Since having kids, I've devoted the best part of a decade to prioritising family over career and now I'm ready and able to invest more time in myself and my career. And yet, waiting just around the corner it feels like menopause is a crouching tiger ready to pounce and pull me down. For the last two years, I've experienced highly variable peri-menopause symptoms that wax and wane, from night sweats to brain fog to itchy ears (it's a thing!). The hardest thing has been the unpredictability - some weeks I'll struggle to sleep at all and other weeks I feel completely fine. There has certainly been an impact on my mood and energy levels at times. I'm quite physically active and fortunate enough to work flexibly and so I'm able to manage life around symptoms. I've also found breathwork helpful when I struggle to sleep. 

Having learned so much through the Veterinary Woman Menopause webinar and listening to podcasts, I feel much more empowered to take control and seek advice and help. However, my hormone levels are fluctuating so I haven't been prescribed HRT despite the symptoms. I'm 45 later this year, and once I hit that age, I've been told HRT can be prescribed in the absence of raised FHS/LH on bloods, so rather than going private now I'm holding out while my symptoms are manageable. In the meantime, I want to help other women feel as empowered as I do to take charge of their own health and receive the necessary support from their workplaces to help them thrive.

Menopause impacts 100% of people. While approximately 75% of women experience negative psychological and physical health impacts through menopause, it affects us all because we will all have family members, friends and colleagues who have suffered - often in silence thanks to the ongoing cultural stigma and taboos surrounding 'women's issues'. Menopause can impact all areas of life including work, mental and physical health, sleep, relationships, and self-identity. I'm excited to be working with a wide number of individuals and groups, including BVA, to raise awareness and develop resources to both help individuals and encourage practices to put in place measures to support anyone impacted in the workplace. Women aged 45-55 are such a vital demographic to retain and help thrive in their careers - an incredible pool of experience and talent. I look forward to seeing more veterinary-specific advice and practical toolkits being developed to make this happen.

Author: Liz Barton, Co-Founder WellVet, Vet Mums and Head of Communications at VetCT