I recently enjoyed a long holiday in Ireland and England and had an amazing time catching up with my in-laws and friends, as well as visiting several beautiful sights. However, it was also the most restless trip I’ve ever been on. The reason? Perimenopause.
Before leaving for this holiday, the one concern I had was that I urinate more often these days – a common menopause symptom. Sometimes, the urge to pee is so overwhelming, it’s hard to wait (thank you, weakened pelvic floor muscles). So I was conscious about the need to plot routes and check for toilet stops if we embarked on any long walks or drives.
However, I wasn’t prepared for the overall physical and mental discomfort I encountered on this trip.
Across five-and-a-half weeks in May and June, I spent most nights unable to sleep because of night sweats. I also experienced bouts of anxiety – a perimenopause symptom that still shocks me today because I’ve always been a very calm person who seldom worries.
COMFORTABLE DAYS, RESTLESS NIGHTS
Ireland is known for its grey, rainy weather. It’s not unusual to see people dressed in coats all year round and, as a frequent visitor – this was my sixth time there – I know to always pack a waterproof, thick jacket regardless of the time of year.
However, for the first three weeks of our trip, we happily basked in an Irish ‘heatwave’ (yes, seriously), with daytime temperatures between 18°C and 21°C. My body appreciated what I consider perfect, sunny weather in the day, but struggled to cope at night, even when the temperature dipped during the later part of our trip.
On previous visits to Ireland, I slept in long-sleeved pyjamas – sometimes even flannel ones – when staying at my in-laws’ or friends’ houses. In hotel rooms, where you are more in control of the temperature because of air-conditioning, I sometimes only needed short-sleeved pyjamas.
I packed a set of each for this trip but never used my long-sleeved pyjamas. In fact, I wished I had packed shorts.
