What are periods like during perimenopause? Your body is producing less of the hormones that help you ovulate, so your periods can become irregular. Your menstrual cycle could become longer or shorter than usual. Your bleeding could also be heavier or lighter than normal.
A change in your periods is often the first sign of perimenopause, but there are other signs to look out for. The most common are hot flashes, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and a decrease in sex drive. Not every woman will experience all of these symptoms.
Longer cycles
Towards the end stages of perimenopause, cycles may become longer (more than 36 days) and further apart. They are related to anovulatory cycles, in which ovulation does not occur.
From your early 40s and into your 50s, during perimenopause, you may find that your periods change and become erratic as your ovaries slow down and oestrogen levels start to fluctuate. It can be very common for your cycle to become highly unpredictable and periods to be heavier and longer.
This is when you'll have your final menstrual period. You won't know for sure it's happened until you've gone a year without one. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and other symptoms are common in this stage.
Last menstrual period: By convention, pregnancies are dated in weeks starting from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP). If her menstrual periods are regular and ovulation occurs on day 14 of her cycle, conception takes place about 2 weeks after her LMP.
Understanding the menopausal transition
The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years. The duration can depend on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age it begins, and race and ethnicity.
In general, people experience lighter and less frequent periods as they go through perimenopause. If someone experiences, longer, heavier, and more frequent periods they should see their doctor to discuss possible reasons for this.
Sometimes, sudden hormonal fluctuations will lead to random or unexpected menopause symptoms. The bottom line is that it's perfectly normal to have your periods closer together during perimenopause. Aside from increased frequency, other common perimenopause symptoms are: Weight gain.
According to University of Michigan researchers, 91 percent of women aged 42–52 surveyed reported heavy menstruation for 10 or more days during their transition to menopause.
Periods will usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. They might be more irregular and become heavier or lighter. For some women, they can stop suddenly. Postmenopause is the time after a woman experiences her last period.
Postmenopausal bleeding can range from light spotting that is pinkish-gray or brown, all the way to a heavy flow, like a regular period. Most of the time, there is no pain with the bleeding. No matter your exact symptoms, you'll want to get in touch with your ob-gyn right away if this happens to you.
Menopause is when your period stops permanently.
It is sometimes called "the change of life." Menopause does not happen all at once. As your body transitions to menopause over several years, you may have menopause symptoms and irregular periods. The average age for menopause in the United States is 52.
Postmenopausal bleeding is vaginal bleeding that occurs a year or more after your last menstrual period. It can be a symptom of vaginal dryness, polyps (noncancerous growths) or other changes in your reproductive system. In about 10% of women, bleeding after menopause is a sign of uterine cancer.
Your period can last anywhere from 3 to 8 days, but 5 days is average. Bleeding is usually heaviest on the first 2 days. Once the bleeding stops, the uterine lining (also called the endometrium) begins to prepare for the possibility of a pregnancy. The uterine lining becomes thicker and enriched in blood and nutrients.
If you were having regular periods before pregnancy, your doctor will calculate your due date based off of your last menstrual period. This goes back to the fact that in order to get pregnant, your body ovulated—or released an egg—roughly in the middle of your cycle and it was fertilized by sperm.
Brown discharge and menopause
As you age, your periods may change. The stage before menopause is called perimenopause. Brown discharge is normal during this stage as long as you don't experience other abnormal symptoms. Menopause officially begins once 12 months have passed since your last period.
It is not unusual to have irregular bleeding for up to 6 months before menstrual periods stop completely. Unless the bleeding is excessive, or a woman it at high risk for uterine cancer, this is generally not of concern.
During perimenopause, your discharge may take on a brownish tint. It may also be thin and watery or thick and clumpy. These changes usually aren't cause for concern.
Mark your first day on the day you see this color change and the last day according to this same description. For example: day one (light pink spotting), days two through five (red bleeding), day six (light brown discharge), day seven (clear-whitish discharge). Mark days one through six on the calendar as period days.
When you're in perimenopause, it's normal for your periods to be irregular and to come closer together. But sometimes these abnormal bleeding patterns can signal an underlying problem. See your doctor if: bleeding is unusually heavy for you or you soak through one or more pads or tampons in an hour.
Brown discharge may be a sign of implantation bleeding. This occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. As it does, it creates a small amount of bleeding. You might notice implantation bleeding as brown discharge when wiping after urination.
Is it normal to get brown discharge instead of your period? Yes! This is normal. Sometimes months your uterus has less tissue to clear than others - when this happens, you'll experience brown discharge instead of a full period.