For the past year or so, I’ve been feeling, well, different. It started slowly. A missed period here. A mood swing there. Increased anxiety and low sex drive pretty much all the time. I chalked it up to pandemic-related stress, but while I was discussing these changes with my friend over coffee recently, she dropped the M word. Menopause. I laughed and shook my head. “No, definitely not. I’ve just had a lot going on. I’m sure I’ll feel better soon.” She raised her eyebrow at me and said, “Maybe. But it sure sounds a lot like what I was dealing with when menopause started for me.”
When I got home, I was still thinking about our conversation. It’s not like this should have come as a shock. At 49, I’m around the same age as my mom was when she started menopause. And it’s not like I was dreading menopause anyway. (I mean, I wasn’t looking forward to it, but no periods sounded pretty great.) But all of a sudden I felt totally unprepared. What should I expect? What did I need to know? I texted my friend and said, “Ok, you MIGHT be right,” to which she immediately responded, “Check out Kindra. It was a game changer for me. Welcome to the club!”
I immediately googled Kindra and learned that it’s a women-owned company that works to empower people going through menopause to care for themselves “naturally, safely, and holistically.” Off the bat, I loved that it was started by women, backed by science, and that there was a ton of helpful information on all aspects of menopause. I decided to take the quiz offered on the website to see what they had to say about my situation.
It started by asking about the frequency of my period, my mood and mental state (was I feeling anxious, sad, unfocused, moody?), and physical changes (was I experiencing hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, painful sex, etc.?). I was then asked about the areas I wanted to focus on and was able to choose things like managing hormones, physical well-being, mental well-being, and more. I appreciated that they seemed to be taking a holistic approach with their questions, as opposed to just focusing on physical symptoms.
I waited impatiently while they calculated my results. (Ok, it took around 10 seconds, so I’m being a tad bit dramatic. But I wanted answers!) Kindra let me know that, based on my answers, I’m perimenopausal, and they gave me a recommended regimen of three products: The Sleep Enhancing Supplement, Daily Vaginal Lotion, and The Core Supplement. They also recommended content that was tailored to me. I immediately clicked on “34 Signs of Menopause” because, as we know, I had been missing a number of them for at least a year.
I ordered the three products that Kindra recommended (and I got a 20% discount for ordering the bundle!). When they arrived a few days later, I was excited to try them out. I started with the Core Supplement, which I took with breakfast. Made with the super antioxidant Pycnogenol, or French Maritime Pine Bark, and the natural adaptogen Ashwagandha, it was supposed to address many of my primary concerns - namely anxiety, night sweats, mood swings, low sex drive, and brain fog.
Next up was the Daily Vaginal Lotion, which is meant to hydrate and help with pain during sex. Because it’s made with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, and Sunflower Seed Oil, I was expecting this to be really soothing from the start. Their guide told me to start with 1 pump and work my way up, and to expect some slight stinging upon initial use that was normal and would go away, which is exactly what happened. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to feel so hydrating off the bat, and it made intimacy so much more comfortable. That’s a win in my book!
Finally, an hour before bed, it was time for the Sleep Supplement, which also includes Pycnogenol® and Ashwagandha, as well as a low dose of non-groggy melatonin. This was perfect to help me sleep through the night and minimize those pesky night sweats that had me changing out the sheets way too often.
Two months in, I’m seeing major improvements in my mood, anxiety, and sleep. I’m also feeling friskier and my lady V is healthy, hydrated, and living her best life. I have to say, I’m a Kindra convert and I’m so glad I found them at the beginning of my menopause journey. I’ve already shared with a few friends using a referral code to give them $10 off and the “OMG this is life-changing” texts are already rolling in. Somehow, I’m not surprised.