Perimenopause and Periods – What Can You Expect?

Before your periods stop, your body changes to menopause in a phase that could last 2 to 10 years.

During the initial perimenopause phase, when hormone levels change and then fall, all sorts of changes in your cycle are seen.

What to expect

In your 40s – and maybe even in your late 30s – changing oestrogen and progesterone levels can make periods not fit your usual pattern. They could come more often – or they might happen less often.

The flow might be very heavy or very light and sometimes, you’ll skip one or a few totally. Don’t be fooled, it’s not menopause until you go at least 12 months without a period.

Other period signs, like aches and moodiness, could become worse – or, more puzzlingly, you may not get the clear signs that mean your period is coming.

How to make perimenopause simpler

A healthy way of life can help ease the change into menopause.

If you can establish and keep to a regular exercise routine, eat well, and handle your stress – because stress can make perimenopausal signs worse – you may find that the perimenopausal change is a bit simpler for you.

Some women with a heavy flow and severe aches and are usually prescribed birth control pills or a long-use inner contraceptive device like a Mirena coil to ease them.

Unfortunately, both of these have progestins – not progesterone – and these synthetic hormones copy the work of the natural hormone progesterone, but without all the benefits.

They also do have associated side effects so if using them it would be good to consider whether natural bioidentical hormones would be a better choice for your symptoms.

Helpful information

Keeping your hormones balanced is one of the best ways to control your symptoms, and many perimenopause symptoms are often related to low progesterone levels.

This is when your ovaries are slowing down hormone production and progesterone levels drops quickly when you are not ovulating regularly each month.

Another key factor in maintaining good hormone levels is keeping an eye on your stress levels, which again can often be greater at this time.

Stress has a major impact on all your symptoms from sleep to weight gain and one of the main issues is that when stress increase then your hormonal symptoms get worse too.

Usually which hormone you may need to supplement can depend on your symptoms and their severity. Some women just need Serenity, the progesterone only cream, for help with flushes, sleep and weight gain.

However if your symptoms are more severe, and include raised levels of anxiety and vaginal dryness, you would be better with Wellsprings Twenty to One combination cream.

This has the same amount of  progesterone as Serenity but with an additional small amount of two natural oestrogens which can be more effective for symptoms not responding to progesterone alone.

If you are not sure if you need help for hormone balance, then this article can help.

Which hormone or hormones might you need?