Menopause 101: Tips on Navigating Your Wife's Menopause
Send this One to Your Hubby
38% of men in a recent survey disclosed that their wife’s menopause-related symptoms, mainly insomnia and night sweats, negatively impacted their intimacy.
Having a difficult time understanding or navigating your wife’s menopause symptoms? Many spouses out there are wondering how their relationships will be affected by their wife’s menopause and if there is anything they can do to help. We’ve put together a mini menopause survival guide to help you understand what your wife is going through and some tips on how to make this complex and misunderstood experience more positive for you both.
What Causes Menopause?
When a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels change throughout menopause, the body responds accordingly and she may experience some of the hallmark signs of menopause such as night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal bleeding, vaginal dryness, insomnia and more.
Hot flashes, for example, happen when estrogen and the hypothalamus in the brain cannot communicate well together anymore to regulate body temperature. This causes the body temperature to rise and cause hot flashes and night sweats, leaving your wife restless, agitated and frankly, feeling like she is on fire.
Ways You Can Help
Be patient and empathetic
Remember that hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause-related symptoms will eventually pass and your wife will be able to resume with her day and hopefully get some rest. During a hot flash, you can offer her a cool towel, a cold glass of water or whatever you know she needs. You can reassure her to take deep breaths and that you’re there for her along this confusing journey. She will surely appreciate the gesture! Again, just be patient and let her know she has your support.
Resume your love life
Just because your wife is experiencing vaginal dryness, for example, doesn’t mean you both should call it quits on your romance. Many women are uncomfortable or timid when talking about their symptoms, so remind her that she is still attractive and desirable and let her know you would like to continue being intimate. You can gently suggest some solutions to address the vaginal dryness, but be understanding of her response regardless of what it is. If menopause is new to her, she may just need time to get used to how her body feels and reacts before she is ready to consider treatment options for any of her symptoms. In this case, give her a hug and tell her you love her the way she is no matter what.
Don’t let menopause be the elephant in the room
Most men aren’t comfortable talking about menopause because they were never taught how to. Founder of Menopause Experts Group, a menopause training program for men, Dee Murray admits, “We can’t blame men for not understanding menopause … It's one of those messy bits of female biology that society prefers to hide away, and especially from men.”
So gentlemen, while this might force you to get out of your comfort zone, talking to your wife, even just about how she is feeling, can help her open up to you and feel less alone. Keep in mind that some women prefer to be left alone to deal with their emotions, others crave to tell their significant other about how they feel.
You don’t have to be an expert in menopause to start a conversation, but making that first move and beginning to have some communication around the topic can make both of you feel closer and more understood.
