This video is the first of series I’m doing on having a GREAT SEX LIFE during and after menopause.

Today, we are talking about vaginal dryness, what it is and where it comes from.

So if you want to find out how to stop disrupting your natural lubrication as the first step in overcoming your vaginal dryness in peri, menopause, and after menopause then stick around!

Hi, I’m Dana Lavoie, an Acupuncturist and Herbalist and the founder of Menopause Basics, and I talk to women all the time who are suffering from vaginal dryness pain and discomfort.  Just so you know what I’m coming from, I’m kind of a purist... I believe that it’s important to cultivate and not disrupt the natural ecosystem in the vaginal area. But I also believe you have to do what’s needed to feel good and have fun in this life. So let’s talk about this and make a plan.

Watch the Video Below:

This video is the first of series I’m doing on having a GREAT SEX LIFE during and after menopause. Today we are talking about vaginal dryness -what it is and where it’s coming from?

So if you wanna find out how to stop disrupting your natural lubrication as the first step in overcoming that vaginal dryness in peri, menopause and after menopause-just stick around!

Hi, I’m Dana Lavoie - an acupuncturist and herbalist and the founder of menopause basics and I talk to women all the time who are suffering from vaginal dryness pain and discomfort-so you know what I’m coming from. I’m kind of a purist...I believe that it’s important to cultivate and not disrupt the natural ecosystem in the vaginal area... But I also believe you have to do what it’s needed to feel good and have fun in this life.

So Let’s talk about this and make a plan.

First let’s cover the facts: WHAT IS VAGINAL DRYNESS?

Normally the tissue of the vagina is kept moist and plump by a layer of thin fluid.  When your body stops making enough of this fluid, the tissues get dry. And if it gets really dry, it will lose plumpness and elasticity as well.

That’s vaginal dryness.

It can feel like soreness, itching or burning, painful intercourse, light bleeding after intercourse, or mild discharge, and it can lead to more frequent UTI’s.

Now women of any age can have vaginal dryness but its most common during & after menopause.  About 1 in 2 or 1 in 3 women in menopause experience this - BUT THAT MEANS 1 out of 2 or 2 out of 3 women DON’T experience it!

So - YES - your body is still capable of making that clear fluid to keep you naturally moist.

So what sometimes interferes with this natural moisture and what can you do to get it back?

There are three things you need to know:

The FIRST cause of vaginal dryness in menopause is declining estrogen levels and in videos 2 and 3 we’re going to talk about how to boost healthy estrogen up internally and externally…

But today I want to talk about the SECOND cause of vaginal dryness in menopause- the things not related to estrogen that can go wrong and prevent this moisturizing fluid from forming.

First I want you to understand this area is a rich and complicated - ecosystem - like a garden.  It needs to have just the right pH, and just the right microorganisms. The beneficial bacteria that live there need to be thriving for you produce this fluid - and its really easy to disrupt this environment - to change the pH or damage the local microorganisms that keep it healthy.

The SECOND thing I want you to understand is that this area has the thinnest skin on the entire body!! It’s very, very, delicate - and anything you apply there is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream. So it’s extra important to use only products that are pure and clean and non-disruptive to this delicate environment.

And the THIRD thing you need to know  - is that internally - the vagina is connected to rest of body ribbons of nerves - and it’s through these ribbons that messages go out to release lubrication - so the area is closely connected to the brain  and the gut.

For example. there’s something called VIP - its a chemical that’s produce by your body, and when it’s in your bloodstream your natural lubrication can be doubled!  

But it requires your brain, gut, and pancreas to work together to make VIP - so you need to be moderately stress free, have a healthy digestive system, and relatively healthy blood sugar for this to be released naturally.

So the nonestrogenic causes of vaginal dryness include:

1)DEHYDRATION.  

Anything you apply that disrupts the pH or the beneficial bacteria of the area robs the local area of moisture or adds xenoestrogens to your system that can contribute to dryness.

So - creams, body washes, soaps, foams, or chlorinated scented bleached tampons that disrupt the local environment - we’re going to avoid those and we’ll come back to  this in a minute

2) Also, certain MEDICATIONS can interfere with your natural lubrication and cause vaginall dryness like contraceptives, antihistamines, cold medications, motion sickness meds, anti nausea meds, heart medication, anti diarrhea meds, cough suppressants, cancer medications, medications for depression,  and heart meds, cancer treatments - radiation or chemo, steroids, & NSAIDs.

Smoking and alcohol can also cause vaginal dryness.

Health conditions like STD, Sjogrens syndrome, thyroid problem, and surgeries like a hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries can cause dryness.

3) In addition - NEGATIVE EMOTIONS in general or negative feelings about intimacy/relationships/sexuality can absolutely contribute to dryness

as well as chronic stress, insufficient foreplay or dips in progesterone or chronically low progesterone levels as well as estrogen dominance..

4)HIGH STRESS LEVELS - that lead to too many stress hormones in your system..

High insulin levels that are too high from eating a sugary dietcan easily

And adrenal exhaustion and general burnout.

Can all contribute to vaginal dryness.

So there are lot of things beside low estrogen levels that can contribute to vaginal dryness.

And in this video I am now going to show you what you can do to prevent this or to reverse this.  And, as I said, in the next video we’re goig to talk about how to boost estrogen levels naturally.

SO HERE’S THE LIST OF THINGS YOU CAN DO to stop interfering with your body’s natural production of lubricating fluid.

1. STAY WELL HYDRATED by drinking enough water every single day

2. If you’re on medications that can cause dryness -

1. figure out if you can ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR YOUR MEDS.. if they’re for allergies or chronic pain it’s possible you might be able to eliminate the allergies - or you might be able to eliminate the pain with acupuncture or physical therapy… look into creative solutions

2. If that’s not possible and you need to continue taking the meds.. which i totally understand is often the case - my best tip is to talk to a good Chinese Herbalist about Yin Tonic Herbs that can safely counteract the drying side effects of your meds.

3. If you’re smoking or drinking too much - let your vaginal dryness serve as a great motivator to push you to get the help you need to cut down. This is a great time in your life to MAKE HEALTHY CHANGES  

4. If you have a thyroid condition, autoimmune condition, or STD.. SEEK TREATMENT and get it as balanced and healthy as possible.

5. PRACTICE REGULAR STRESS MANAGEMENT - even if you start with one minute a day (I’m linking below to two videos I have on my blog - quick and easy stress management routines you can do at home.   A 1-minute acupressure ear massage that is really quick but powerful for this.. And a guided meditation specifically for women in menopause and beyond. See which one you like better! Also - brainstorm reducing stress in your life - lower stress levels will help increase your natural lubrication and decrease vaginal dryness in menopause.

6. Get everyone involved in your sex life on board with plenty of FOREPLAY  (Go ahead and tell them your doctor said so.)

7. EAT A DIET RICH FOODS that helps your body make both progesterone and estrogen - as well as foods that help your body detox aggressive estrogens that can lead to estrogen dominance (which can actually reduce lubrication!)  This is my favorite - #1 - place to start!! In addition keep your diet low in refined sugar to balance blood sugar & insulin levels - remember the pancreas is another key to natural lubrication! Instead of going into the details of this diet right here - I HAVE A FREE DOWNLOAD that will help you get started with this exact diet in the easiest way possible - it’s called the Menopausal Woman’s Roadmap - and you can download your copy right now using the link below.

8. Regular healthy food and stress management will also help you recharge your batteries if you’ve become depleted and burned out.

9. And last but not least… STOP using the WRONG PRODUCTS  - the ones that are directly disrupting the pH and ecosystem of your vaginal tissue and really totally disrupting your natural lubrication, plumpness, and elasticity.  And especially stop using harsh, stripping cleansers… But I’ll be going into everything you need to know about tropical products in detail in video 3 in this series, because certain ingredients very commonly found in products that you use directly on your most delicate vaginal tissue are extremely disruptive to the pH and healthy bacteria that naturally exist there - and this can absolutely dry you out and cause even more vaginal dryness in menopause. 

Ok so, I hope you’re getting the idea… There is SO MUCH you can do to nurture and increase your natural lubrication to overcome vaginal dryness in menopause naturally.  

In today’s video we’ve covered the basics - the stuff working in the background that determines if you’re in the 50% of women who has or does not have vaginal dryness during or after menopause.

And can I just say - I KNOW SOME OF THIS IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE?

I have been helping real women with real lives make these exact healthy changes in their diet and lifestyle in my private practice for the last 15 years.

I know just saying - drink more water - or eat healthy food - or stop smoking - or lower your stress levels - is nothing you haven’t heard before.

But what I specialize in is breaking the steps you want to make down into such simple little pieces that you can successfully get started today.  My system has been proven by hundreds of women.

So if you’re ready to see that ray of hope and get started eliminating vaginal dryness and improving your overall health along the way - I’m telling you that you want to get started by just including certain hormone-friendly foods in your diet each day.  That sets you up for the success of all the other steps.

And I can help you get started with that right now- just grab my free download - the Menopausal Woman’s Roadmap - and join my FREE facebook group - Menopause Basics - A Community For Women Hormonal Health - to join hundreds of other women dealing with the same issues and taking the same steps to get healthy.

And be sure to check out the other videos in this series:

In video 2 - we’ll cover increasing natural lubrication from the inside out with diet & supplements to boost estrogen and progesterone and decrease aggressive estrogens.

In video 3 - we’ll go IN DETAIL into the best (and worst)  topical lubes, moisturizers, and topical hormones, and the exact ingredients you want to avoid - the ones that disrupt your delicate pH and natural flora.

In video 4 - I have a super special treat for you - guest expert sexologist Jane Steckbek is joining us to give us her best tips and answering your questions.

And we’ll finish with a whole video on how to increase your libido ( a topic close to my heart as a tonic herbalist!)

So WHO’S EXCITED ABOUT THIS???

Now, to watch this whole video series with transcripts, downloads, extra notes, links and more - be sure to check it out on my blog - the link is in the comments below.

OK - Thanks so much for joining me today and spending your valuable time with me here - and be sure to check out this video on my blog for a written transcript PLUS more information... And definitely grab your FREE copy of my Menopausal Woman’s Roadmap to get started feeling better today.

I’m Dana Lavoie - Acupuncturist, Herbalist and founder of Menopause Basics - and thanks so much for joining me today!

Goodbye for now.