Andrea McLean has said that going through the menopause early may have been the best things that ever happened to her. The Loose Women panellist, who started experiencing menopausal symptoms at the age of 37, said that although it had been challenging at times, it had also “empowered” her.
Speaking to Daily Star, Andrea said: “The menopause has been awful in many ways but in another way it has also been the best thing that could have happened because it's empowered me too."
© Photo: RexAndrea McLean has opened up about her experiences of early menopause
The TV presenter also believes that her experiences of going through the menopause have also helped to strengthen her bond with husband Nick Feeney, who she married in November 2017. “I've had a hysterectomy and gone through the menopause but it has also had a great affect on my life,” she said. "I met Nick when I was just becoming menopausal so he's never really known me any different. Strangely it was a very bonding experience and brought us closer. I hid my anxiety in my previous marriages but with Nick I feel I can tell him anything."
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Andrea has previously revealed that she fell pregnant shortly after starting to go through the menopause, which was a shock as she believed she could no longer have children. "I was 37 when the hot sweats started, mainly at night. I was like 'what?' I got pregnant shortly afterwards - there is a rush of hormones afterwards and you need to be really careful around that time," Andrea told Lorraine Kelly in March.
© Photo: InstagramAndrea's experiences have brought her closer to husband Nick
The 48-year-old also said she had been expecting to have an early menopause as her mother had too. But it wasn't until she had a hysterectomy in 2016 that she fully felt the effects. "When I had my hysterectomy in 2016, I nosedived off the cliff and went full on menopausal."
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