AN ECO-REFILL shop has been hosting monthly meetings for women to learn make informed decisions on how to manage the menopause.

Executive menopause coach, Jo Ibbott of Courage Coaching, launched the in-person meet ups in October last year.

Following its initial success, Jo now hosts menopause drop ins at Lemon & Jinja, which is based in Basepoint Romsey, every first Monday and Thursday of the month.

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The sessions called ‘Meet the Foggers’ were born out of a Facebook group Jo set up two years ago named ‘What the Fog?’ with the aim of providing a space for women to share their stories and get the advice they need.

The name ‘What the Fog?’ is derived from a symptom of menopause and perimenopause nicknamed brain fog, describing the decline in memory and concentration women experience due to a drop in oestrogen levels.

Jo, 52, said: “A lot of women describe this brain fog that they’re experiencing, along with the 40 or so other symptoms that can happen during menopause.

“It sums up really well how a lot of women end up feeling at this time of life. They often don’t understand what’s going on so my work is all about raising awareness, busting myths around hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and signposting the things that they can be doing to navigate this time of life, so they don’t feel undermined by their symptoms.

“It’s presenting the information so women can make their own decisions, do their research and not be scared to talk to their GP. And that can be really empowering for women as they realise there is something they can do.”

Lily Ives-Farren, from Lemon & Jinja said: “We as a business are very passionate about providing a space for our local community to use, especially on a subject like menopause: this is not spoken about enough. It's great to welcome so many people into our cafe on a monthly basis and to listen to individuals sharing their stories and experiences. We would love to host more community workshops and events.”

Jo added: “The fact that people come along shows that it’s important. Particularly on an issue like this because it’s often shrouded in taboo and misunderstanding. We always get a range of women who are at different stages of their menopause journey, and I think that’s invaluable.”

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Within Courage Coaching, Jo provides workplace training and one to one coaching, focusing on keeping women in their roles at work whilst managing menopause.

The next ‘Meet the Foggers’ will be on Thursday, September 1 and Monday, September 5.

In November, Jo is also hosting a menopause festival at Winchester Baptist Church, featuring menopause specialist GPs, a nutritionist, MP Caroline Nokes and a mental health expert and a counsellor to talk about stress and anxiety.

 

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