Lisa Snowdon reveals early menopause at 44 stole her chance to have kids with ‘brilliant’ fiance George Smart
LISA Snowdon has made peace with the fact that she will never be a mum, previously confessing that “being a mum wasn't meant for her in this life.”
Speaking as she launched the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign, the 49-year-old TV presenter reveals she was cruelly robbed of the opportunity to start a family with her "brilliant" fiance George Smart, 43, when her menopause began five years ago.
“Though it’s still possible for some women to have a baby in perimenopause, I knew my partner and I probably wouldn’t be able to have a biological child now," she told Fabulous.
“We’d discussed it in the past, but hadn’t started trying, so I knew we’d have to explore other options in the future if we did want to become parents.
"George was brilliant about it and told me we could look into alternative ways in the future. It was a lot to come to terms with.”
I knew my partner and I probably wouldn’t be able to have a biological child now
Aside from the crushing news about her fertility, Lisa faced a turbulent few years with the perimenopause causing her to battle with her emotions, as well as her weight.
“In 2017, aged 44, I began to really pile on weight – around 3st over the next year or so – and I was having brain fog, anxiety, and real fits of rage,” the model reveals.
“In 2018, I went to the doctor for blood tests, which was when I got the bombshell that I was perimenopausal. It all finally made sense, but it was hard to process.”
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But while the diagnosis came as a blow for Lisa, it meant that she could finally get the help that she needed.
“The doctor put me on HRT with a bioidentical progesterone cream that I could apply to my inner arm, and for the next 18 months things improved,” she says.
I began to really pile on weight – around 3st over the next year or so
“My periods and anxiety settled down and my energy levels came back a bit.
“But by the start of 2020, I was suffering from insomnia and the worst hot flushes. George was so supportive, but I just felt horrific and felt totally unsexy, with intimacy the furthest thing from my mind.
Fabulous Menopause Matters
An estimated one in five of the UK’s population are currently experiencing it.
Yet the menopause is still whispered in hush tones like it’s something to be embarrassed about.
The stigma attached to the transition means women have been suffering in silence for centuries.
The Sun are determined to change that, launching the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign to give the taboo a long-awaited kick, and get women the support they need.
The campaign has three aims:
- To make HRT free in England
- To get every workplace to have a menopause policy to provide support
- To bust taboos around the menopause
The campaign has been backed by a host of influential figures including Baroness Karren Brady CBE, celebrities Lisa Snowdon, Jane Moore, Michelle Heaton, Zoe Hardman, Saira Khan, Trisha Goddard, as well as Carolyn Harris MP, Jess Phillips MP, Caroline Nokes MP and Rachel Maclean MP.
Exclusive research commissioned by Fabulous, which surveyed 2,000 British women aged 45-65 who are going through or have been through the menopause, found that 49% of women suffered feelings of depression, while 7% felt suicidal while going through the menopause.
50% of respondents said there is not enough support out there for menopausal women, which is simply not good enough. It’s time to change that.
What is the menopause and when does it usually start?
Menopause is a natural part of ageing, which usually happens when a woman is between the age of 45 and 55.
In the UK, the average age for a woman to go through menopause is 51.
It occurs when oestrogen levels in the body start to decline.
During this time periods become less frequent or they can suddenly stop, and after menopause occurs women will be unable to become pregnant naturally.
Around one in 100 women experience menopause before the age of 40, and this is known as premature ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause.
Many celebrities have spoken out about their own experiences, including Lisa Snowdon, Davina McCall, Michelle Heaton and Zoe Hardman.
What are the symptoms?
Menopausal symptoms can start months or years before your periods stop, and can last until four years or longer after your last period.
Symptoms include:
- Hot flushes
- Changing or irregular periods
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Anxiety and loss of confidence
- Low mood, irritability and depression
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness or discomfort during sex
- Reduced libido (sex drive)
- Problems with concentration or memory
- Weight gain
- Bladder control
“Last March, I was finally prescribed oestrogen as well as body-identical, much cheaper progesterone, and it was like a miracle. Within three months, the hot flushes and brain fog calmed down and I began to feel like me. I also started working with Naomi Potter – AKA @drmenopausecare – to help women going through the changes I had.
“Finding the right HRT has given me my life back. I’ve got va-va-voom and confidence, and it’s a bonus that I feel attractive and sexy again, which has been so important for my relationship. At the moment I’m using an oestrogen spray, a progesterone pill, as well as testosterone.”
Lisa also relies on regular exercise to help even out her anxiety.
“I do a mix of cardio and weight training to get mood-boosting endorphins flooding my body, and I try to limit caffeine, because it can set my anxiety off,” she says.
“Now, I feel amazing. I’m going to be 50 in January, and it’s been a year since I last had a period, so I’m officially menopausal.
“It’s a relief to not have periods or pain any more – it’s like a new chapter of my life is starting. I want other women out there to know that it can be the same for them, too.”
For more menopause stories, these are the seven reasons you're getting night sweats.
And this woman went through menopause at 13 - but she's finally become a mum.
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Plus here are the 12 signs you could be in early menopause – and what to do about it.