Okay, do you even know what the “2nd Talk” is?  Well, you remember having the “1st talk” where we were told about having a period and blossoming into a young lady, right?  The 2nd Talk is the conversation that you have with your mom, grandma, friend, or sister about…here it goes…Menopause!

Hey, let’s face it.  We’re women!  At least if you’re reading this post AFTER you saw the title mentioned Celebrate Being a Woman, I assume you’re a woman.  If not…you might want to hit the red X button in the top right-hand corner of the screen ;)!  I’ll give you a minute.

Okay…back to the topic at hand.  The 2nd Talk.  Yep, we’re about to have it!!  You and me, slim!

Menopause.  Menopause doesn’t necessarily mean gray hair, grandchildren, and Bingo on Friday nights. The statistics – yeah, I’m bringing in the big guns – the statistics show that menopause on average begins at age 51 but can start as early as 35 or younger in some instances.  Ummm…I’ll be 35 next month.  I think that’s enough to make me dive headfirst into the topic, plus the fact that September is Menopause Awareness Month!

Some typical symptoms of Menopause:

• Irregular menstrual periods, less periods
• Hot flashes/Night Sweats
• Insomnia
• Lack of interest in intimacy
• Forgetfulness
• Mood swings or depression
• Vaginal dryness

I asked some of my readers what their biggest symptoms were and here were their responses:

Tara says:  “Hot flashes were HORRIBLE…”

Andrea says:  “I am continuously having hot flashes and night sweats. What bugs me is it will go away and then come back…”

Jeannette says:  “The hot flashes are KILLING me, not to mention the erratic periods that come anywhere between 18 days and 36 days…”

It’s apparent that hot flashes seem to be the biggest complaint among most women.  Poise has always been a leader in feminine products but they have turned the corner with a new line of products for women who are going through menopause or early menopause.  Better known as the Poise Fab 5!

The 5 new Poise products that you can find exclusively at Walmart include:

• Poise Roll-On Cooling Gel
• Poise Body Cooling Towelettes
• Poise Feminine Wash
• Poise Panty Freshener
• Poise Personal Lubricant

As you can see, this line takes care of the issues that women (of all ages) deal with as they go through this part of their life.  From staying fresh to staying cool!  When I went to pick up these products at my local Walmart, they had 3 out of the 5 products.  Apparently my store doesn’t carry the other 2.  I was able to grab everything except the Panty Freshener and the Cooling Gel.  You can check out my entire shopping trip in my Google+ #PoiseFab5 album!

You might keep in mind that these products were found in the pharmacy area of my Walmart, over around the family planning items and other feminine care products.  Not where the menstrual care products were.  All of the products were very decently priced, but before I forget, you can do as I did and grab a $1 Poise coupon when you watch each girl’s story here at the Poise Fab 5 section of the Walmart website!  Also, if you have the September All You Magazine, there’s a $1 coupon in there too along with information on menopause!

Now, if you’re as intrigued as I am or now thinking about if the symptoms that you’ve been having could possibly be signs of menopause or even early menopause OR if you’re just wanting to learn more you should check out The 2nd Talk on the Poise website.  You can connect with other women, discuss symptoms and treatments, and how Poise can help make your transition or journey easier.   You can also join in the conversation with Poise on Facebook and Twitter or check out the Poise Fab 5 board on Pinterest.

What do you think of when you hear the word – Menopause?  I think of all the weird and crazy things too like mega hot flashes and mood swings but most of all I think of aging gracefully.  I had a perfect example of a woman who aged gracefully…my mom.  Look at the photos below.

Mom and Dad in the 60's

42 years later…

Mom and Dad Christmas '04

My mom is no longer on this earth, well – yes she is.  I see her in everything I do, I see her in my son, I see her in the things she crafted with her own hands (she was so talented), and I see her in myself.  I hope that I can age as gracefully as she did.

Have you had The 2nd Talk with your mom, relative, or friend yet?

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Poise #Cbias #SocialFabric.  All opinions are 100% my own and honest as always.