Menopause Qs with Breeda Birmingham (Midlife Women Rock)

Hands up if you find menopause confusing or intimidating?

Well, you're not alone and there are some really good reasons why you feel this way. 

Menopause is defined as the day one year from your last menstrual bleed but the term is associated with a lot of symptoms of perimenopause (the years of hormonal changes leading up to menopause). 

Hot flashes, rage, lack of sleep, and headaches, are just some of the 34 recognised symptoms of menopause.

But there is good news too - many people experience almost no symptoms of menopause whatsoever and for those that do, there are lots of treatments and lifestyle tweaks that can really help.

So, to celebrate Menopause Awareness Month and help you navigate your own transition from menstruator to post-menopausal person, we've invited menopause coach and campaigner Breeda Birmingham from Midlife Women Rock to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with us. 

Breeda is a menopause educator and workplace wellbeing consultant. She has been active in the menopause space in Ireland since completing a psychology degree in 2018.

She contributed to the Women’s Health Task Force at the Department of Health in 2020/2021 which subsequently prioritised menopause for government attention and funding, and is also the author of the best-selling book “Midlife Women Rock: A Menopause Story for a New Generation”.

Breeda founded the Midlife Women Rock Project and Cafes as a social enterprise  in 2019. These are platforms that are educating and supporting women to pro-actively and positively manage their menopause years.

Breeda's mission is to ensure all women and all of society (including workplaces) understand menopause and how to support all.

Over to Breeda...

The most important thing to know about Menopause is that this life transition happens to every woman.

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and the start of the next phase of life, it is a retrospective diagnosis. The research continues to evolve as menopause has been a taboo subject for decades. It is not to be feared but understood.

I like to see it as the reversal of puberty as hormones start to decline leading to symptoms for many women. In breaking the silence and shame, we are the first generation to spotlight menopause in the public domain. Education and support can hugely influence how these years are lived.

Accessing the right support for you is vital to successfully navigating these years.

What's the difference between Perimenopause and Menopause? 

A woman is said to have reached menopause having had 12 months of no menstrual bleed or period. The average age a woman reaches the menopause stage is at 51/52 years.

The years preceding this are referred to as the perimenopause years which is important to understand as a lot of symptoms start here. Perimenopause may start 2-5 years before menopause which means most perimenopausal women are in their 40’s.

How do you know if you are in perimenopause?

If you're aged 45 years or under, blood tests to measure levels of FSH and LH hormones can be helpful.

Post 45 years they are of little use.

Completing a symptom checker that outlines the many different signs and symptoms is far more beneficial.

Check out www.midlifewomenrockproject.to access a free check list.

What is the best way to prepare for menopause?

Educate.. educate… educate..

We are the first generation of women to have access to a full understanding of what is happening to our bodies, brains, and minds as we move through these years.

Read – (Midlife Women Rock: A menopause Story for a New Generation is available to buy on my website) do your own research, ask questions of friends, seek out more positive narratives about this life phase because I have learned there are many but nobody has told us!

What are the most common issues women present with during perimenopause/ menopause?

When it comes to symptoms lets look at the statistics:

20% of women experience little or no symptoms as they move through their menopause years

20-25% experience severe symptoms needing ongoing medical supervision

60% of women report mild to moderate symptoms that many manage successfully

The more frequently mentioned symptoms include: hot flushes, night sweats, weight gain, and low libido, however, I have discovered it is the mental and emotional shifts that can really be debilitating.

Increased anxiety, mood changes, rage, brain fog, and poor concentration can all impact confidence and self esteem at this time.

Keep in mind over 80% of women I have worked with have experienced a confidence dip but this is what it is a dip!! Your confidence comes back as you focus on managing symptoms.

There are over 34 different symptoms associated with menopause - no two women present with the same set.

How can we support our bodies through these changes?

Lifestyle changes focusing on:

Movement - exercise/ dance/ yoga - find something you like

Nutritious Food - increase plant and phytoestrogen foods in your diet

Optimising Sleep and 

Managing Stress are hugely beneficial.

Taking supplements like Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Omega 3’s can help.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a gamechanger for many but it doesn't suit everyone.

A positive menopause mindset can be transformative - it challenges how we see ourselves as women in Midlife.The old story was all about decline, disappearing, degenerating. The new story is very different.

What are the common pelvic floor issues in menopause and how can women overcome these?

Oestrogen and, more importantly, collagen levels decline as we age. This has an impact on our skin, and pelvic floor.

Oestrogen receptors are all over the pelvic area thus a decline can lead to softening of ligaments, tissues, and muscle, which can lead to vaginal dryness, irritation, painful intercourse, leaking, and recurrent urinary tract infections.

Once women are aware of this, help is at hand - vaginal moisturisers and vaginal HRT are life changing for many.

Working with a pelvic floor physio is a great investment at this stage of life.

Menopause pilates and menopause yoga teachers have great success with clients also.

Where can we go for more support if we need it?

The HSE website www.hse.ie/menopause is a great first step. 

For Medical Support: 

There are 6 free medical menopause clinics around Ireland: 3 in the Dublin maternity hospitals, and 1 in each of Galway, Cork, and Nenagh hospitals  - all funded by the government.

There is a growing number of excellent websites www.henpicket.net has lots of free lunch and learns chats on all aspects of menopause.

Some great podcasts I have contributed to include www.magnificentmidlife.com/podcast  and www.midlingalong.com/podcast 

Check out my website for some basic information if you are new to menopause www.midlifewomenrockproject.com.

For private support check out menopause specialists in Ireland as there is a growing number of GP’s specialising in menopause.

Non-Medical Support: Many women decide to manage their menopause years non-medically.

They may or may not be taking HRT, but increasingly I meet women who seek out the support of a  menopause coach, or join a group of women on the same journey during a 6 week course or monthly gathering like the Midlife Women Rock Café in Waterford. 

Weekend Menopause Retreats are also becoming popular as you get lots of information and nourishment while being in the presence of other women seeking to proactively take on their menopause years. This can be a real well deserved nurturing self-care treat.

I am joining a magnificent retreat facilitator in January 2025 to co-facilitate a weekend menopause retreat at www.mulvarahouse.com Check out the details on Eventbrite.

Keep in mind menopause is a natural transition for the majority of women.

The problem has been no education or widespread support. The shame and stigma has kept too many silent. Thankfully this is changing.

YOU do have the power to manage these years in a way that will help YOU to thrive. I have seen it over and over with women whom I have worked with.

I love statistics so here are some important ones to keep in mind:

By 2030 there will be over 1.3 billion women in menopause globally.

Over 600,000 women are in the varying stages of menopause in Ireland (13 million in the UK)

80-85% of women will experience a natural menopause with the average age being 52 years. Research points to 1% of women reaching menopause before 40 years with some women entering menopause in their teens or twenties experiencing Premature Ovarian Sufficiency or failure. 

Further research points to 5% of women in menopause before 45 years of age. This is classified as early menopause. The emerging research points to their being huge benefits for anyone under 45 years starting  hormone replacement(HRT) as our bodies need oestrogen into our 50s. 

Another cohort of women will experience a medical menopause (Post cancer treatment) or surgical menopause (post hysterectomy or having the womb removed). Again symptomology and treatment of symptoms is different to a natural menopause.

Menopause can be a minefield but investing in the right support for you changes everything.

Sending love, 

Breeda Bermingham