Perimenopause For Dummies

Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt is an obste-trician and gynecologist with her own Ob/Gyn practice and over 30 years of experience. Dr. Levy-Gantt is a Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner whose areas of expertise include menopause, perimenopause, and hormonal management. She is the author of Womb With A View.

Introduction 1 Part 1: The Facts of Life at Perimenopause 5 Chapter 1: Welcome to Perimenopause 7 Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted with Your Midlife Body 19 Chapter 3: Special Circumstances That Can Impact Perimenopause 37 Chapter 4: Examining Genetic and Environmental Influences 49 Part 2: Hormone Fluctuations and Their Impact in Perimenopause 61 Chapter 5: Bleeding Is Such a Bother: Too Little, Too Much, Too Random 63 Chapter 6: Hormonal Changes: Understanding the Swings of Perimenopause 73 Chapter 7: Holding onto Your Libido and Keeping It Comfortable "Down There" 95 Part 3: Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellbeing 117 Chapter 8: Brain Changes: What to Expect and What to Do When the Fog Rolls In 119 Chapter 9: Mental Health Changes: You're Not Imagining It 129 Chapter 10: Looking After You: Practicing Self-Care 143 Chapter 11: The Elusive Full Night of Sleep 155 Part 4: Maintaining a Healthy Body 171 Chapter 12: Managing a Bladder That Won't Behave 173 Chapter 13: Maintaining a Healthy Diet Before Menopause 187 Chapter 14: Getting into an Exercise Plan Before Menopause 203 Chapter 15: Understanding and Preventing Bone Loss 223 Chapter 16: Monitoring Your Health with Tests and Screenings 235 Part 5: The Part of Tens 243 Chapter 17: Ten Perimenopause Myths Exposed 245 Chapter 18: Ten Things to Ignore During Perimenopause 251 Chapter 19: Ten Things You Really Need During Perimenopause 257 Chapter 20: Ten Perimenopause Stories from My Practice 261 Part 6: Appendixes 269 Appendix A: Glossary 271 Appendix B: Perimenopause Resources 279 Index 283