076 Menopause on Pause: How to Cope When Your Period Shows Up Again

Just when you thought you were finally done with menopause… your period returns, resetting the 12-month countdown. 😩 If you’ve felt disheartened or frustrated by this, you’re not alone.

In this episode of The Strong Bones Coach Podcast, I’ll be diving into:
 🔹 Why your period might return after months without one
🔹 The hormonal shifts behind irregular cycles in perimenopause
🔹 How to reframe your mindset if you’re feeling stuck between phases
🔹 Key areas to focus on to feel your best—regardless of where you are in the menopause journey

If you're navigating the ups and downs of perimenopause, this episode will help you find clarity, confidence, and a sense of control in your journey. 💛

Book Your FREE clarity call here >>> https://carlykillen.com

⚠️ If you're experiencing postmenopausal bleeding (any vaginal bleeding after more than 12 months without a period), it’s important to speak to your doctor. Find more information here: NHS Postmenopausal Bleeding Guide

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If you'd like to get in touch to ask a question about today's episode or to find out how you can get support from my coaching, reach out on the following links:

hello@carlykillencoaching.com

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Thanks for listening to The Strong Bones Coach Podcast!

If you’d like to get in touch with a question about today’s episode or find out how I can support you with coaching, here’s how to reach me:
📧 Email: hello@carlykillencoaching.com
📱 Instagram: @thestrongbonescoach

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Thank you for being here, and I look forward to supporting you on your journey to strength, health, and confidence! 💪🦴✨

Transcript

Carly: 0:37

Hello there and welcome back to the Strong Bones Coach podcast. I'm your host Carly Killen and today we are diving into a question that comes up so often, especially for those of you navigating those later stages of perimenopause. So imagine this. You've gone 10 months without a period, you've been counting down the months thinking, finally, I'm almost there, post menopause, the other side of this hormonal roller coaster, and then suddenly, when you least expect it, your period returns, resetting that clock. Now if that's happened to you, I want you to know. You are not alone, and your frustration is completely valid. I feel you, I see you. It can feel like such a setback, like menopause is dragging on forever, and that light on the end of the tunnel just moved even further away. Sending love if you are navigating this right now. Especially if this happened more than once, which it quite often does. So today, I want to help you to shift this perspective, because while it's so understandable to feel this way, to feel this frustration, this moment can be an opportunity. Instead of seeing it as a setback, we could possibly reframe this as a checkpoint. A chance to check in with ourselves, our bodies, and how we're supporting our well being. So in this episode today, we're going to talk about why this happens, the biological reasons behind your period returning, why we feel so eager to be on the other side, what are you really looking forward to, practical ways to reframe and cope with this experience so you don't have to feel like you are stuck in limbo. And most importantly, I want you to walk away from this episode feeling empowered rather than defeated. Because menopause isn't just about getting through. It's about finding ways to thrive in the body you have today. So let's get into it. So let's start with the science. Why does this happen? Why does your period suddenly return after months of nothing? So although we can confirm menopause through symptoms and a trial of HRT treatment if this is wanted, your menopause is actually just one day. That's right. So when you've gone 12 consecutive months without a period, There is your menopause day after this, and after that you are post menopausal. But that transition into menopause known as perimenopause is anything but predictable. And it can last from anywhere between nonexistence in the case of medical or surgical menopause, or it can be experienced for up to 10 years. So that's a decade of life where you may be experiencing the changes and challenges. that come with perimenopause and during perimenopause we have our hormonal fluctuations that cause your body to ovulate less frequently. When the ovary doesn't release an egg, progesterone levels drop and this can lead to irregular cycles and here's what it might look like. You might have less frequent periods because ovulation is happening less often. You might have longer heavier periods because the uterus lining has had more time to build up. It can take longer to shed. You might have lighter periods. Because oestrogen levels are low, the uterus lining may be thinner, leading to a lighter flow. You might notice your cycles are irregular. Periods might be closer together, further apart, or just completely unpredictable month to month. And you might notice a lot of changes in symptoms and your experience. You might notice new or different menstrual symptoms. Increased or decreased cramping or bloating, and this is all part of your body's response to this hormonal shift. And because perimenopause is a gradual process, some months you might think this is it, my last period, I've had it, only for another to show up unexpectedly. This can be so frustrating, especially if you are hoping to see postmenopause as a way to move forward. But there is some good news on the other side of this. While the timing can feel out of your control, there are things you can do to support your body through this transition. And that's what we're going to focus on today. Before we move forward though, can I just note that it's important to acknowledge that if your period is returning after more than a year of no periods in your postmenopausal phase, it is essential to get that check in with your doctor. A single unexpected period of no periods. The general bleeding in the post menopause phase can sometimes be a cause for concern. It often isn't. But getting a check in with the GP or your medical care provider just to rule out any medical concerns, it's always worthwhile to put your mind at ease. So the next thing I want to check in with is why does it feel so disheartening when this happens? Why does it feel so important to be? So, many women in my world that I speak to see postmenopause as a milestone, a finish line. And understandably so. There's the hope that once you reach it, things will finally settle down. What I want to ask you here is What is it that you were hoping would change? What kind of end were you looking for? Were you expecting or hoping your symptoms you're experiencing now to disappear? Were you looking forward to having more predictability in your body? Were you hoping for a renewed sense of normalcy? So, Getting used to a new normal for you. This is well worth exploring, because often, what we truly want isn't just to reach postmenopause. It's to feel better. It's to feel like ourselves again. And that's something we can start working towards now, without waiting for That official post menopause phase. So instead of seeing this as a setback, okay, you can see it as a setback as well, but let's not stay there for too long. Of course, have the pity party, and I'm not saying this to reduce your feelings. Fully feel and acknowledge them. But then it's time to move forward. Let's see this as a checkpoint. A moment to check in with how you're supporting yourself. You might want to ask yourself, How am I feeling day to day? Am I experiencing highs and lows in mood? Am I feeling tired? Perhaps you've been so busy you haven't had time to check in on yourself at all, and some of these feelings might be that you're pulled in multiple directions. You can also explore what other symptoms are bothering you and how could you support them. Are you experiencing vaginal dryness, aches and pains in the muscles and the bones, fatigue, difficulty sleeping? If this is the case, There can be things you can do to support yourself now. You may wish to explore hormone replacement therapy. This is something you can talk to with a menopause coach and your medical provider to see if this is something that is wanted or needed for you. We don't have to wait for post menopause for troubling symptoms or experiences to go away. We can support the body now. Either by topping up hormones, and by looking at our lifestyle as well, how else can we support ourselves. And next we might want to focus on what small changes can we make to feel that sense of stability, strength, and that sense of being in control. Although we can't control all of life all of the time, we can show up for ourselves and do small things that we know will nourish and support ourselves. Even if it's just taking a few breaths on your lunch break, getting outside for a bit of fresh air. So, rather than just waiting for things to change, waiting for that magical moment when the final period has happened, when you are officially in your post menopausal era, you can take small, meaningful steps that will help you to feel better right now. Of course, it wouldn't be an episode of the Strong Bones Coach podcast if I didn't offer you some practical tips to support yourself in this phase. So what can you do to manage this phase with more ease? Of course, there are ways to support your hormones and your body naturally. And I always like to focus with everyone I work with by getting this foundation, this base of our health foundations. So within my coaching, I work with the pillars, move, connect, nourish, moving the body, connecting with ourself and others and nourishing our body. with food and with nourishing practices as well. So yes, we can focus on how are we eating day to day. Are we getting enough protein, healthy fats and fiber to give you a stable source of energy to support your body with its muscle turnover? And that can also support your bones as well. Looking at how we move. Your exercise, your movement. Are you moving on a daily basis? Does that movement support how you feel? There is a difference between getting a brisk walk out each day to punishing yourself with high intensity training that goes on for hours or multiple times per week, leaving you drained and fatigued. So choosing movement practices that can also challenge you. So strength training is a great way to support your muscles and your bones, and it gives you that sense of strength, which can also give you a confidence boost as well. A strong body is often a confident body, if you've ever thought of that. So again, checking in on what you're doing for your movement. Is it nourishing you? Is it supporting you? Strength training is also fantastic to help with those aches and pains. So even though it might sound counterintuitive, if you have sore joints, learning to get stronger helps your muscles support the joints better. So it's well worth a try, of course getting the right support, which is why the ladies in my world like to come to Strong Bones Club to get that support. But I can also provide this support online as well with proper movement and our Strong Bones Starter Kit which you can get online as well. I'll pop these things in the show notes so you can access these. And so let's move on to stress management. Of course, perhaps you're looking forward to feeling better in your post menopause phase. But if we are currently in a stress state, we don't want to wait a decade to feel better. Now, you may feel stress is harder to manage. It may be felt more intensely throughout your perimenopause And this is because we can see shifts in Our response to anxiety, our cortisol levels are impacted when we have those changes in oestrogen and progesterone. So you can put some practices in place that are going to support you now to help you manage stressful situations. It can look like setting some gentle boundaries with those around you, family, friends, work, so that you have that space to take care of yourself. It may be practices such as breathwork, meditation, daily walks, all these things to help reduce those stress levels, to put those little stop points before stress levels build too high. So there's nothing wrong with responding to stressful situations, we're not going to go and do around the rest of our life without any exposure to something that might be a bit stressful. And to be fair, I think that would be kind of boring as well, if that was the case. But our ability to respond and return to a rested state is what is super important for our health. And this is where breathwork and meditations or walks can really support us here. Next, perhaps we want to look at a mindset shift. So instead of seeing menopause as a battle, Then you view this as an adjustment period, one that deserves patience, care, compassion. Remember, reaching postmenopause is not going to magically make everything better. Yes, the hormone rollercoaster will quite possibly be over, the shifts will not be as great and they will even out over time, which will, but what matters is how you're supporting yourself now. Next, look at your support network and can you build a support system. Whether that's friends, a coach, online community, having that support makes all the difference. You don't have to navigate this alone. So that's it for this episode today, and if there was one thing I would like you to take away from today's episode, let it be this. You are not failing. Your body is not getting it wrong. Menopause is a process. It's just like any transition. It doesn't always move in a straight line. So, instead of focusing on getting through it, can you focus on how you support yourself today? And if you need extra guidance, remember, I offer free 30 minute clarity calls where we can chat through your unique menopause experience and create a plan that feels right for you. You can book yours through the link in the show notes. And of course, there is a link to the show notes. The NHS Postmenopause Bleeding Guide as well. So thank you for being here and as always, if this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with a friend who might need this reassurance too. So until next time, stay strong and take care.