Andrea McLean has spoken out about falling pregnant after symptoms of the menopause began in her 30s.
The Loose Women star told ITV’s Lorraine that she was 37 years old when she began experiencing hot flushes… and a baby arrived shortly afterwards.
“I was 37 when my hot sweats started, mainly at night,” she recalled.
“The great thing about having Dr Hillary as a friend is I remember taking him to one side and saying, ‘What is going on with me?’
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“Then I ended up getting pregnant shortly afterwards. That can happen!
“There is a rush of hormones and women do need to be aware. Be really careful about that time.”
Andrea, 48, is mum to 16-year-old son Finlay and 11-year-old daughter Amy.
She continued: “After [having a baby, the menopause symptoms] kicked in properly at 42.
“I wasn’t necessarily shocked, as my mum was 40 and it was in the back of my mind.
“Obviously when I had my hysterectomy in 2016 I literally nose-dived off the hormonal cliff and became full-on menopausal.”
Andrea said she’s thrilled that people are more open about discussing the menopause these days – even if it’s to disagree with her recent comments about menopausal women wearing a badge on public transport.
In an interview with Daily Mail, Andrea agreed with the idea women could wear ‘M’ badges to advise fellow passengers to be more understanding.
That remark got picked up EVERYWHERE and sparked a huge debate!
Andrea told Lorraine: “To me, debate raises awareness and means an exchange of information and that’s been the whole problem with the menopause up until now.
“Nobody talked about it. There was misinformation out there and people weren’t sure [what to do] or how to cope at work when their body is changing.
“It’s called The Change but change doesn’t have to be bad.
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“It can be an amazing time to look at the foods you’re eating. I massively overhauled my diet. I didn’t go on a diet but I changed the foods I was eating and started doing lots of weight-bearing exercise to ward off osteoporosis, and mindfulness.”
Andrea has written about her experiences in a book called Confessions of a Menopausal Woman, which is available from June 28.
Have you found there is enough support and understanding about the menopause? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!