Welcome to a new week! How did you do with last week’s challenge - bringing friendly back? To be honest, I still need a lot of practice. So, I hope you’ll join me in being extra friendly out there this week.
Ironically, this issue “The Grandmother Hypothesis” is posting on Father’s Day. But, hey - at least it’s family-focused. LOL. I did share some thoughts about my estranged relationship with my dad last year. You can check that out here if you missed it.
Have you heard of the Grandmother Hypothesis?
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THE ENDLESS CONNECTION
This week, I was reading about environmental toxins + how they stay in our bodies + get passed down through generations.
Not long ago, scientists believed that the placenta protected a developing baby inside the womb, but today, we know better. Recent studies found over 200 chemicals + pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.
Before we are even born, we are already polluted. It’s not a fresh start + we are beginning to better understand how this ‘body burden’ impacts our development + health.
What I had never stopped to think about is how this traces back.
As I am studying menopause + the end of ovulation + menstruation, I am re-learning some of the biology lessons from years ago.
As a female, you are born with all of the eggs you will ever produce.
Think about that for a minute.
We developed inside our mothers when they were developing inside THEIR mothers.
This means that I spent about 4-5 months inside my grandmother!
Isn’t that crazy to think about?
Whatever was going on for my grandmother when my mother was inside her - environmentally, emotionally, physically - has had an impact on me in some way. Same for you.
It also means that the eggs of my future grandchildren were inside of me while my daughters were developing there!
It is kind of mind-blowing if you allow yourself to sit with that for a bit.
THE ENDLESS EVOLUTION
If you are not already familiar with the Grandmother Hypothesis, researchers came up with this idea in the 1960s to explain why (from an evolutionary standpoint) females continue to live beyond their reproductive years.
Why would nature value longevity in females? Why would we evolve to live beyond our reproductive years? How could living longer with no capacity to reproduce be advantageous?
According to this evolutionary theory, elder females can better ensure the success of the species when they aren’t tied up producing and caring for children of their own. (Hotflash Inc)
One of the species most known for the fact that they experience menopause like humans is killer whales. I remember reading about them in Flash Count Diary.
Apparently, menopausal female orcas are vital + valuable after their reproductive years because they help care for + feed their families - particularly their sons.
Females are not worthless beyond their reproductive capacity - they are vital to survival.
It’s interesting to think about. And, it’s funny because I think sometimes we think we DO lose our value after our reproductive years - at least in this culture.
If you want to geek out on the whole grandmother hypothesis, check out some of the links in the resources section. Obviously, we could have lots of different discussions around this. And, please do! Strike up a conversation in the comments with your thoughts.
Turns out, whales + humans are not the ONLY species whose females live beyond their reproductive years. We are learning + adding more species to this list all the time.
Nature knows what it’s doing.
Women are not a supportive role…we are a leading role.
I personally feel that menopause is not the end of our most vital years, but rather, the beginning. This is why I have such a passion for supporting women’s wellness at this stage.
My ‘Grandmother Hypothesis’ is that the world needs us - desperately. To be the change. To fix the things. To make the connections. To feed + heal our communities. To lead in the way that only we can.
We need women to be healthy + empowered at this stage of life to step into the leadership roles that will contribute to our survival as a species.
I believe we are our most powerful selves at this stage, which may be why society distracts us with this fear of aging + a fixation on youth. Maybe our society is just a bit afraid of the power we wield.
We are all familiar with the whole ‘mama bear’ mentality + how women protect their young. But, what about ‘grandma elephant’ (the most powerful land animal)? Okay, that doesn’t have the same ring to it, but you get what I’m saying.
It’s also especially interesting to consider this theory now because women may spend half or even more of their lives in menopause.
We must be needed in our world NOW more than ever.
Nature is setting us up in midlife to thrive as leaders. She gives us a new balance of hormones so we can be most productive + contribute the most value. We have amassed wisdom + perspective from our life experience.
Now, all we need is the physical + mental well-being to support our mission + purpose. This comes from prioritizing our wellness + letting go of the nonsense that makes us feel like we are invisible + irrelevant.
And, sure, some support from society to empower us would be awesome, but it’s not necessary. We already have everything we need inside.
Maybe I’m crazy, but back to the eggs we are all born with. When you really think about the odds that we would be one of the 6 million eggs that started out there inside our moms as they developed inside our grandmothers + somehow here we are? Wow!
Clearly, we were meant to be right here, right now.
And, I believe our grandmas contributed to that, too.
What do YOU think?
Sometimes I wonder, what if girls were raised with this knowing + this theory - that our most important work/contributions would be after our reproductive years? How would we live differently in preparation for our ‘greatest role’? How would we enter this phase? How would we celebrate + look forward to menopause?
YOUR MISSION:
This week, I challenge you to think about all this. Read some of the articles below. Talk about it with someone. Or talk with me! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
RESOURCES:
READ: All the creatures who go through menopause (so far) | Hotflash Inc.
READ: Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns | Environmental Working Group
READ: Living Near Your Grandmother Has Evolutionary Benefits | NPR
READ: Flash Count Diary | Darcey Steinke
READ: Reevaluating the grandmother hypothesis | PubMed
IN SUMMARY:
If you are approaching menopause + need some support on the health front to minimize symptoms + boost your energy, I would love to help you out. There are so many internal + external forces that impact our health in menopause. This transition (and how we manage it) is SO vital to our health entering this second half of life. You can learn more on my website or follow along with me on Instagram @itMayBeMenopause
See you next week?
Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!
Email: karen@itmaybemenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause
I was just contemplating this phenomenon last week. It is something that strikes me from time to time. Mysterious and beautiful.
That was a lot to comprehend! I’m dizzy thinking about it! You are a great writer - full of info and lots of humor! ❤️👍