "See you tomorrow," I said. (He definitely understood).
Thanks for reading. I vaguely remember newsgroups. Had no idea in the 90s people were using those terms. I took had to have a talk with my boss last year. thankfully she got it.
What a great topic to peel open. Bravo. It's been nearly 15 years for me but I think every woman over the age of about 55 can relate to the experience — many of their partners too, I imagine.
As I reflected back on my pregnancies and helping our daughters navigate through those slammed-doors moments of adolescence, I've come to regard hormones as the most powerful drugs to ever affect the human bloodstream (male and female). It's humbling to realize we still we know so little about it.
No, nothing was shared with me about my ancestors or their experiences. I have looked back at times when I remember my mom acting completely irrationally to realize that she was probably suffering migraines and hot flashes. It does open a level of empathy doesn't it?
It wouldn't be very hard to create a calculator to apply to a family history timeline calculating the decade between 45-55 years of age in which most women in the family probably went through perimenopause and menopause. 🤔 interesting all by itself!
Thanks Barbara! Yes, I started mapping out when my female ancestors were 45-55 to see what else was happening in their lives. So many things we just never spoke about.