Fake it ’til you feel it
Thursday, 20 December 2012 
6 Comments
Confusing signals
It’s no surprise to anyone who’s a mother that motherhood changes you. It changes you in ways you predicted (e.g. boobs – gone, bellybutton – ‘frowning’) but it also changes you in ways you never thought about (e.g. not being able to watch the news, not being able to listen to music when home alone because all you want to listen to is SILENCE).
In my case I’ve also noticed that ever since my last baby was born, I’ve actually for the first time started to have PMS :|. The fact that for 33 years I never really felt like I ever had PMS is I guess good for me, but to get it NOW is sort of not very hilarious.
I’m used to the fact that I get hormonal pimples (I’ve tried everything and I’m convinced that the only cure is menopause) but I’m not used to the fact that for at least a week every month I feel fat and totally, totally stupidly grumpy. It’s like the ‘optimist’ switch in my brain has been flicked off and every time I see someone leave their METRO newspaper on the tube (instead of taking it with them and recycling) my brain silently mutters “dickhead!”… every time I see someone giving their child a bottle of Coke, my brain goes “dickhead!”. Throwing rubbish on the ground: dickhead! SPITTING on the sidewalk: dickhead! Having horribly overtweezed eyebrows: dickhead! Talking loudly on the phone while on the bus: dickhead!
It’s like some sort of silent tourettes – every little thing annoys me and there are lots of rude words being thrown about in my head!
Ughhh… I don’t like being that person.
The upside to this is that I know every month that this too shall pass. Mind over matter is my motto, after all. Or rather “fake it til you feel it” during these weeks – I just have to go through the motions of actually not saying anything rude out loud, of still exercising and still trying to eat well so that when the madness of PMS passes I haven’t offended everyone around me AND gained 5kg (I would otherwise – my body LOVES to store weight, I have no idea what kind of a famine its always trying to prepare for! :|)
Anyway, that’s my moan for the day :) I’m sooooo looking forward to next week when my hormones should have stabilised a bit again and the optimist in my brain is back.
And by the way – has anyone figured out how to combat PMS with nutrition/herbal supplements?
Dairy free diet works like magic. It saved my life and relationship. Some interesting reading – Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow’s Milk and Your Health.
You know I was afraid someone was going to bring up dairy :| I think you’re right but I love milk :( As a trial I might do a dairy free month though and see how I go…
I felt the same. Life without lattes, yoghurt and cottage cheese seemed dreadful. But now I can’t see myself eating cow’s milk ever again. The benefits just weigh out the old habit. It’s actually quite similar to quitting refined sugar and gluten. I’m not only talking about PMS and pimples. Stopping the overflow of extra estrogen from milk has cured my back ache, bloating, stomach cramps and definitely irritability and period pain. And my body weight just melted back to the normal happy number :)
I would seriously give it a try even if it’s only for a month. You may never look back again :)
Wow. That sounds too good to be true! I’ve already had just a black coffee this morning and instead of porridge – 2 fried eggs :)
CHASTEBERRY!!!
I noticed once I turned 30 that I started getting pms. I never had cramps, back pain, nothing. I hit 30 and all went down hill. I now gain like 5-8lbs of water weight, gross and each year I get witchier and witchier that I even scare myself. I stay away from salt and I started a natural herbal supplement called chasteberry (recommended by my life saving holistic doctor). It has saved my life and probably my relationship and job.
I’m a completely different person, I once again have patience and no crazy mood swings. I was also diagnosed with anemia, for which I take iron supplements and eat iron rich foods, including blackstrap molasses.
and i too have limited my dairy intake, but I’m also lactose intolerant .
Never heard of chasteberry but I’m off to google it now. Hopefully it’s legal in the UK :)