What Comes After Menopause?

When I launched thePause newsletter in 2020, it was all about menopause. But as the years pass, I wonder if it's time to follow menopause's path.

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When I launched thePause newsletter in 2020, it was the culmination of many years of silent planning, spurred by my own (very uninformed) passage through menopause.

There was little, if any, information out there for women going through menopause, which was treated less like a normal life transition and more like a deep, dark secret. I aimed to dispel myths, gather facts, and form a community of like-minded women who I knew were in desperate need of communication and easy-to-understand, unbiased information. Too many women were entering the menopause years without much if any, guidance, support, or education - not even from their healthcare professionals.

“Most medical providers still don’t know enough about perimenopause and menopause. This isn’t surprising when considering that 80 percent of ob-gyns (ob-gyns!) lack menopause training. So, when women seek medical treatment for significant menopausal symptoms, nearly three-fourths are left untreated.”

-From the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR):

I had originally run the idea by an editor of mine, hoping that the large and popular health website for which I spent a good part of my career writing would host a regular column on menopause.

But her reaction was anything but positive.

“No! Not menopause! Women don’t want to be reminded of that…that they are getting older; aging. It’s too much of a downer.”

Discouraged and frustrated, I retreated, continuing to write about all the other health topics (all except menopause)…but I never forgot my mission and passion. It continued to gnaw at me until I finally did something about it.

Finally, in April of 2020 (hello Covid!), I published the very first issue of thePause, along with a former co-worker of mine, who was as enthusiastic as me. (She has since moved on to other endeavors, which is why I changed the name of my newsletter to thePause with Sheryl Kraft.)

My readership has tripled over those years, and I’m so grateful - and even more motivated to keep writing - each time I see a new subscriber’s name pop up on the list.

But now, as the years have passed, many of us might have also passed through those challenging menopause years. And there are now many other platforms that are all-in on menopause, offering content as well as products. I know, because I’ve written for so many of them, including Alloy Health, a site that is a wealth of information, offering their own community, products, telehealth and ongoing educational workshops.

Here’s an excerpt from an article I wrote for Alloy, “How Long Does Menopause Last?”

Asking, “How long does menopause last?” is so yesterday. Today we know that when you’ve crossed the threshold, this is where you’ll spend about one-third of your life. No more pregnancy worries. Time to toss the tampons and those erratic moods. After menopause passes, hormone levels even out and your sanity returns, with many women energized and excited to start this new phase of life.

And yet. It’s important to note that the combination of your body’s lower estrogen production and the natural aging process can make certain health conditions more likely during this time, and make some menopausal symptoms linger, as well.

• Heart disease. Estrogen has a protective effect on cholesterol, and the heart’s arteries and blood vessels, by keeping them open and relaxed. Without estrogen, the risk of heart disease climbs.

• Osteoporosis. The loss of bone mass accelerates after menopause, due to plummeting estrogen levels.

• Hot flashes. Though they usually subside within a few years of menopause, they can be stubborn and persist for years for more than one-third of post-menopausal women.

• Vaginal dryness. A lack of natural moisture, due to a lack of estrogen, affects between one-quarter and one-third of post-menopausal women.

• Urinary incontinence. Don’t sneeze or laugh too hard: Research finds that about half of post-menopausal women have trouble holding in their urine. That’s due to less elastic vaginal tissues and weakening of the pelvic floor.

With all this in mind, taking care of your health with good nutrition and exercise before, during, and after natural menopause can help manage the end of your period – but the start of a whole new period.

The Times, They are A’Changing

Perhaps we no longer need to know about how best to manage hot flashes and night sweats, but instead how best to manage our “new” body and figure out what it needs going forward. We want to age well, physically, mentally, and spiritually. What are the best ways to eat, sleep, keep strong, stay positive, and cognitively sharp? What are the medical tests we need and the ones we don’t? How can we maximize our sleep and our time, minimize our stress, and enhance our relationships?

Are we washed up just because we lack estrogen?

Hell, no.

I don’t have to tell you what you probably already know: Just like menopause was once new and foreign territory, so is post-menopause. While outwardly, we may look different, the same person resides inside a changed body and face, a stranger in a house that has been renovated and redecorated.

We need to reorient ourselves, unpack and settle in, and make ourselves at home by bringing wisdom and comfort to put the finishing touches on our new residence. Perhaps we’re ready to change our "decorating” style from contemporary to mid-century… or add a bit of fringe to adorn the edge of our curtains.

We are forever changed, and we need to change how we live the rest of our lives.

Post-menopause begins from the last day of your period until the last day of your life. And that can be a long time: You can spend up to one-third of your life in this phase.

Are you ready for it?

I 🩷 feedback..and would love yours! Leave a comment or a wish list, and tell me what your most burning questions are, or what you’d like more/less of from me. Your feedback makes a huge impact and an important difference.

For instance, do you want product recommendations? Beauty or fashion advice? Want to read about friendships, or relationships? Nutrition or fitness? I’ve written about - and lived - them all.

P.S. A name change for this newsletter is likely…. An announcement might be coming soon! (But that won’t change the fact that you will still receive your newsletters, as always.)

You can roll with the changes…or let them roll over you.

Thank you for reading….if you are not already a subscriber, join us!

Thanks for reading. Be well and be kind to yourself, and to others. Xx Sheryl