Many women in their 30s and early 40s may be worried more about fertility (whether that means getting pregnant or avoiding pregnancy altogether) and less about their inevitable reproductive decline. But the reality is that the prelude to menopause, perimenopause, is already starting. This is a time when the ovaries begin to make less estrogen, which triggers a host of symptoms that herald the transition to menopause and older adulthood.

Learn what to expect in your 30s and 40s, why every woman experiences perimenopause differently, and how to use perimenopause as a wake-up call to create better health.

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• An Integrative Approach to Reproductive Health

You’re waking up at night, covered in sweat, and having trouble getting back to sleep. Your periods started happening closer together, but now they seem less regular. Meanwhile, you’ve unexpectedly gained weight and are having a harder time keeping it off.

You may be in perimenopause, the time before and after your body segues out of the childbearing years into a new stage of adulthood. Estrogen levels drop, causing changes in, the timing of your menstrual periods, and where your fat storage migrates (often to your belly).

While health care providers now know that hormone therapy can safely help many women, integrative approaches may be your best bet for a whole-person approach to perimenopause. As always, exercising and eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help you feel better. But did you know hypnosis and aromatherapy with lavender are effective coping mechanisms for hot flashes? Learn more about an integrative approach to perimenopause.