When Parenting and Perimenopause Collide and 5 Practical Ways to Feel More Like Yourself Again
- Brainz Magazine
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
Jodie, the founder of Flourish Wellbeing, specialises in women's health and matrescence, offering global coaching to empower mothers through their transformative journey.
You’re exhausted but can’t sleep. You snap at your kids and then feel riddled with guilt. Your brain feels foggy, your body is changing, and you’re wondering if this is just another stage of motherhood or something more.
Welcome to the silent collision between parenting and perimenopause.
For many women, the hormonal shifts of midlife arrive while they’re still deep in the trenches of motherhood, raising children, juggling emotional loads, and holding space for everyone else. This overlap is rarely spoken about, but it’s incredibly common. And it’s no small thing.
Perimenopause, the transitional years before menopause, can begin as early as your late 30s and typically lasts 4 to 10 years. The symptoms can be subtle at first or downright intense, and they often mirror the exhaustion and emotional strain of motherhood burnout. Add in the invisible weight of emotional labour and the pressure to “keep it all together,” and it’s no wonder so many mothers feel like they’re coming undone.
But you are not broken, and you are not alone. Understanding what’s happening in your body and how to support yourself can change everything. Here are five practical ways to navigate this tender, transformative season and start feeling more like yourself again.
1. Honour your energy; it’s not unlimited
In this phase of life, energy becomes sacred. You’re not lazy. You’re not weak. You’re simply human, moving through a hormonally intense chapter while raising children (who often don’t sleep, yell your name a hundred times a day, and demand emotional presence 24/7).
Estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol, key hormones involved in both mood regulation and stress response, begin to fluctuate wildly during perimenopause. These changes make you more sensitive to stress and less able to “push through” like you might have in the past.
Practical tip: Track your energy over a few weeks and identify what lifts you up and what drains you. Build in recovery windows, even micro-moments of stillness, during the day. Say no where you can. Prioritise sleep, blood sugar balance, and rest like your well-being depends on it (because it does).
2. Create a grounding daily ritual
When life feels chaotic, kids, work, relationships, and hormones all swirling, it’s grounding to have one thing each day that’s just for you. This doesn’t have to be a full yoga class or a 90-minute bath. It might be a quiet 10 minutes with your coffee, a morning walk, journaling after bedtime, or listening to music while you cook.
Anchors calm the nervous system, support emotional regulation, and help you feel more in control, even when everything else feels unpredictable.
Practical tip: Choose one non-negotiable ritual. Name it, protect it, and allow it to evolve as your season changes.
3. Recognise the signs of perimenopause and speak up
One of the most disorienting parts of perimenopause is not realising you're in it. We’ve been conditioned to think menopause happens around age 50, but perimenopause can start much earlier and last for years. Many mothers chalk their symptoms up to stress or mum-life exhaustion, never realising that fluctuating hormones may be playing a major role.
Common signs include:
Sudden rage or mood swings
Increased anxiety or feelings of panic
Irregular periods or heavier bleeding
Night sweats and sleep disturbances
Brain fog or forgetfulness
Weight changes, especially around the midsection
These experiences are not just in your head. They are real and valid, and they deserve to be acknowledged and supported.
Did you know?
Research shows perimenopause can begin 8 to 10 years before menopause, often overlapping with the most intense years of parenting. (Source: North American Menopause Society)
Practical tip: Speak to a trusted health professional who understands women’s hormones. Talk to your friends. Share resources. We break the stigma by telling the truth.
4. Nourish your body to support hormonal balance
Let’s be real: feeding yourself well as a mum is already a challenge. But in perimenopause, what you eat has a direct impact on how you feel. Blood sugar imbalances can worsen mood swings, increase fatigue, and disrupt sleep, all of which are already vulnerable in this phase.
Focus on:
Whole foods rich in fibre, healthy fats, and protein
Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower) to support estrogen metabolism
Omega-3s from foods like chia seeds, walnuts, and salmon
Magnesium-rich foods to support sleep and calm
Reducing caffeine and sugar when possible to avoid spikes and crashes
This isn’t about perfection; it’s about small shifts that nourish your body so you can show up feeling more stable and supported.
5. Let go of perfection and embrace compassion
So many mothers move through perimenopause in silence, believing they must carry on “as usual.” But this is not a time to push harder. It’s a time to turn inward. To slow down. To honour the changing landscape of your body and mind.
Letting go of the myth of the “perfect mum” or the “high-functioning woman who can do it all” is essential. That version was never sustainable, and certainly not now.
Practical tip: Practise self-compassion by meeting yourself with kindness when things feel hard. Speak to yourself like you would to a friend. Let your children see you rest. Let them see you take care of yourself. That’s modelling real strength.
There is no guidebook for this intersection of parenting and perimenopause, but it’s time we start writing one. You are navigating a complex, under-acknowledged stage of life, and you’re doing better than you think.
This season isn’t about powering through. It’s about redefining how you care for yourself and giving yourself permission to evolve, just like your children are.
Because you’re not just raising a family, you’re also becoming someone new. And that deserves tenderness, respect, and care.
If you’re craving more support, relatable guidance, and space to feel seen in this season, come join me over on Instagram @flourishwellbeing_, or visit here. You don’t have to walk this path alone, and you were never meant to.
Read more from Jodie Abraham
Jodie Abraham, Women's Health & Matrescence Coach
Jodie isn't just a Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Coach – she's a compassionate advocate for mothers. With certifications as a Mama Rising Facilitator, Motherhood Coach, and Women's Health and Hormone Coach, Jodie brings expertise and empathy to her practice. As a mother of two who has experienced postnatal depletion and depression herself, she intimately understands the challenges of motherhood, offering non-judgemental support and practical guidance to mothers on their transformative journeys. She deeply believes all mothers deserve to thrive and flourish in motherhood.
