Sensitive Midwifery - Issue 43 - July2019

master the menopause Be calm and Menopause must rank as one of a mid-life midwife’s least favourite things; remember, help is at hand and the symptoms will pass one day, reminds Sister Lilian. O estrogen does not totally disappear from a woman’s system at menopause. Though the prime manufacturer of oestrogen, the ovaries, may cease functioning then, about 40% of previous levels are produced by the adrenal glands and fat cells. Menopausal symptoms may also be linked to synthetic oestrogen dominance, rather than falling natural levels. No matter the cause, they’re not very nice when you’re in the middle of a work shift, helping a heavy-breathing woman through a contraction! What’s more, symptoms often disturb a midwife’s much-needed sleep, leading to the infamous irritability of menopause. This may just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in a busy, stressful work environment. In the heat of the night Despite much research, hot flushes (or flashes) and night sweats are poorly understood. Women who experienced more adolescent menstrual challenges and premenstrual syndrome, or have a rather tense nature, have a greater tendency. Hot flushes seemingly come from nowhere, although women often feel intensely cold just before a flush. The hottest sensations are over the breast bone, the back and the head. They mostly last no longer than two or three minutes, and are more frequent at night, with clusters of flushes in the early evening and morning. Dimensions 29