Surviving Motherhood & Menopause Tips

Mother’s Day is just one day out of the year where everyone acknowledges the special mothers in their lives and the importance of appreciating motherhood in general. Of course, every day we should celebrate the different stages of life that women go through. Whether your kids are toddlers or teenagers, moms never have a day off. Likewise, if menopause can last for years, so symptoms rarely take a break. However, you can do things to reduce the stress of not just being a mother but being in menopause.

Tips To Surviving Motherhood & Menopause:

• Take A Vacation: Motherhood and menopause can come with lots of stress. If you have PTO/vacation time saved for work, don’t be afraid to use it. PTO can often go unused. According to research by U.S. Travel Association, more than 55 percent of Americans don’t use their vacation days!
  
  Many companies don’t allow for PTO to continue accumulating year after year. In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it. So, make time for that vacation. You don’t have to travel far. In fact, you don’t even need to leave your city. Taking PTO/vacation days doesn’t have to mean an expensive trip abroad as travel restrictions finally loosen. You can make it a stay-cation. Decide to remain local or drive to a nearby city. Make the most out of your paid time off by thinking outside of the box. A little R&R goes a long way. When you’re more relaxed, your family will benefit too because it impacts everyone when you’re stressed and frustrated.
• Make Time For You: Having kids and a family to juggle can be demanding. Carve out “me time” daily, even if it’s for one hour. You need that hour to do something that can help you relax and get back to feeling centered. This is where you can begin exploring hobbies and interests you’ve been putting off. Designating time for yourself should be an opportunity to re-center yourself and tell others that their requests can wait.
  
  During this time, it’s okay to say no to demands that request your time and energy. Setting boundaries allows for you to do the things you love to do. Focusing on extracurricular activities can help boost your self-esteem. It also breaks up the monotony of your work week so that you’ve got a little work and life balance.
• Start Exercising: There are numerous benefits to exercise. According to the CDC¹, older adults lose stamina and strength with age. Also, due to a higher risk of injury, it’s not necessary to do strenuous activity. The CDC² recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intense aerobic activity, which breaks up to 30 minutes, 5 days a week. However, those with chronic conditions can begin with what they feel more comfortable doing.
  
  Physical fitness helps with circulation, improves sleep, and lowers stress. This means that your menopause symptoms can equally be reduced. Research³ shows fitness reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other potential health conditions. As women age, they lose muscle mass and can experience bone loss. Staying physically fit helps reduce bone loss and also improves mood. Improving mood can potentially mitigate mood swings associated with hormonal imbalance related to menopause. Exercise can also help you stay active enough to keep up with your rambunctious kids.
• See Your Doctor: Schedule a well-woman exam to help manage menopausal symptoms. A well-woman exam can offer preventative care for future health risks or concerns. A well-woman exam is annual and can include: pap-smear, breast, and pelvic exams along with preventative screenings such as blood tests to help evaluate hormonal levels. Depending upon your age, a mammogram may also be ordered by your doctor.
  
  If you’re a perimenopausal woman with menstrual cycle concerns, a well-woman exam is a great opportunity to talk with your gynecologist. After all, irregular periods are common during perimenopause, such as shorter or longer cycles and menstrual flow changes (lighter or heavier bleeding.) It can be an opportunity to discuss other symptoms or issues for menopausal women that have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. Your doctor can help provide techniques and a strategy to help manage your symptoms.
• Schedule A Date With The Kids: Life can often get in the way of quality time with the kiddos. Work can get busy; the kids might have schoolwork or want to hang out with their friends. As kids get older, it might be harder to find the time to spend with your kids. This can add strain and distance to your relationship.
  
  Don’t take any chances by potentially allowing a wedge to form between you and your kids. It’s essential to nurture your relationship by making time for them. Date nights aren’t just important for you and your partner/spouse but designating a special time and date can also benefit your relationship with your kid(s). Make a special mommy-and-me date night with your child/children. This is the time you should stay off your smartphone (no texting, surfing the internet, checking emails, etc.) Ensure the time you spend with your kid(s) is distraction-free and that you give them quality time. They’ll cherish this time when Mommy isn’t working, on the phone, distracted, or busy.

Final Thoughts

Self-care should be incorporated into your personal health and wellbeing routine. After all, motherhood and menopause are challenging. Doing things that can help improve your menopause symptoms is important and can benefit the entire family. When you feel better physically and emotionally, your loved ones notice, too. Likewise, making time for the kids can go a long way and improve your relationship, along with building lasting memories.

Don’t forget to bring Amberen Menopause along on your menopause journey. Let Amberen help relieve 12 common menopause symptoms and without drugs, hormones, or herbs. Our clinically tested formulation offers multi-symptom relief so that you can be the best mom to your kids and the best you to those you love.^†

1. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/olderad.htm
2. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/fitness-tips-for-menopause/art-20044602

This blog post and the recommendations made herein are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to be used as healthcare advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their healthcare provider with questions about their specific needs.

The references provided in this blog post are identified for informational purposes only and such references and the underlying research, including the entities and individuals involved in the underlying research, did not involve Amberen and are not affiliated with Amberen or the makers of Amberen.