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Discover Where You Are In Your Menopause Journey
Get a personalised report with expert tips and treatment suggestions in just 5 minutes.
You’re Type 1: Pre-menopause – ‘before’ menopause
As per your answer to the Menopause Assessment, you are Type 1 or Pre-Menopause.
Most women approaching middle age have an idea of what menopause is, or at least that their menstrual cycle will cease someday. If this is you, then you’re right to be here. Menopause can be a wholesome experience if you know how to deal with it.
If you haven’t started experiencing any changes out of the ordinary, then you’re probably in pre-menopause.
How do I know if I’m premenopausal?
In pre-menopause, a woman experiences her normal menstrual cycle and is at the pinnacle of her reproductive capacity. Usually, there aren’t any observable menopausal symptoms in this phase.
Pre-menopause is a pretty long period considering that it is any time from puberty to peri-menopause. When you think about it, referring to an adolescent as pre-menopausal may seem a little out of place won’t it? Even though theoretically, the teenager is because she is ‘before’ menopause and has regular periods.
The term ‘pre-menopause’ however, more accurately describes a woman in her 30’s approaching middle age that has her regular cycle without any troubling menopausal changes or symptoms. Menopause is still a good number of years away.
As you get older, and closer to peri-menopause, you may begin to experience some changes in your reproductive cycle. This is early peri-menopause. At this point, the hormonal changes in your body may cause you to put on a few pounds. You may also have irregular periods and even hot flashes.
How long does pre-menopause last?
How long you remain in this phase varies widely. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the next phase of menopause, which is peri-menopause, may start as early as in your 30s or as late as mid-50s. Pre-menopause extends from your first menstrual period to when peri-menopause kicks in. It is a pretty long phase. Some women have few minor symptoms during this period but many women experience no symptoms at all.
What we recommend
Menopause is just up ahead and your body is preparing for it. You should too, and deliberately so. You can have a healthy transition into menopause by knowing what to expect and the best way to manage the symptoms. We advise that you prepare for these changes by doing the following:
You are in Type 2: Perimenopause – the menopausal transition
The end stage of a woman’s reproductive life is surrounded by a poorly defined interval known as perimenopause. Although normal, this phase is associated with declining sex hormones (estrogen) and a corresponding fall in your ability to get pregnant. It can be a perplexing period in a woman’s life but you can learn how best to get through it.
Perimenopause describes the transformation from reproductive to non-reproductive life in a woman which comes with considerable physiological changes. You’ll frequently hear this phase called the menopause transition.
Perimenopause ends when you haven’t seen your period for at least a year. Retrospectively, when your last menstrual period (LMP) was 12 months ago, then it becomes your final menstrual period (FMP) and you’re now postmenopausal.
How do I know I’m perimenopausal?
If you’re not anticipating perimenopausal symptoms, it may put you on edge and you think it’s a serious problem whereas, it is in fact, normal and natural.
Many women are unaware that their hormones are responsible for the emotional and physical changes they’re experiencing. Truly, some perimenopausal symptoms can be genuinely terrifying but having this knowledge can help prevent needless anxiety. The common symptoms in this phase include;
The occurrence of hot flashes rise during perimenopause and peaks just before the final menstrual period. It tends to be most intense also at this point before it gradually drops in the years after menopause.
Sleep disturbances: While hot flashes are an important marker, they aren’t the only pointer of perimenopause. Sleep disorders are commonly reported. It can be as a result of advancing age but women are generally twice as affected as men, particularly in this phase. It may take long periods of time to fall asleep, you may have difficulty falling back asleep or sleeping through the night after being awakened too soon.
How long does perimenopause last?
Women enter into this phase at different ages. Its duration also varies. Harvard health puts the average duration as 3 to 4 years but it may continue for up to a decade. According to Mayo clinic, you may begin experiencing overt perimenopausal changes as early as in your mid-30s.
Perimenopause has an early and late phase where symptoms graduate in frequency and intensity. Each woman’s experience is different.
What we suggest
Your symptoms are here and they may just be in full capacity in this phase. There may be a myriad of symptoms to deal with but don’t panic. Don’t simply endure the difficulty; deal with it because you can.
You are in Type 3: Menopause
Your answers to the Menopause Assessment suggests that you are in Menopause. By this we are referring to the 7 – 8 years post your last period. Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s reproductive life cycle.
Although the term “menopause” is frequently used to describe the menopausal transition, menopause doesn’t occur until 12 consecutive months after you’ve had your last menstruation. It is a retrospective diagnosis.
What are the pain points of this type?
You are in Type 4: Post Menopause
Your answers to the Menopause Assessment suggests that you are now Post Menopause. It is now a few years since you had your last period. The good news about this phase is that many of the symptoms you experienced during perimenopause may go away. The hot flashes might still be there but the intensity and frequency should have reduced.
Still, there are some other health concerns to take into account that could be brought on by decreased hormone production in this phase. Some are a normal part of aging.
When am I postmenopausal?
Postmenopause is simply the period following menopause. It begins after 12 consecutive months without menstruating, that is, it has been more than a year since your last period.
You’ve now had your final menstrual period (FMP) and your reproductive years are behind you as you no longer ovulate. You remain in postmenopause for the remaining years of your life. On average, women enter this phase around age 51.
In this stage, menopausal symptoms begin to go away or become less intense. It is time to focus on staying healthy. While your body is adjusting to the absence of estrogen, there are long-term repercussions that call for attention.
Pain points of post menopause.
A significant pain point of postmenopause is the declining bone density in the first 4 or 5 years after menopause. Women experience bone loss at the same rate as men until they get to this period. The rate of bone loss normalizes, but up to 20% of bone density can be lost in this phase. This may extend to the joints, causing and may be a complication of aging. This puts postmenopausal women at risk of developing osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
These are physical symptoms such as recurrent urinary tract infections, urine leakage, vaginal dryness, and painful intercourse that affect postmenopausal women. They are brought on by estrogen insufficiency and may not go away without treatment. Up to 40% of women report having dry vagina while urine incontinence affects up to 25% of women. While more than half of women in this phase are sexually active, it may complicate their relationships unless treated.
Some of the symptoms that arise before menopause continue into postmenopause. It is not unusual for a woman in this phase to get a random hot flash, however it is expected to be at a lower intensity and frequency.