To think late 40’s is an odd age?

[Theyareblaringoutshakiraagain]

I don’t know, I just feel weird.

Starting to feel older, which is depressing, but also i’m the same person inside, but not.
How can I be that same girl that danced until 6 am, now people barely notice me.

Not making much sense, but does/did anyone feel the same?

Cannot believe I’m nearly 50, didn’t feel this about 40, still felt young and had a baby!

“That nice old lady” is amazing 😭

I'm 48 and don't feel like this. Life is what you make it. I'll be putting on my raving shoes in September, dancing to the music and djs I danced to 25+ years ago. I'm looking for a new job, I volunteer, I found my style. I'm not standing still.

Yes I ache more,have more grey hairs meaning I have to dye it more, and perimenopause has given me a belly that I never had but giving up and giving in isn't an option.

I started again at 40, I missed out on so much of my 20s and 30s because I was in an unhappy (to put it nicely) relationship. I'm not going to just fade into the background because society decided a woman over 45 is past it.

Growing old and getting to this age is a privilege that some of my friends didn't get.

I quite often feel old, then have to kick myself and tell myself that I'm not. Except, I kind of am! I don't recover from injuries as far as I used to. I get tired - and I survived 8 years of non sleepers!

Cycle is getting shorter and lighter. I'm ready for hrt but don't think i need it just yet- but I'm scared that by the time I do, I'll already be miserable.

Oh I feel this. About to spend time in my uni town and theres sadness at what came of that girl with all those dreams but there's also a tiny bit of excitement and hope for future.

I think it''s an odd age because everyone is as such different stage in their life. Some friends will have a toddler, some friends are sending their kids to uni. Some friends have started a completely new life, retrained, change job and country, while others are semi-retired, sold their London (for example) home and relocated in a cheap area of the country

It's odd that within the same age group of friends you have babies and retirement

I'm 51 started HRT a couple of years ago but don't feel any different really. Though I'm not sure how I'd feel without it. I feel like the last decade has been an endless series of kicks by life, and now I'm on my own and it's all downhill from here. I am lonely but can't see myself ever going through the exhausting and ultimately heartbreaking business of trying to be in a relationship again, but my friends all have partners. I feel like a man will only ever trash my self esteem - both serious long term relationships I have ever had have ended like that, with them going off to be with younger better looking women, and treating me and the years we spent with one another meant absolutely nothing at all to them. I'm just done with it all.

The physical issues are cropping up and more than once a day I think "what will get me?"

So that was a cheerful post! Sorry

I'm 46 and feel like I've only just started living in the past few years. I have raised my son (mostly alone) to adulthood, started a degree, met a wonderful partner who finally 'gets' me, I feel mostly in control of my body and it is holding up OK although I haven't always treated it well.

My mum is very unwell and will never recover properly. She has a life but not one she would want. It is hard for her and us who are supporting her. I had my own minor health scare last year and just received news all is OK. I feel incredibly fortunate to be mostly in good health. Seeing what happened to my strong, capabale, busy mum has been an eye-opener and I have started to think about my future health more.

My periods are heavier at times, more painful and starting to be erratic. I have spoken to 2 nurses at my GP surgery in recent months who encouraged me to get started on HRT ASAP if I want it. I'm considering it now to get ahead of the game. I consider myself to be having moderate perimonopause symptoms.

One thing am I thankful for is still appearing relatively youthful, I've been very lucky genetically in that sense (or decades of moisturising 2x daily! 🤣). My son thinks I'm 'trendy', I am embracing carrot jeans after years of skinny jeans and yes, they do look much better on me. I love trainers, bags and jackets. I try keep up with haircuts. I have never worn make up in my life and don't intend to start. I love a variety of music and still like to go out even if I get fed up quicker and go home earlier, once I'm out I do love the buzz.

Of course, all this could change in the next few years but I hope not. We're all bloody fabulous anyway and I think us women really go through it at times. I admire all of you.

I seem to have come out the other side of invisible (that was 45-47) at 48. I get compliments from strangers and dc regularly tell me their friends comment on how pretty I am (and how kind).
I’m working in the same career I’ve been in since my late 20s and seem to have now taken on the role of mentor/ agony aunt/ shoulder to cry on for colleagues aged 18-62. I probably feel part of something for the first time ever.
I do worry about what comes next though. I’ve no friends left (I had one proper friend, who died at 42) and dc are growing up: 2 have moved out, and the younger two are needing me less (or differently). I worry about loneliness in old age but I suppose that’s a bridge to be crossed later.
I am very keenly aware of time passing and wish I could hold on to now.

I get it. I'm 47. I started having peri-menopause symptoms at 41 shortly after treatment for breast cancer but since I stopped taking Tamoxifen last November, it feels like peri has kicked up a notch and I'm actually feeling old. It's hard to explain.

I'm feeling really tired today because I was up multiple times in the night and early for the day due to a heavy period.

I swim regularly, walk or cycle everywhere and eat a pretty healthy diet. But something's not working now. I wish I knew what.

I spent my early 40s getting divorced and starting from 0 after a 20 year abusive relationship. It felt brilliant. Freeing and starting fresh. I’ve consequently felt young and grown up all at once during my forties.

Started HRT at 45 for the insomnia/anxiety/dread that were creeping in and it has been wholly positive.

Career has been excellent this decade. I’ll keep on doing inner work as I realise that’s where the real growth and freedom lies, especially as we experience the external world continuing to change.

I stay active as much as possible but I realise need to add weights to the yoga and walking.

Just back from a week away with my 3 late teen and twentysomething adult kids, treating them fully to a holiday, which was massively life-affirming.

And with all that said… I’ll be 48 this winter and I am commenting to say: I totally agree—the late 40s are proving to be a weird-arse time! Despite being an overwhelmingly positive decade it’s certainly a change to be navigated.

In my view the answer is within us, not outside in the world. Make friends with who you are and accept her and you won’t need that from the world as you age.

Not just women and meno. it can affect men too.
When we were 47 and 49 our kids left home, Uni and RAF in the same September/October. It all felt very odd.

I found my early forties really miserable. Marriage dying a slow death. Dealing with teenagers.

Late forties onwards (divorced) I really found myself again and felt like I was throwing myself back into the world with confidence.

The late 40s are indeed a strange time. I definitely had significant peri menopause symptoms from about 47 onwards and then went onto HRT at 49. Now at 53, I can look at old photos and feel happy for the times we had rather than feel desperate to go back. I’m far more settled in my skin now than I was 5 years ago.

I’m like @CrikeyMajikey, been diagnosed with angina but in my head I’m still about 15.

My school friends sister died at 17 when we were 15, made me realise that even the shit stuff, well Suzanne didn’t even get that experience. Then my DD died also on the brink of womanhood. Apart from sadness and anger it reinforced that life is for living, being maudlin is a disservice to those who didn’t get the chance.

I am a glass half full type and I think that’s how, when DD died though did have the biggest wobble of my life I made it through it.

Yes. I have a weird feeling of dread, a cloud of misery, I’m usually a glass half full type of person.
It’s mainly there when I wake up in the morning.

My experience is completely the opposite.

My children are now adults, so that probably helps.

I am now 50 and have been loving life for the last few years. I've been doing what I want, when I want. I've been seizing opportunities that come along. I've got a shed load of disposable income. I'm getting all ages of men and women commenting that I don't look my age

I just can't identify with late 40s being odd. I loved it. Surely it's what you make of it and what you choose to do in life.

My advice is to embrace life and enjoy to the max OP. Both now and in the future.

My periods stopped in my late 30s. I felt amazing in the early 40s, had loads of fun and looked amazing. I'm 47 now and suddenly feel old-ish. It has nothing to do with menopause - it's not the answer to everything.
I think getting old is weird, but I'm determined to make the best of it and keep having fun.

I am 46 and have severe 90s nostalgia at the moment- I’m even wearing 90s perfumes and looking wistfully at the re-trending clothes.
Some of my friends are grandparents and some have toddlers- feels like a weird period of flux
On the other hand, I absolutely love this stage of my life. My kids are adults, i am grateful have good health and still feel young and energetic. Perimenopause means I give less if a fuck what people think, I’m happy in my own skin and comfortable with my dress sense. I’ve joined a gym and have time to go, which has been amazing. I feel like I take much better care of myself now than in my 20s. It’s been liberating

I love this sentiment!
Hope I can find a way to manage this.

46, definitely weird. I think it’s because of the DC becoming teens and very independent ones at that meaning the ‘thing’ that I’ve dedicated my absolute heart & soul to for the last 15 years is really changing and that phase of my life of coming to an end.

I also do feel really positively that in about 5 years my life will be completely different and that hopefully it’ll be good, it’s just this transition bit that I’m finding odd. The not really being needed by anybody, but not having fully started the next phase yet either.

Not really yet (late 40s) but then my teens/20s were not easy times, I had children young, not the easiest of relationships, trying to establish my career, poverty etc. now am happily married, in my dream job, finances a bit better, own house, can drive now, live in a lovely community so better social life than had in my teens and 20s. Have had more children in the last few years so enjoying motherhood in better circumstances and look forward to the free time just to read a book or enjoy time with DH in the future. DH had a far more carefree teens/20s in an exciting job, more money than we have now, top in his sporting field etc and think he feels this age a bit more depressing

Not quite there yet but its coming. I'm 44 and dh is 47. Half my friends my age have babies, the other half are grandparents. I'm somewhere in the middle as a mum of teenagers. My hair is getting greyer and dh's hair is getting thinner. When we visit our eldest at university it feels weird because in my head I'm still that age.

Around 40, I still felt great! I had a newborn and felt young still

Gosh am so sorry xx and you are so right xx

I also think having teen girls triggers a lot of weird hindsight rabbit holes. I was in a clothes shop the other day, saw a top and had a huge flash back to me in a club borrowing some random man's horn to blow watching Faithless live. I've never done acid in my life but it felt clear as day.