Mother of Menopause

Another thing nobody thought to tell us about turning 50.

You can’t feel your bones getting weaker.

You can’t look in the mirror and see bone loss happening.

And for some women, the first clue that there’s a problem comes when they fracture a bone.

So instead of waiting to find out the hard way, I went to check on mine.

Today I’m taking you with me for my DEXA scan, a quick test that measures bone density and can help identify low bone mass or osteoporosis.

And if you’re wondering what you have to do to prepare, mine was surprisingly simple.

The only instruction I was given was to stop taking my calcium supplement the day before and the day of my scan. That was it. Your prep may be different, so always follow the instructions from your own provider or imaging center.

Now the scan is done and I’m waiting for my results.

And yes, I’m bringing you along for that part too.

Because knowing your bone density is helpful. Knowing what those numbers actually mean for your bone health, menopause, and what you do next? That’s the conversation we really need to be having.

Check back for Part 3. We’re going through my DEXA scan results together.

Consider me the mother reminding you to ask the questions nobody told us we’d need to ask. Stefanie Schneider | Peri & Menopause Coach

Consider this one of those things your mother should’ve told you.

Except, chances are, she didn’t know either.

We were taught to get mammograms. Get Pap smears. Check our cholesterol. Pay attention to our blood pressure.

But bone density? Osteoporosis? DEXA scans?

For a lot of women, that conversation doesn’t happen until after something goes wrong.

And I have a problem with that.

Because as we move through menopause and get older, our bone health deserves to be part of the conversation too. Not something we discover after a fracture.

So I’m going to do what I do around here: be the mother who tells you the stuff no one bothered to tell us.

We’re talking DEXA scans, bone density, osteoporosis, menopause and bone health. What the scan is. Why it matters. What the results can tell you. And what the whole experience actually looks like.

And I’m not just going to tell you about it.

You’re coming with me to get mine.

Save this one, send it to a woman who needs to hear it, and follow Stefanie Schneider | Peri & Menopause Coach because apparently we have some catching up to do.

I did something completely out of my comfort zone.

I drove an hour from my house, by myself, to walk into a networking group where I didn’t know anyone.

And that might not sound like a big deal to everyone.

But for me? It was.

Part of the reason I started Mother of Menopause was because my kids were grown and I found myself in this really strange place in life.

For so long, so much of who I was revolved around being their mom.

Then suddenly I had more time, they needed me differently, and I found myself thinking…

Now what?

What do I like?
What do I want to do?
Who am I in this next chapter?

So when I heard about B.I.G., a group of women who come together to inspire each other, find purpose and make real connections, both personally and professionally, I decided to go.

Alone.

An hour away.

Knowing absolutely no one.

Was I nervous? Yep.

Did part of me wonder what the hell I was doing? Also yep. 😂

But I went.

And what happened when I got there?

That’s Part 2.

Follow Stefanie Schneider | Peri & Menopause Coach because I’m going to tell you exactly how it went… and whether I’d ever do something like this again.