09 Mar Amy makes her hormones a family affair
Hormonology Helped Her
As part of the series, “Hormonology Helped Her”, I’m interviewing Hormonology fans to find out how they use the knowledge about their hormonal effects in their everyday life.
If you have a story to share and would like to be interviewed, email me!
Amy makes her hormones a family affair
An online search about how to understand her hormones and feel more balanced led Amy Jackson to MyHormonology.com.
Since then, she’s been learning how the ups and downs of hormones in her monthly cycle impact her moods, health and behavior.
Now the 42-year-old Austin, Texas mom of three girls (ages 4, 10 and 12) and author of the children’s book Cassandra and the Night Sky shares this information with her husband and daughters—as a way to help her and them.
What did you know about the hormonal effects in your cycle before Hormonology?
Planning to have kids was an opportunity for me to learn a lot about how hormones work. Being pregnant, having children and nursing—the entire experience was a learning opportunity for me. Before that, I just coped with bad cramps.
How did the hormone information you learned from Hormonology change how you feel about your monthly cycle?
It helped me to see that what I experience every month is totally normal! I really thought something was wrong with me. I had all kinds of ideas about what the problem was. After researching like crazy, I realized my hormones were out of balance and went to see my doctor. I told her about the Hormone Horoscope App and now she tells her patients about it 🙂
Has learning about your hormones had an impact on others around you?
I update my family so they know where I am at and can support me. I send my husband the text update for the day from the Hormone Horoscope App when I know it is going to be a rough day so he can have a heads-up and be supportive. I talk about hormones and my cycle freely with my friends and they are, in turn, talking about their experiences more with their kids and husbands.
As a mom of three young daughters, do you teach them about the hormones in their cycles?
I teach them mainly by example. I am very open about where I am in my cycle if I think it will affect them. I explain why hormones affect the way I may react to stress and what I do to take care of myself. I apologize when I am rude or flip out about something little and I ask them to support me by bringing me a cup of tea or respecting my need for quiet or alone-time. I tell my 12-year-old that taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do—and to find ways that she likes to take care of herself.
Have you had any other insight as a result of learning more about your cycle?
I see the evolving role of women in our country to be at a point where for us to bring about positive change, we need to embrace our nature of being women—and one of these aspects of being women is our hormones. It is not incorporated into our country’s “schema” or mindset.
For anything to change, such as workplace roles, increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields, we have to take into account the needs of women and how these differ compared to those of men. It isn’t about being treated equal—to me, it is about respecting our differences. Together, we are capable of making something great by working in harmony with one another.
There needs to be room and space for women to feel like they can allow themselves the time and space to take care of their needs each month.
What is something that you want other people to know about the hormonal effects in their cycles that you think is important?
You are not crazy! Ever.
However, no one can read your mind. If you love yourself and want to feel balanced, close to your partner and family, then you owe it to yourself to be honest with them and communicate to them where you are coming from. It takes courage sometimes, but it will always pay off.
LEARN MORE
Are you like Amy and want to learn more about your hormones for your benefit as well as those around you? Start with my easy overview of the female cycle, then download my free Hormonology ebooks (they’re short and easy to read!), then download my free Hormone Horoscope App Lite (which gives you a daily short summary of how your hormones will be impacting you) or download my Hormone Horoscope App Pro (which gives you a much more detailed account of how your hormones will be impacting you every day).
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