Loss of Libido in Menopause

Menopause and Hormone Balancing

I share an introduction to hormone balancing, including offering support with loss of libido in menopause.

During menopause there is an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, both of these need to be balanced in equal amounts in the body, as they support each other (although have very different roles).

When menses stops, the GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) located in the brain’s hypothalamus can become overactive, producing symptoms, as the ovaries are not doing their usual job of producing estrogen and progesterone, as part of menses. Therefore symptoms occur and yes you can feel irritable, miserable, depressed, strange, cranky, grief, loss of libido in menopause and many more stories spiral out in the mind and body.

It’s important to know you are not alone, you never need to collapse in to any stories, your body is in need of some support, so reach out.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) the most conventional method of treatment, doesn’t always work for everyone and can have side effects. 

Hormone balancing or hormone release technique works naturally without synthetic hormones through relaxation, nudging the body gently into harmony.

Alignment takes place over the coccyx and TMJ, which support the pituitary gland & hypothalamus to soften & regulate. The ovaries & uterus are also worked over to provide a balanced happy body (these points are accessed over the abdomen in a non-invasive way) 

Bowen works directly over fascia, a web like substance that surrounds all tissues, cells, muscles & joints.

I would advise asking your doctor for a salivary hormone test, to detect which hormone you are deficient in. Very few western women are deficient in estrogen, at menopause estrogen levels reduce from 40 to 60% but progesterone falls to zero! Both of these are needed to be addressed. Symptoms are also a great way to detect hormone balance:-

Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms

Vaginal dryness

Hot flushes

UTI

Small doses of estrogen may help

Estrogen Excess Symptoms

Weight gain

Water retention 

Breast swelling

Headaches 

Hypertension 

Insomnia 

Mood swings

Anxiety 

Symptoms supported with Bowen Technique are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, mood swings, tender breasts, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, bladder weakness and incontinence.

Typically treatments are 1 week apart, with a reduction of symptoms this then is 2-4 weeks apart.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation to see if this is the right programme for you.

 

Breast Care Tips at Home

Breast Awareness

Breast care tips at home.

Are you wearing the right bra size? Apparently you should get your size checked every 6 months?! After all they are lumps of fat, so they will change shape, as do our bellies.

Can you raise a straight arm to your ear, is there any restriction? Now try with your bra strap off and see if that improves it. I’ve seen women not able to lift their shoulder to their ears fully due to their bra strap digging in.

There’s an amazing chest move in Bowen, which relaxes & drains the lymph from your armpits & chest, which is so supportive in taking care of us. We wear underwired bras and put on deodorant, so the lymph glands can’t always do the job the job they are trying to do, which is to drain toxins & fluid. 

"It’s widely held that a tight-fitting bra restricts the lymph nodes around the breast and underarm area, preventing toxins from being processed through them and flushed out of the body. Accumulated toxins anywhere in the body increase the risk for cancer."

By Dr. Sadeghi

Singer and Grismaijer, author of  Dressed to Kill discovered that breast cancer risk dramatically increased in women who wore their bras over 12 hours per day:

  • Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer.
  • Women who wore their bras for more than 12 hours but not to bed had a 1 in 7 risk for breast cancer
  • Wearing a bra less than 12 hours per day dropped breast cancer risk to 1 in 152.
  • Overall, women who wore their bras 24 hours per day increased their breast cancer risk by 125 times over women who rarely or never wore a bra.

So, overall, 1. reduce bra wearing time

2. reduce time wearing underwire, or choose non-wired bras (I’m a c cup and there are plenty of support available without underwire)

3. check your boobs monthly, Coopa Feel send you an email or text reminders for you and they have more info on how to check, signs & symptoms, basically get used to what is normal for you & any changes go and see a doc right away.

I can show you how to do a simple chest lymph drainage on yourself, which can be done once a week and takes as quick as 10 seconds. Contact me to book in a bowen session, to support lymphatic flow, promote good muscle movement, to your arms, shoulders and back.

check your boobs

 

Self-care During Period

Self-care during your period

 

How to take the best self-care during your period. I share my top tips below.

When it’s your period do you wear yellow shorts and run along the beach singing Bodyform like this happy lady?

Haha I didn’t think so and it certainly isn’t my style. Saying that, I do have many clients that take the pill, or the coil, so they have very few hormonal symptoms. These bring added benefits of ruling out an unwanted pregnancy, but equally can bring their own complications. It took me 2 years to have a period again after coming of the combined pill. I also had a brief encounter with the progesterone only pill and felt a strange sensation in my calf, after reading up about blood clot side effects and the trials carried out in poor African villages with awful side effects and fatalities, I decided that was enough for me, but of course everybody has their own unique body, preferences and ethics.  

So, back to periods!

The period app – get prepared and track symptoms

I don’t know how I managed without my trusty free period app, before, it was a oh no it’s my period, but somehow there is relief and understanding when I feel more in tune with what stage of my cycle I am at, so I am more ready and willing for it. After tracking, I now see recurring patterns, such as hunger the week before, increase in sugar craving and of course more emotional states. This reassures me as I understand there are hormone changes happening and I am extra gentle on  myself.

Eco friendly products

I have my trusty Mooncup and reusable bamboo sanitary pads, so there is no plastic, no waste, no chemicals used, so no skin irritation, plus they are already in my cupboard. 

Choccie support

Not forgetting my fav delicious bar of chocolate Doisy & Dam, yummy nom nom. I naturally crave more sugars around this time, so I trust in going with what feels most nourishing. This choccie has superfoods in and less refined sugar than your average bar. It’s also organic, with packaging that can be recycled. Whoopers all round!

Adjusting your schedule 

I have blocked out a day of less work, or no work from my calendar during my first day of my cycle, as the flow can be heavy then and so I can prioritise resting. The stigma of appearing weak when you need to rest for your period is thankfully reducing and actually it’s so supportive to honour your body and rest if rest is needed, that goes for other times too.

Of course I understand we all have our own lifestyle’s which might not adapt, but even if it’s a 20 min power nap, or being gentle, which could look like, wearing comfy trousers, going to bed earlier, taking comfort in what you see supports you.

Taking steps to take the best care of ourselves is a brilliant support & demonstration for everyone.

Some places of work, have honoured the period policy which is a wonderful upgrade in taking the best care of your staff. 

Vaginal steaming

I also have a friend who is a trained vaginal steam facilitator and this has really soothed my periods to be shorter and less painful. It is a very controversial topic, but in essence its herbs and the same amount of steam as a sauna. It is incredibly relaxing and actually supports me to look forward to my monthly flow.

The Sciencey Part

The menstrual cycle is a series of natural processes that your body goes through. During your period cycle, your hormone levels rise and fall, depending on which stage of your menstrual cycle you are in. These hormones can also affect your mood and level of energy.

The length of a menstrual cycle can vary from 23 days to 35 days. All bodies are different, so the length of your own menstrual cycle may be shorter or longer and not all menstrual cycles are regular.

If you struggle with painful periods, or endometriosis, please contact me here to discuss hormone balancing, its a relaxing way to restore the body to a balance and reduce symptoms. 

Other complementary therapies include herbalist’s and I have taken a herb called Agnus castus in the past which has helped regulate my periods. Homeopathy and naturopathy are all wonderful ways to offer regulation of irregular periods.