AI Summary
5 min readWhen Chris Swell, a life and health coach, realized she was in perimenopause, it was almost by accident. Her period had vanished for six months, she was waking up drenched in sweat every hour through the night, and she had been shuffled between specialists for joint pain that didn’t fit any autoimmune diagnosis. The thing that finally clicked was not a doctor’s insight but a simple realization: she had no idea what perimenopause even was. That ignorance, she argues, is the norm — and it is a problem for half the population.
The central argument: menopause is a massive, ignored life phase
Swell’s core message is straightforward: menopause is not a single event but a long, multi-stage process that can occupy 35 to 50 percent of a woman’s life. Yet most women enter it with almost no preparation. The formal definition is precise: a woman reaches menopause on the single day that marks one full year since her last menstrual bleed. After that day, she is in postmenopause for the rest of her life. The average age for that day in North America is 51 or 52, and with a life expectancy of about 81, that means roughly 30 years of postmenopause.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:24) **Chris Swell's Personal Perimenopause Journey Begins** - Host shares why she's finally talking about perimenopause after promising listeners more details in a prior episode.
- 2 (03:58) **The Mystery Symptoms: Joint Pain, Insomnia, and Irritability** - Chris describes the first wave of unexplained health problems that hit in her early 40s.
- 3 (07:05) **The Period Disappears – A Confusing Clue** - Chris's menstrual cycle vanishes for six months, leading to a dead end and a mistaken assumption.
- 4 (08:15) **Hot Flashes: From a Warm Buzz to Full-Body Torture** - Chris details the progression of her hot flashes, which became the most debilitating symptom.
- 5 (10:42) **Hormone Therapy and a Shocking Return of Bleeding** - Blood work confirms hormonal flux, and Chris starts estrogen/progesterone, which eliminates the hot flashes.
- 6 (13:36) **What Menopause Actually Is (And Isn't)** - Chris defines the clinical phases of menopause to clear up widespread confusion.
- 7 (15:33) **The Shocking Math: Over 50% of a Woman's Life** - Chris highlights the absurdity that this phase is not commonly discussed.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Calling ALL women! You're never too young (or old) to learn about women's health and the big changes that happen in your body. Join Chris as she shares some intimate stories about her surprise journey into perimenopause. Menopause wasn't on her radar at all - she was too young! Right?? Apparently not.
In this episode, Chris shares a big list of perimenopause symptoms and talks about some she has experienced, as well as explains just what menopause is, and its stages. It's time to take shame and stigma out of talking about women's health and to make it a mainstream conversation.
This episode is the first in a series Chris is hosting about Women's Health with a focus on perimenopause.
For more information on Chris's Life and Health Coaching services and to find info about her latest workshops, visit:
www.alittlebitbetter.ca
IG: @chris.swail
Chris helps women conquer overwhelm and create the life they're ready for in mind and body!
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