Chapter 7: The Mature Female Brain

I am not going to send as much time on this chapter as the others, mostly because it scared me a whole lot! However, like we were talking about in class last night, it might be helpful for teachers because mothers of students or other teachers might be going through menopause (where did that name come from?) and we need to try to understand where they are coming from.

A lot of women we know (just between the three of us! who knows how many between the whole class!) are going through this change. Brizendine says "150,000 American women per month are entering this phase of life" (pg. 136). That is a lot of women! According to the book, "a menopausal woman becomes less worried about pleasing others and now wants to please herself" (pg. 136). While I am all for women doing things for themselves, this phase can be really hard on the people around them. If a menopausal woman has children who are in high school or transitioning to college, those children might be confused about what is happening to their mother. High school and college are times when many children need their mother, and if she is going through all the changes that come with menopause, the children could suffer. (I am so not trying to bash on women going through menopause! Just trying to look at it from the point of view of the children or teachers.) The example in the book actually made me feel bad for the husband! The woman, Sylvia, pretty much had her changed expectations and limitations changed overnight. While this is not at all her fault because of the changes in her brain, it also wasn't her husband's fault. This seems like such a scary time of life!!!! I really liked Sylvia's comment that "perimenopause is like adolescence - without the fun" (pg. 139).

There are so many things that happen during this time. The body clock gets out of whack, which can result in unplanned pregnancies. Interest in sex declines. The mommy brain takes a break. Wives become fed up with their husbands. However, they also find things that interest them and become more motivated. It makes sense that many women go back to school or work at this point in their lives. But I am still afraid of it! :)