7 Top Travel Tips For Menopausal Women

So I decided to write a post about my 7 top travel tips for menopausal women because I have just returned from a cruise around the Mediterranean for my honeymoon, well funnymoon (the kids came with us!)

We menopausal women deserve a holiday, we deserve a cold glass of rose by the pool and there was no way I was going to let my menopausal symptoms get in the way.

So if you are heading out this summer and taking a well-earned break, here are my 7 top tips to make sure you get to relax and rewind.

Plan Ahead

For all you list makers out there this might be obvious but for those of us who are not the greatest and keeping track of the mayhem in our lives, be sure to make a list. This is one of the things that made me want to write this post about travel tips for menopausal women.

A simple list of all the things that make your life with menopause a little less crappy. I am talking pain meds, HRT, cooling gel, loose clothing, cool spray, hair ties, and waterproof mascara! Whatever keeps you happy here at home needs to be added to the holiday list for your holiday destination.

(On that note, L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara is the best I have ever tried!)

I find that I get anxious and a bit overwhelmed lately with too many people and too much noise, so I made sure I had any calming meditation apps on my phone, just in case my anxiety decided to come and play at the airport.

I am no longer afraid to take a few minutes out to sit and take some deep breaths whilst listening to my Calm app. It is what I need.

Pack Properly

No polyester or other synthetic fabrics are welcome here! You need to think about what will make you feel cool. Choose light cotton and linen and my all-time favourite was a light cotton, black cover-up.

It was dark which is normally a no go but being so dark so no one could see if I was a tad sweaty, it was big enough to cover my impromptu bloating and it was so light, I didn’t feel like the dark colours made me hot.

I have to add here that I only wore white on days away from the pool. We were in Pompeii and it was high 30s, it was so hot that white was the only choice to keep me from overheating.

So really think about what you need, is it to cover bloating, is it to hide sweat, is it to stay cool, or maybe a bit of everything? Either way, think it through before you go.

Pack more than you need. This sounds like it makes sense, but I sweat through far more than I thought I would. I wish I had taken a few more t-shirts and vest tops so I didn’t have to wash things in a sink!

Prepare for Brain Fog

Historically I have always been the passport and boarding card captain. I had all the important documents and I would make sure they were given out and collected in when needed.

Not any more.

Brain fog is arguably my worst symptom. It robs me of the ability to function, I forget where I put things, I forget where I am going, I forget pre-made plans and I am a liability.

So this holiday my husband took over (this was hard for the control freak in me)

He handled all the paperwork and created a little folder for all hire car documents, excursions and receipts. He put our boarding passes on all our phones and made it so that I didn’t have to retain any of that info.

And I loved it.

I knew anything that we needed we had copies of, the kids took more responsibility for their own bits and I didn’t stress about it.

If everything is planned out and organised before you go, forgetting when you are there doesn’t matter, you have the backup and reminders on your phone.

This is easily my best out of the 7 travel tips for menopausal women.

Check Your HRT

I have Sandrena Oestrogen gel and Utrogestan tablets as my HRT combination so I consider myself lucky that my type of gel comes in little sachets so I can take them with me easily.

Remember to always put your HRT in your hand luggage, the last thing you want is your hold luggage to go missing with your HRT inside.

The issue is how to store them when it is roasting!

My gel needs to not be stored above 25oC which was fine, thankfully, there was air-con on the ship, but if you are camping for example, consider how you will keep your gel at the right temperature.

Unexpected Periods

I am perimenopausal so I still get periods, but I have no idea when they are going to arrive.

Not even have the slightest clue anymore, I am having a great time, my mood is stable and then WHAM! Here is my period. And usually when I am least prepared for it.

My point here is, even if your last period was 4 months ago, still pack some sanitary products and keep the minimum you can on you at all times if you are out and about on holiday.

Staying Cool

Loose and layered baby. Loose and layered.

I mentioned earlier to pack cotton, linens and light colours if you can but always think about layers. You get hot, you take one off, you get cold, and you pop it back on. And so the dance goes on.

Have a hat that can breathe, this sounds nuts I know, but baseball caps keep the sun off but make me SO hot! I found a straw hat which had some larger holes in it, so it kept the sun off but any breeze at all wafted straight through and cooled my sweaty hair.

It looked a bit like this…