A mum who went through menopause five years ago opened a ‘menopause café’ to help others understand and talk about its often debilitating symptoms.
Juanita Steel, 46, realised there wasn’t enough information available about menopause when she went through it five years ago after a hysterectomy. After doing her own research and learning about its side effects, she became a menopause health coach.
The menopause café, based in Olive’s Café on Moss Lane in Huyton, will initially run every other week. The café launched on Thursday, June 9, and aims to offer people going through menopause a space to openly discuss their symptoms and receive support from others.
READ MORE: People's patience is really wearing thin with Merseyrail
Juanita, from Huyton, said: “It’s a community where women can get together, offload and get support and advice. Unless you’re going through it, you can’t really know what to expect and it can be absolutely debilitating for some.
“Because I’ve gone through the menopause I realised there’s not enough out there about it, especially in communities. I had to do all my own research because it’s never mentioned.”
The café runs from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday evenings. Juanita spends half an hour talking about the topic of the week, which may include symptoms, hormones, and anything to do with weight gain, brain fog and all the different elements of menopause.
She has arranged for holistic therapists from around Liverpool to come in, including a breathwork coach, mindfulness coach and beauty therapists to help the women relax with hand massages, manicures and pedicures. The café will offer free refreshments so it can cater for everyone.
Juanita said: “I knew it was going to happen to me because of the hysterectomy but many women go into perimenopause and don’t understand what’s happening. They begin to think their whole world is falling apart if their memory goes a little.
“I just hope the café brings a better understanding of what they’re going through.”
According to the NHS website, menopause typically happens between the ages of 45 and 55. Symptoms can include: anxiety, brain fog, mood swings, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping and irregular periods.
Perimenopause is when symptoms begin before periods stop. Menopause is reached when periods stop for 12 months.
Doctors recommend getting plenty of rest, eating a healthy diet – including calcium-rich foods such as milk yoghurt and kale to keep bones healthy – and talking to others going through the same thing. Juanita has been a mental health coach for the last 20 years and has run fitness classes in Huyton for eight years.
She has met around 200 women through the classes, so already knows many women in the area who would benefit from the café. She hopes that, as more people hear about the café, she can start to offer weekend and afternoon sessions and eventually set up her own facility to help support women through menopause.
Juanita’s friends and family have been buying bonus ball numbers to help fund the café, meaning that free sandwiches, teas and coffees can be offered. Juanita originally approached the owner of Olive's Cafe, Lorraine Dunn, with the idea for the menopause cafe, and said Lorraine has been "amazing" and "so helpful" in helping to launch the community event.
To get in touch with Juanita about helping to fund the menopause café so it can offer more events, you can email juanitasteel@icloud.com. She has also written an eBook, filled with advice and support for a happier and healthier menopause.
