I had my kids when I was 36 & 39 and then hit the first stages of perimenopause when I turned 42. Started bleeding 2x/month for about 6 months, then it started to taper off to once every 3 or 4 months. Now I'll be 46 in about 3 months and I'm one month away from 12 months with no cycle. Nothing like going through "the change" with 2 youngins!

It's been intense, but manageable. My key learning has been to slow the fuck down and take enough time to take care of myself.

I'll mention, since I didn't see it in the stories you shared or the comments that I've managed most of my symptoms (with some success) with a combination of very specific taoist qigong practices for women, (from the lineage of the White Tigress) some awesome supplements, a dedication to getting to bed early. And the thing that cut my night sweats and hot flashes by tenfold was giving up gluten.

If any of y'all want to know more about where to learn this stuff, it's pretty amazing. Very organic. Feel free to ping me in the comments and I'll share stuff from my teachers.

But my biggest takeaway is that post menopause, if you can hold good boundaries with the world, it's an incredibly fertile and creative time to do the work you really want to do in the world.

And also, you have to stay moving!