Book Review: 'Second Spring' by Kate Codrington

Welcome to the last of my series of menopause and mid-life book reviews. This last one is a gem of a book and hailed by the New York Times as ‘one of the menopause canon’ no less. Written by menopause mentor, facilitator, therapist and writer Kate Codrington, it is a gentle, hand holding, sage and wise psychological, emotional guide through the tidal waves of menopause and beyond. There’s no hectoring or evangelism, no big revolutions required, no ditching of the occasional glass of wine or piece of cake and going completely cold turkey. It is kindness incarnate.

And the title itself is genius - the Chinese call menopause and post-menopause a ‘second spring’ and view it positively. Kate likens perimenopause to autumn and menopause to winter, a kind of seasonal cycle in our lives. She says: “People often ask me whether taking HRT will stop them making the psychological transition. My observation is that as it ‘turns down the volume’ on the symptoms, it might turn down the volume on the wisdom or conversely help you attune more to your cycle. Whether you take HRT or not you will still need to:

• Manage stress

• Cut the crap food

• Do your emotional work

• Cut the crap beliefs

• Rest more than you feel is reasonable

What you get in this book is a lot of guided yoga Nidra meditations - indeed yoga and meditation are two key practices in helping you weather perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. Not only do people who do them tend to look younger, they are mindful, calmer, more mobile and generally healthier. You also get journalling prompts, small lifestyle changes, tweaks to your diet and “all kinds of other things that you are welcome to take or leave as you choose,” says Kate at the start of the book.

Gentleness is a great virtue of this book. For example for low oestrogen during menopause and beyond (symptoms: brain fog, flushing, night sweats, dry skin and vagina, bladder issues, depression, lighter periods and achy joints or injuries) she recommends the following:

• Avoiding caffeine and gluten

• Adding flaxseed to your diet

• More orgasms

• Gentle exercise

• Eating fresh pomegranate

• Taking Vitamin E

• Using sea buckthorn supplements

• Upping magnesium from almonds, cashews and black beans

• Using maca power in your smoothies or sweet treats

She’s funny too, for example these are the following things she recommends for men with a menopausal partner:

• Leave dark chocolate near her and run away (!!!)

• Take over as many of the domestic tasks as you can

• Give her space and quiet, and trust that she will return to you in time

• Listen to how she feels without trying to fix her

• Tell her she’s doing great

Kate is not afraid to tackle the big important wellness questions for women in peri, meno and post menopause such as bone health, sleep and vaginal atrophy, not to mention the crucial importance of friends and socialising as we get older. This is a lovely book, kind and gentle in tone and written by an expert. It doesn’t get any better than this.