'The support we need during menopause can be the hardest kind to find'

Hoo-bloody-rah! Peri/menopause is having a moment.

Hearing celebrities like Naomi Watts, Courtney Cox and Michelle Obama share their own stories is powerful and deeply moving.?

But while open dialogue is the key to helping so many women around the world navigate this tricky transition, we need to be very aware menopause is still a vulnerable and often unnerving experience for a lot of us (me included).?

As we go through this stage, a lot of us feel like we don't know our bodies anymore or feel utterly betrayed by them. We become easy targets for wellness wankery, susceptible to splurging on potions and lotions, magical herbs and quick-fix gadgetry that might not even work.?

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As you may know, I had no idea what perimenopause was until it hit me like a truck and then reversed over me for good measure.

In the beginning, I found it really lonely because I grew up in a country town and moved away from my school friends to further my career, so I never really had a network of same-age friends. What you need when peri/menopause rears its all-consuming head is girlfriends who understand what's going on, who relate, who are empathetic and who can have a belly laugh about it all with you.

Which is why Dr Ginni Mansberg and I are staging an Australian-first peri/menopause retreat from June 16-18 on Hamilton Island, for women to connect while gaining science-backed information to help them on their journeys.?

It feels like a natural next step after Dr Ginni and I launched Don't Sweat It, a 360-degree solution for workplaces to help them become completely perimenopause and menopause-friendly last year. In talking to women right around the country about their experiences, we realised they all needed the same type of support I'd craved when peri hit me.

Some of the best mood-boosting moments I've had throughout my peri journey were at the shops or walking the dogs, including one time at Woolies when I was emptying a trolley full of groceries at the check-out and began peeling off my jumper, then cardigan, because I was having a hot flush.

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A woman behind me asked if I was OK, before offering me four little words that totally changed my day and, evidently, never left me: "I've been there, too."?

It's the comradery, connection, finding-your-tribe part of peri/menopause that people need the most. It's exactly what our retreat will offer, all while experiencing an intensive learning session to provide factual, credible answers to burning questions.

I remember looking at a couple of menopause retreats myself when my symptoms first struck, but they were run by yoga instructors and naturopaths and included activities like moon bathing to help symptoms. If you are into that, go for it, but it gave me a hot flush and some peri-rage.?I need science and evidence to help wrap my head around complex, life-long changes to my body.?Looking at the moon for answers is not for me.

"What you need when peri/menopause rears its all-consuming head is girlfriends who understand what's going on"?

Dr Ginni is the medical director of Don't Sweat It and she wrote the book The M Word, so she's done the research. She and I are both members of the International Menopause Society, so we are up to date with the latest information.?

We've both even been invited to take part in a parliamentary roundtable in March alongside the head of the Australasian Menopause Association, and the head of Jean Hailes for Women's Health, plus well-regarded professors and doctors who have dedicated their lives to peri/menopause. It's a privilege and incredibly humbling ¨C but we know we belong right next to them.

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Some of the workshops we'll cover in Hamilton Island include 'WTF's going on with my body?' where we'll dive into the menopause basics, the ins and outs of HRT and other alternatives, mental health and what you need to know, weight gain and what you can do about it, and even a styling session that's focused on all sizes, inclusivity and, most importantly, tips on how to love the body you've got and stop mourning the body you had when you were 18.?

And because it is women going on a retreat, we're also going below the belt to chat dry vajayjays, low libidos, bloating, flooding¡­ anything you want to explore down there.?

The great thing about it not being a wellness retreat is we're not banning caffeine or dairy and gluten. In fact, we're going to encourage coffee and delicious food, and we're going to get on the wines at night so we can all bond, laugh like a bunch of cockatoos and no longer feel alone.?

Plus, we've left plenty of time for downtime because we know how important it is to everyone, so in the afternoons you can swim, go for a gentle walk, or spend some quality time at the swim-up bar. That's where you'll find me, anyway.?

It's about learning to live with peri and menopause by embracing it with like-minded others. Intimate chats peppered with medical-based information, generous time to hear other people's stories and opening each other up to share in a safe space because sharing is how women learn.

Click on the link here for all the details and sign yourself up. Whether you're heading toward peri and want to be forewarned, in the middle of peri and looking for answers or in menopause and want to be a menopause mentor, we'd love you to join us.

Follow Shelly @shellyhorton1