7 Surprisingly Awesome Side Effects Of Going Through Menopause

So, what is menopause, exactly?

Officially, menopause begins when it has been 12 full months since your last period, according to WebMD.

More generally, it's a gradual tapering off of the hormones that allow women to bear children, like estrogen and progesterone.

It's a natural process that all women go through in one form or another, and may be characterized by hot flashes, disturbed sleep, and hormonal mood swings.

Still, despite a few downsides, there are a lot of wonderful things to celebrate about menopause!

Uterine fibroids are benign, but often very painful, growths on the walls of the uterus.

As you can imagine they are a major source of discomfort for women who have them, and lead to symptoms like heavy, painful periods and body aches, according to the Mayo Clinic.

For many women with fibroids, menopause offers some much-needed relief.

As fertility hormones decrease, fibroids don't grow nearly as easily, meaning that menopause can essentially cure the symptoms!

Emotionally, menopause is sometimes compared to puberty.

All of the shifts in hormone levels can leave some women feeling irritable, moody, or depressed.

However, according to the New York Times, a new study indicates that many of these "negative" emotional effects could be purely psychological.

In fact, the hormonal shifts that initially cause moodiness may help to soothe anxiety and stress overtime, and could go a long way toward explaining why so many women have improved self-esteem after middle age.

Despite all of their life-giving power and reproductive magic, periods are miserable.

No one can deny that they're important, but they're also messy, uncomfortable, and hugely inconvenient — not to mention expensive, when you factor in the cost of roughly 35 years' worth of feminine products.

Once you hit menopause and are completely done with spotting and breakthrough bleeding, you'll have the satisfaction of saying goodbye to all that, and bidding tampons and maxi pads a final adieu.

We know, we know: You've been told a million times that your sex life will take a major hit when menopause comes along.

Don't believe the hype; many women actually experience more pleasurable sex after menopause.

While the decrease in hormones may cause a dip in your sex drive, thinking positive thoughts about aging — and eating dark chocolate! — may boost your nitric oxide levels, and improve your brain's ability to experience arousal and sexual pleasure.

Pregnancy, as every woman knows, is both a blessing and a curse.

While it's a beautiful, miraculous thing to be able to bring children into this world, pregnancy is often a chaotic force, entering your life when you're least prepared, or causing symptoms that leave your health vulnerable.

For women who don't want kids, or who have already brought their brood into the world, menopause is a bittersweet relief, and a reassurance that the stress and uncertainty of pregnancy and fertility are in the rearview.

Your breasts start growing during puberty because of the sudden surge of hormones, so, on the flip side, you would assume that they might get a bit smaller as your hormones ebb, right? Wrong!

You may actually gain a cup size after menopause; one in five women experience breast growth during menopause, according to the Breast Life.

In other words, gravity, breastfeeding, and other factors might take their toll, but at least 20 percent of us get a fuller cup size!

Hot flashes are one of the most frequently cited menopausal irritations, and it's no wonder.

There's nothing fun about sweating and shivering, waking up at night clammy, and suddenly feeling like you're running a fever.

Still, there's a major silver lining that makes every hot flash worth it: A 2011 study indicates that women who have hot flashes, particularly in the early stages of menopause, are at lower risk for heart attack and disease later on!

So let's hear it for menopause — it's a change to celebrate!

Make sure to SHARE these hidden perks with friends and family and spread the word about the positive side of menopause!