Menopause in the Nineteenth Century: The Silent Passage by Gail Sheehy

Thank the good Lord that if you are a gal who will be entering their menopause soon, or perhaps you are already there, be happy you live in this era.

It wasn't quite as easy for our Victorian sisters. In the book, The Silent Passage, by Gail Sheehy, 1991, menopause was a period in the nineteenth century as a time when women lost out, as reported by Marilyn Yalom. Yalom is a senior scholar at the Stanford University Institute for Research on Women and Gender.

Victorian history shows that life expectancy was not over 48. It was quite normal for women to give birth to approximately 8 children.

Because of the feelings back then, if you were a woman and had your brood of children, once they were raised, your job and purpose in life was thought to be over. Based on that sort of thinking, maybe it's no wonder today's women fear "the change."

Again, Marilyn Yalom, in her book, Victorian Women, tells us that nineteenth century obstetricians believed that going through the change of life would basically allow the woman to become unhinged in the nervous system, and deprive women of their personal charm.

Early famous female writers over the past 100 years had not readily mentioned, or were very ill-informed about menopause. Between 1890 and 1920 the

period was looked upon as, "the renaissance of the middle-aged."

Death by childbirth had decreased and the Victorian women started to become aware that there was a possibility of a full cycle in
life, and to begin having their children earlier in their marriage. When they found themselves in middle age, they became invested in social causes, and parades and began certain movements.

Cosmopolitan magazine celebrated the women of 1903. They saw these women as vital,"with distinctive charm,
and beauty, ripe views, disciplined intellect, cultivated and had manifolded gifts." Then for some unknown reason, during the Twenties, the former way of thinking about menopause returned.

So you can see the sisters before us suffered with shame and no information, or very little. They were made to feel that once they were no longer looked at as erotic objects, or no longer able to reproduce, that life as they new it was over.

We are extremely fortunate in this day and age to be flooded with information and access to many doctors. We have libraries, Internet, knowledgeable friends, and informed medical personnel to find out the information we need to navigate this second part of your life. Empower yourself and be the best you can be!

Reference-- Menopause--The Silent Passage by Gail Sheehy 1991 copyright