Naomi Watts Says She Was in Perimenopause at 36 as She Was Trying to Have Children: 'I Was So Alone'

Angela Pham

Naomi Watts has shared more of her experiences with perimenopause and menopause — and is encouraging other women to do the same.

At The New Pause Symposium in New York City on Friday, presented by The Swell and Stripes, Watts said that her personal experiences inspired her to create Stripes, a skincare brand for women in midlife.

Watts, 54, reflected on the difficulty of going through perimenopause — the often years-long transition prior to menopause when hormones fluctuate and women experience a range of symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia and irregular periods. Menopause is defined as twelve months without menstruation.

"I found myself at 36 and perimenopausal, a word I didn't even know about, and at the precipice of trying to start a family. So I went into complete panic, felt very lonely, very much less-than or like some kind of failure and what was I going to do? There was no one to talk to, there was no information, basically on my visit to the doctor, who said, 'Well you're not getting pregnant ... your bloodwork is indicating that you're close to menopause' so I was freaking out."

Watts acknowledged that there are more resources for women in perimenopause and menopause than there were 18 years ago, but much more more education and awareness are still needed.

"I went through anxiety, shame, confusion, panic and managed to fall pregnant naturally after two years of trying and getting my system right with different alternatives, since I wasn't a candidate for IVF," she said. "After the second child, I went through massive night sweats, hot flashes and I thought 'this is terrible,' and I would try to test out the community of my friends and I was sort of met with nervous laughs and shrugging it off, and I thought 'Oh wow no one else is there, I better keep silent,' and that's how it was."

Watts also asked her mother, who told her she had been 45 when she started perimenopause. "And that's all I knew," she said. "There was no detail around it. There was no handholding from doctors. The doctors said okay, 'Here's a patch or a gel or a spray.' "

"I just knew that this is a road that no one else should have to walk through alone again without a community, because without proper care taken you are going to turn in on yourself," she said at the symposium, which featured expert speakers Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, Dr. Minisha Sood, Dr. Kelly Casperson and many others, and included a panel with Natalie Nixon and Katie Couric.

Angela Pham

During the pandemic, Watts said she had time to reflect and consider projects that may help other women struggling with perimenopause and menopause. "I started letting the ideas percolate, and that's when I said, 'Okay now I'm on the other side of 50, I don't have to feel that shame.' It is the average age. I'm now beyond the average age and I can actually say it out loud and I can say, having gone through the worst part of it, I'm on the other side of it now."

RELATED: Naomi Watts Wants to 'Conquer the Stigma' Around Menopause: 'Getting Older Is a Privilege'

Angela Pham

Along with developing the skincare line, Watts and Stripes created a community called The Hot Spot that includes guidance on symptoms and a forum for people who are dealing with perimenopause and menopause.

"Perimenopause is a transitional time, and it's up and down and up and down, and if you don't have an outlet or a place to bitch and moan and cry and laugh and experience all of those feelings with others, it's going to be a horrible time," Watts said.

"I do authentically feel my best version of myself. I no longer a victim to my hormones, and I feel that my decision-making is much better because my hormones have settled, my confidence has come back."