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Let’s get something straight: if a human female lives long enough, menopause happens. Full stop. It’s not a modern phenomenon. It’s not a syndrome. It’s not a disease. And it’s definitely not the result of women suddenly living “too long.” That idea needs to be retired—preferably with a gold watch and a firm talking-to.
Fertility Has Always Had an Expiry Date
Aristotle (yes, that Aristotle) wrote in his biological treatise On the Generation of Animals that female fertility ends well before death. He wasn’t exactly a champion of women, but he did observe that our reproductive years come with a natural expiry date—and that we lived on beyond them.
So no, menopause didn’t sneak in with modernity like a side effect of Wi-Fi or oat milk. It’s always been part of the female timeline. What’s changed is not that we go through menopause—it’s how long we live afterward.
Life Span vs Life Expectancy: A Quick Reality Check
Let’s clarify a common mix-up. Lifespan is the biological potential for how long a person can live—think of it as the upper limit. Life expectancy, on the other hand, is a statistical average that factors in things like famine, childbirth, war, and infections.
So yes, the average life expectancy used to be lower, often skewed by infant mortality. But plenty of women lived into their 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s thousands of years ago—and they weren’t hiding behind the colonnades of ancient temples either.
Let’s Talk Historical Women with Some Serious Staying Power
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Queen Tiye, grandmother of Tutankhamun, lived into her 60s in ancient Egypt and held serious political power.
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Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century polymath, composer, and medical writer, lived to age 81.
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Catherine de’ Medici lived into her late 60s—while managing empires and marrying off royal children.
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Even in the harsh world of medieval Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine made it to 82, outliving two kings and mothering ten children along the way. [featured image of Eleanor of Aquitaine source]
So yes, there were old women in history—and they were busy. They just didn’t get written about as much as the old men. (What’s new?)
The Real “Modern Phenomenon”? The Way We Talk About Menopause
As Dr. Deena Emera said on the Hotflash Inc Podcast, by Ann Marie McQueen:
“Menopause itself isn’t surprising – if you live long enough, you will run out of eggs. What’s unique about humans is that we have such a long post-reproductive life stage. That’s the real mystery we need to solve.”
Exactly. The question isn’t why menopause happens—it’s why we get so much life afterward. That’s rare in the animal kingdom, but in humans? It’s baked in. There’s even a name for it: the Grandmother Hypothesis—the idea that post-reproductive women stick around to help raise the next generations. (Sound familiar?)
So No, Perimenopause and Menopause Are Not Modern “Conditions”
Let’s just call that what it is: a myth. A modern misreading of biology, stats, and history. Perimenopause and menopause are not new, not disorders, and not caused by “overstaying our welcome” on Earth. What’s changed is that we’ve started paying attention—and talking about it.
So the next time someone suggests menopause is some side effect of modern life, hit them with this: “Menopause has always been here. You just haven’t been listening.”
And if you want to really make them think, throw in this zinger from The Wiser Woman blog:
“We are supposed to live this long.”
Because we are. We always have been.
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Perimenopause is the word used to describe the time before a typical Menopause Day. Which makes it easy to know when perimenopause finishes, but not when it starts.
The typical Menopause Day is the one moment in time when you have traveled along the menstrual health timeline to the point when the ovarian cycle has stopped permanently. When there has been no menstruation for 12 months, the next day is postmenopause, the time before that is perimenopause.
- Menopause Day may occur because of medication used to treat another health condition such as endometriosis or cancer, regardless of the distance traveled along the timeline.
- Menopause Day may occur before the age of 45, which is below the age of a typical menopause day which most often happens between the age of 45-55. This kind of Menopause Day is called Early Menopause.
- Menopause Day may occur below the age of 40, and this is termed Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).
To some Perimenopause is a fairly new word, and others say it has been made up. The earliest known use is in the 1960s. The word was first used in an official clinical capacity in 2001 when the first Sexual Reproductive Agin Workshop (STRAW) was held and then modified to include Earl and Late Perimenopause when they met again in 2011 and the new revised edition became known as STRAW+10.
Peri means ‘a time leading up to’, however, it does not help us figure out when it starts. Medically they consider the key indicator to be a change in the menstrual cycle, or ‘fertility becomes unpredictable’ (don’t like that phrase either as it takes back to reproduction).
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The Menstrual Health Timeline is a sequence of events linked to DNA and time. Menstrual Health orchestrated by the ovaries and the brain.
When someone is born with ovaries and a uterus they will take their first step on the menstrual health timeline when their ovaries switch on, which we know to be around the age of 8. From this point, the estimated time frame of ovarian activity is 40 years, before the ovaries switch off again.
The Menstrual Health Timeline v Reproductive aging
From the point of ovaries switching on, to switching off, is medically defined as reproductive aging. I don’t like that term because it places the role of the ovaries and uterus exclusively in the reproductive system category. What if you don’t want to reproduce or find yourself unable to, does that mean they have no importance? I have chosen to use the term the menstrual health timeline to reflect a journey that links, menstrual health and ovarian aging, to overall health and well-being.
What happens next?
- There are 100s of hormones. We know a lot about the actions of many but you will hear mostly about the top 20. There are 3 main hormones at the top of the list, particularly when we are talking about menstrual and menopause health.
- These 3 very important hormones, referred to as sex hormones, are made in all humans.
- They have a vital role in all 11 systems of the body.
- There are 11 different functional networks in all humans. They work together to keep us alive. One of the key parts keeping them operating well is the method of communication between them – hormones.
- Hormones have no gender. No hormone is exclusive to one gender over another. It’s a huge misconception, and even today our children are taught the wrong kind of language about hormone health.
Do Sex hormones need a re-brand?
Calling the top 3 (oestrogen, testosterone & progesterone) sex hormones is a very old nomenclature based on the fact that they are part of the development of secondary sexual characteristics in humans. Technically, progesterone doesn’t really qualify but gets grouped into it by default because of menstruation and pregnancy.
There are only 2 pages in a school textbook about these hormones and they are placed on gender pegs, which creates a smoke screen around hormone health moving forward. Scientists have known for decades that sex hormones play a role in all 11 systems of the body. Since I discovered this I have never understood why it is not in textbooks at school or university education. Speaking as someone who taught the A Level Biology curriculum, who now knows about this massive hole in our education system, I just don’t understand why there has been no upgrade in what we teach.
I will explain more about The Menstrual Health Timeline in future blogs, but for now, here is an illustration of what it looks like.
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A Menopause Tool Kit …
… is a collection of actions and items that will enable you to manage symptoms and optimize your physical and mental health as you travel the menstrual health timeline.
It could equally be called a Menstrual Health Tool Kit. Choosing what to add to the robust selection of items can only happen when you have a clear understanding of where you are and what the options are.
What you choose today, may not be what you choose tomorrow. It’s all about balance.
1. Learn about the menstrual health timeline
You can read a copy of Menopausology (no email required). This short read will explain the process of menopausing and give you an insight into why menopause transition may lead to some physical and emotional challenges.
2. Keep a Journal to collect the data on you
Use a symptom tracker, pen and paper will do, to identify the signs and indicators that you are noticing now. You could also recall any other symptoms that may have come and gone in the last few months or years. Write down as much as you can about your historic menstrual health.
3. Tune in to you
As you start to notice more things about yourself, start to record the information in terms of food, mood, movement, and stress. Also, note any significant differences in relation to your menstrual cycle. It may take 30 days or so to collect enough information but gradually you will start to get a much clearer picture of when symptoms occur, what makes them better, and when they are worse.
5 Key ‘supplements’ that could be in any menstrual or peri/menopause tool kit, are*:
Breathing (Vit O) – get plenty of Oxygen. Controlled breathing, on purpose with a purpose, will instantly reduce stress which triggers a reduction in cortisol, which then helps all hormones work better. What kind of symptoms may be helped? Feelings of sadness, anxiety, physical strains, vasomotor symptoms (hot & cold flushes, and sweats)
Move (Vit E) – exercise that helps to maintain muscle strength and joint flexibility will keep you mobile for longer in your lifespan. Moving requires the heart to pump and the lungs to inflate. Both help with circulation and cardiovascular strength. What kind of symptoms may be helped? Mindset, emotions, aches and pains, flexibility, brain fog.
Food (Vit N) – a good quality of nutrients is essential. Without a great source of vitamins and minerals from a wide variety of real foods you are not going to experience the best kind of natural hormone cascades that your body should be experiencing to function well. What kind of symptoms may be helped? Crushing fatigue, brain fog, joint aches & pains, temperature regulation, insomnia.
Rest & Destress (Vit Sr) – Stress and Sleep are two vital components of life. Whilst we need positive stressors to function, too many for too long of the negative stressors will impair all hormone functions, slowly grinding us to a halt. Sleep, or rest, must be good quality to balance out the stress. Sleep can become impaired not only because of changes in ovarian hormone levels but also because we rush into it. Take more break points in the day to connect with the parasympathetic nervous system. For example, while the kettle is boiling stand still and breathe, prep your real food meals, and chop/mix in a mindful way, let your mind wander, and journal for 5 mins before bedtime. What kind of symptoms may be helped? Insomnia, overwhelm, lack of joy, anxiety, vasomotor symptoms, ear and eye ones (anything related to the vestibular system)
Social Connections (Vit L) – finding joy and laughter during times of confusion feels like a complex ask. ‘Shouldn’t you be focusing on the core elements?’. We are human beings and we benefit from being human with others. Oestrogen has a direct relationship with oxytocin the ‘cuddle and care’ hormone, which also happens to be a brain chemical. Without enough oxytocin, it directly affects our happiness dial. The bad news is oxytocin depletion can present as aching muscles, sleep disturbance, and a bigger appetite for sugary foods. The good news is laughter swaps the cortisol in the bloodstream with the happy hormones oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins. Altogether they can improve immune functioning, stress relief, cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, sense of safety, and improved mood. What kind of symptoms may be helped? All of the above.
*The Bottom Line – Obviously, there is a play on the word ‘supplement’ and those 5 vitamins are not real – but I honestly think they should be.
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I can talk forever about how I became a Menopause Doula and created The Menopause School to teach others.
In my quest for the truth about menopause, because it seemed illogical that I knew nothing about the process, I have been on an incredible journey.
My background as a Biologist, Holistic Therapist, Lecturer, and Social Media Marketer provides an eclectic mix of skills, that were the backdrop to creating The Menopause School. In 2017 I took
perimenopause by the horns and made peace with it. I don’t think you can say you beat or won against
perimenopause. I think it’s far more successful if you find a relationship in which you become one. It turns out my previous life experiences had done little to prepare me for the curious journey from periods to postmenopause. I later discovered this was the case for almost everyone I met who sat still long to have a conversation with me about menopause. Retrospectively, I now know that the beginning had started at least 6 years before. The classic sadness, insomnia, palpitations, crushing fatigue, and brain fog symptoms had been present on and off for many years. Mix in some ‘why can’t I drive in the dark anymore’ scary moments, tinnitus that went on for days, plantar fasciitis so taking one step was agony, and spontaneous vertigo – you had a mysterious disease no one had heard of. As a Holistic therapist for many years with my own business, I had never learned anything about
menopause and how it could have affected my clients. As a Biology teacher, I knew only 2 pages in a GCSE textbook about hormones existed.
For me, the worst part about
menopausing was the unknown. The anxiety that came with each new weird and wonderful health challenge was exhausting. By the time I got to 2017, the year I was going to be 50, I had used my skills and science-driven mind to devise a Food & Mood Diary, worked out a good movement routine, and identified lots of other triggers. I remember thinking how much easier it would have been if there had been someone to talk to. I simply wanted to reach out, have a conversation, and get some advice. Maybe someone like a
Menopause Doula. I couldn’t find one so I decided to become one. I started to explore how I could help others and it soon became apparent that there was no particular place or way of learning about
menstrual health and menopause for Holistic Health & Wellness Therapists and other Complementary Alternative Practitioners.
From this point forward
The Menopause School started to take shape and officially opened its doors in September 2021. Driven by a passion to change the face of menstrual and menopause health education, I believe that this is possible by creating as many information touch points with menstruators as possible.
My aim is to create a global collective of Menopause Doulas. Saving lives, changing the world, one menopause at a time.If you would like to know more about training to become a Menopause Doula please visit The Menopause School
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