NFP & Menopause:for women only

[crohnie4life]

First, a happy mother’s day to all the moms and moms to be.
You deserve to sleep in, be waited on hand and foot, and REMEMBER NO HOUSEWORK.

I am in need of some assistance. DH & I have been using NFP for 10 yrs. (cm evaluation & baby stickers) and based upon my charting, physical symptoms(hot flashes,mood swings, not being able to sleep, etc.) and we r/o out my other health problems, it was determined by my MD and NFP practitioner that I am indeed starting the early stages of menopause. I am only 39 but I guess it happens to the best of us.

I was wondering if anyone would be so kind enough to share what to expect (I know symptoms vary in each person) and how to handle the night sweats, mood swings, and insomnia. You can PM me if you prefer. Any websites or books recommendations would be great as well.

I just want to prepare my DH for another adventure instead of springing another surprise on him. He’s been through so much w/me over the past two years that I feel he deserves to be forwarned. (lol)

Many thanks.

 

[puppylove]

Hi, I am 40 year old mother of a teen and a toddler (both girls) and recently have been experiencing a lot of waking nights and my hair seems to be wet on the back of my neck most nights so I’m assuming that is night sweats. Also feel hot at times during the day and have to lower the a/c. My cycle is not that off wack except that I have been starting my period early on some occasion which NEVER happened too often before now. I too sort of use NFP by mostly watching my fluids. My husband doesn’t trust NFP since we had a baby 2 years ago using it but we took a chance on CD 11 and 12. Although she has been the joy of our lives. Anything else I can share I will be happy.

 

[HumbleMom]

Hi,
I will be 47 in August. I began experiencing most of the symptoms you’ve mentioned when I was about 40, but I am still having otherwise regular cycles. At the end of the first year of early cycles (something I too had NEVER experienced prior), I turned 45 and we found out we were pregnant! She has become the joy of our lives too, and the lives of our other children, but I decided then that we were not yet into menopause, regardless of the many odd symptoms I think menopause is a very long and drawn out process for most women.

 

[crohnie4life]

thank you for your replies. I have another question for those experiencing perimenopause. do you find at times you have problems getting to sleep or even finding a comfortable position to sleep in? I am having a really hard time sleeping esp. with my legs getting comfortable which I’ve never had before.

I thought about resting in the guestroom for a night or two but DH said I wasn’t being fair to him. I explained that I didn’t want to keep him up with my tossing and turning seeing as he has to get up early at 4AM so this was my best option.

I tried tylenol PM per my MD for a few nights but that really left me groggy & unable to get going throughout the day so I stopped. I am on so many meds for my Crohns & Lovenox for my blood clotting disorder that I really want to try something that is drug free if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM if necessary.

I truly am blessed to have found this forum because I have learned so much from everyone. God bless. Lisa

 

[aurora77]

I’m in surgical meno, and it’s all still pretty new, so I’m not sure how much help I can be. So far my biggest symptoms are night sweats, insomnia, and hot flashes!! My mom recommended taking Benadryl (she’s in meno). The active ingredient in it is the same as the active ingredient in Sominex. That’s helped me.

If you want to go drug free, I’ve heard suggestions of leaving the AC on at night, keeping a fan on you, keep water by your bed, so if you wake up hot, you can have cool water.

I’ve also heard good things about black cohosh. I’m trying it out now, but it takes a bit to be effective, so no relief yet.

 

[HumbleMom]

Yes! I too have experienced trouble with my legs at night - I think it is restless leg syndrome - in the last few years. I have not tried anything to solve the problem, but I know many people claim putting an open bar of soap under the sheets with your legs at night can help (if it is restless leg syndrome). I’ve also noticed this symptom comes and goes and is worse when I am feeling stressed or hormonal. It can also be caused by mineral/vitamin deficiencies, so you might want to check that out.

My husband also gets up early in the morning for work. I know he has enjoyed the past few months as I have been cosleeping with the baby, but now that she is weaned and getting older, I have returned to disrupt his sleep!

 

[cecelia81]

I know this is a very old thread, but it’s been wonderful to read! I’ve entered very early perimenopause(I’m 30) and have experienced terrible night sweats, waking up, restless legs, increased allergies, and even a twitching eye(both my mother and great aunt had this during perimenopause). It’s awful!
Per my doctors suggestion, I started taking black cohosh and increased my soy milk intake(which is easy since I have Crohn’s and already have to drink soy milk). They both seem to be helping. I was thinking of starting progesterone cream, but I’m worried that it might effect my NFP charting.

Also- my cycles are CRAZY. Super long and heavy one month, and then the next cycle is super short.

Now, I’ve read that if your temperature stays low past when you should have ovulated and does not peak and there were no signs of ovulation(CM ect) that means you did not ovulate. Is this true??

Also- I’ve read that you can have no ovulation and still have bleeding? Is this counted as menstruation? Hope someone out there might have some answers

 

[quilisma]

I know this is a very old thread, but it’s been wonderful to read! I’ve entered very early perimenopause(I’m 30) and have experienced terrible night sweats, waking up, restless legs, increased allergies, and even a twitching eye(both my mother and great aunt had this during perimenopause). It’s awful!
Per my doctors suggestion, I started taking black cohosh and increased my soy milk intake(which is easy since I have Crohn’s and already have to drink soy milk). They both seem to be helping. I was thinking of starting progesterone cream, but I’m worried that it might effect my NFP charting.

Also- my cycles are CRAZY. Super long and heavy one month, and then the next cycle is super short.

Now, I’ve read that if your temperature stays low past when you should have ovulated and does not peak and there were no signs of ovulation(CM ect) that means you did not ovulate. Is this true??

Also- I’ve read that you can have no ovulation and still have bleeding? Is this counted as menstruation? Hope someone out there might have some answers

I’m not an NFP teacher, but took the class for the second time last year (we were in the unusual position of being an engaged couple fulfilling the archdiocesan marriage prep requirement, at ages 63 [my now-DH] and 46 [me]!) As I recall, the general rule is that if your temps have not shifted, you have most likely not (yet) ovulated. That doesn’t mean you might not be ABOUT to ovulate…

Bleeding without ovulation is not counted as menstruation; it’s considered breakthrough bleeding and potentially fertile (it could be the top levels of the endometrium sloughing off due to insufficient estrogen to maintain the lining after a big buildup). I use the CyclePro software from CCL, and it continues to indicate Phase II if I have bleeding without a thermal shift preceding it.

That said, I think I’m getting into the really irregular phase of premenopause too! (Just turned 47) Most cycles were quite regular up until this one – day 49 now without any mucus at all and no thermal shift, with hot flashes galore around the clock. (I’ve found it very handy to carry in my bag a Japanese-style fan, which was originally a prop I’d used in a production of “The Mikado”, but is now coming in very handy offstage!)