Stephanie Unthank - Infinity Wellness

As we approach the celebration of International Women's Day this year under the theme "Inspire Inclusion," it is a poignant moment to reflect on the journey towards fostering a world where every woman feels a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. This year's theme resonates deeply with me, as I've navigated through my own experiences of exclusion in the past, particularly in the workplace.As we approach the celebration of International Women's Day this year under the theme "Inspire Inclusion," it is a poignant moment to reflect on the journey towards fostering a world where every woman feels a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. This year's theme resonates deeply with me, as I've navigated through my own experiences of exclusion in the past, particularly in the workplace. My Personal Reflections In the past, there were instances where I felt excluded as a woman, and regrettably, this exclusion often stemmed from the beha...

This time, I interview my colleague and friend Jo Butcher on her experience, symptoms, coping and relationship with her GP in the lead up and past perimenopause. We both hope that you find this watch useful. YouTube link Just a 15 minute watch. Stephanie x 

Oh hello night sweats, welcome to my world!  Honestly,  I think I'm only at the start of this journey.  My night sweats are intermittent,  have no rythym and just creep up on me when they fancy. They come and go but I never know when to expect them.   I started to get night sweats around a year ago I think, albeit difficult to remember.  Most recently though, I've had my first experience of the need to change my clothes half way through the night and grab a towel to lay on top of the sheet so that I'm not laying on soaking wet bed covers.  I was in two minds to change the sheet completely but it's so unfair to the person who is soundo next to me.  What do you do in these scenarios girls because separate beds is not an option....  The night sweats was a weird one for me. I've heard the stories from friends and my mum, but I honestly didn't believe it to be as bad as it was where you literally feel like you are laying in a pool of water....

Waking up 10 years older - Episode 3, Menopause & Me Let me tell you about the aching feeling that you get in your body with perimenopause.  Seriously, the bones hurt, the muscles are constantly tired and on some days, I have actually felt like I am just dragging my body around the place trying to get from A to Be but wishing for bedtime to be here soon!  This is what I mean by waking up 10 years older!  I mean it's maybe not as bad as that, so let's not exaggerate eh, but it could feel as bad as that for some. Literally going to bed feeling OK, then waking up the next day to a tired body that feels like it's aged over night!  It really is a symptom to be aware of as if you haven't  had a fatigued body before, it can be a bit of a shock.  For me, this feeling of tiredness in the body happens around the time of my cycle, the window before, during and after.  Best thing I have found for it is a compassionate approach to how I move, having the od...

A little taken back by the response from blog post one.  Thanks for the support, comments and the engagement everyone.  The inbox messages and the comments from you all have given me reason to keep writing. Stephanie x  Talking Symptoms - Episode Two In the first episode, 'where it all began,' I spoke about me and my initial early perimenopause signs and began to talk about some of the symptoms in detail.  I reviewed my list and realised I had left a few symptoms off, so here goes with an updated version: Migraine and headache Low mood and severe irritability, short tempered Burning mouth, mouth ulcers,  burning tongue, feet and hands Pins and needles Jumping legs Tinnitus Ridiculous aching body, muscles and bones Joint stiffness Anxiety Panic attacks Vaginal Dryness Crying Low confidence, decreasing self esteem Waking up in the night for no reason Night sweats Eye sight deterioration Memory loss and severe brain fog Weight gain and body shape change Feeling tir...

Hi I'm Stephanie.  I'm 48 as I write this and made the decision to blog about my menopause journey.  I hope that my real life story helps other women find a voice to get treatment for the menopause, should it be right for them.  I also hope that sharing my story helps everyone reading this (men and women) to see the signs, to work with them, to get help, to hold the discussion and to communicate well with their loved ones.  Most of all, i hope I am able to help you all to own this shit! Be brave. Take control and live your life. Menopause and Me - chapter 1 Like so many women, particularly in the UK, my menopause journey was influenced by Davina McCall.  It started with the documentary: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopause?cntsrc=social_share_android_davina_mccall_sex_myths_and_the_menopause Davina and her partners did a great job of dyspelling myths around menopause and brought learning to life through story ...