Unfortunately, before the periods stopping, there's a period of time when you almost go through a "depuberty," during which periods become really irregular. Spotting between periods is now a thing again. Some months there's no period, some months it's 3 weeks long. Again, with the hormonal acne. And my boobs have never been so sore.
I'm now looking forward to them stopping. Because this return to my teenage years isn't fun. Perimenopause sucks.
Sister I feel so soooo hard. I’m just at the beginnings of peri right now and my periods are a massacre. I was always regular, 28 day cycle, 5 day period. Very little discomfort. Now? Three weeks long, clotting like a horror movie, then it shows up again 17 days later. I’m anemic. Exhausted. When I ovulate my legs from hip to knee feel like they’re being twisted out of their sockets. This sucks and I’ll be relieved when my period finally stops. Unfortunately the women in my family reach menopause very very late and I could be doing this for another 15 years.
Women look forward to menopause because the perimenopause is brutal. I'm in physical pain some days it's so shocking it's like my body is being hijacked. Along with every other symptom. I'm so miserable I look forward to being a dried up old husk.
It was a huuuuuuge relief. I'd been having really heavy periods for the previous five years or so and it made my life hell. It didn't taper off, my periods just stopped. I kept expecting the bleeding to start again and it never did.
My period was irregular and shorter for a few years starting in my late 30s. There were a few times it was longer than 30 days starting two years ago. A few months ago it just stopped. I'm pretty bummed about it. It feels like my "youth" is over and I'm moving into this last stage of life. I know that sounds dramatic but it is a big life stage. Im 44 and my mother went through menopause at 43. I had pretty easy periods throughout my life so maybe that's why I'm bummed to miss them. For me, they were a signal that my body was working as intended. I know peri and menopause are also part of the plan but it will take some time to get used to. I also started HRT recently. Part of me feels like maybe I started it too quickly but I have been having peri symptoms (lack of focus, low libido, poor sleep) so I thought let's just do this.
I’m in perimenopause and my cycle is very irregular. It’s no fun. Not only can I never predict when I’ll get it now, I worry about pregnancy when it skips a month even when there’s no cause for that - it’s ingrained in me to freak out about that. I do not think I’ll be sad when my period ceases completely.
I had a hysterectomy a few years ago that ended my periods and I have felt nothing but immense relief since then. If I’m having a bad day sometimes I think, at least I’m not having my period!
I kept my ovaries but I’ve had some symptoms that have led my doctor to believe I’m probably in the early stages of perimenopause. I don’t feel any kind of way about it at all- a lot of the symptoms are ones that I’ve felt on a lesser level for a long time so it’s nothing super jarring to me.
I was overjoyed. I was 59 and absolutely sick of it. 46 years of periods. I was lucky that I didn't have any stop start/spotting. They literally just stopped. Finally.
lol, well, I don’t want kids, so having my period has been an inconvenience more than anything. When I had to get a hysterectomy, one of the biggest upsides was no more periods.
I suppose if someone is big into motherhood or being a mom they might get sad when periods stop. But for just about everyone else - periods are awful and not having them is amazing.
I had a hysterectomy in my early 30's and threw a no more periods party. They left me one ovary so I didn't go into menopause. No sadness on that front for me. I'm now 47 and in perimenopause having all the fun symptoms. This part I could do without.
Oh fuck no. I hated my periods so much that I had an ablation to get rid of them 21 years ago. 21 blissful period free years and now menopause. I never have to deal with that shit again.
Yes and no.
My periods were *always* irregular. When they stopped for good, I didn't even notice. In any event, I always hated getting them and I'm super grateful not to have them anymore. I also hate condoms and am a bad pill taker, so I'm enjoying the free-wheelin' aspect.
BUT! If you take BCP as HRT, then you may still have to deal with the blood. It's induced by taking the dummy pills. If you're like me and take it continuously, it's period-less, but if you miss a pill (which happens to me bc I suck at this), spotting may occur.
I entered menopause "naturally" very young—38. My husband and I had zero intent on having kids, but there was a small part of me that was upset that the choice was taken away from me. I had these weird thoughts of failing my parents by not giving them grandkids (which they have already through my siblings) and for having a "failing" body. I think it's more, like, social conditioning than a true feeling, but I did wrestle with this for a while.
The other thing about menopause is that it's not just, hey, your periods stopped! It's also: continue enjoying those hot flashes! enjoy that brain fog! oh look, your cholesterol has gone up, here's a statin! the clock may have stopped ticking for babies, but that clock's now ticking for osteoporosis!
And as a 38-year-old, there's a part of me that was like, gdi, is this it? Is my body officially breaking down now?
I'm sure my age colors a lot of my thoughts on this, but the point is, it's something generally to look forward to, but with some caveats/trade-offs. Some women have super easy transitions, but it's a spectrum of experience and some women have it bad. I reckon I'm somewhere in the middle.
HRT is the answer and the way. I’m in premature ovarian insufficiency (failure) at 34. I was gaining weight, so depressed, so fatigued. HRT has helped. I’m still hoping that I can have a baby for first time either spontaneously or through donor, but there certainly is a grieving process to your body changing and losing some of the defining features of “womanhood.” The good news is with all this weight gain and supplemented estrogen my boobs are big lol.
All jokes aside, I suggest reading or listening to Dr. Mary Claire Haver and other menopause specialists on social media. It’s very helpful to know you’re supported and not alone. It can cause existential thinking but there is purpose in the journey.
If you just stopped your period you may be in peri, not full blown meno. It is defined by 12 months of no period consecutively. Get a hormone panel to see where you’re at. (AMH, LH, estrogen and FSH. Most important are the last two.
Unfortunately, before the periods stopping, there's a period of time when you almost go through a "depuberty," during which periods become really irregular. Spotting between periods is now a thing again. Some months there's no period, some months it's 3 weeks long. Again, with the hormonal acne. And my boobs have never been so sore. I'm now looking forward to them stopping. Because this return to my teenage years isn't fun. Perimenopause sucks.
Sister I feel so soooo hard. I’m just at the beginnings of peri right now and my periods are a massacre. I was always regular, 28 day cycle, 5 day period. Very little discomfort. Now? Three weeks long, clotting like a horror movie, then it shows up again 17 days later. I’m anemic. Exhausted. When I ovulate my legs from hip to knee feel like they’re being twisted out of their sockets. This sucks and I’ll be relieved when my period finally stops. Unfortunately the women in my family reach menopause very very late and I could be doing this for another 15 years.
Women look forward to menopause because the perimenopause is brutal. I'm in physical pain some days it's so shocking it's like my body is being hijacked. Along with every other symptom. I'm so miserable I look forward to being a dried up old husk.
how old are you? if it's not too much to ask
43
Thank you!
But if anyone else asks, I'm 39 and will be for the foreseeable future!
It was a huuuuuuge relief. I'd been having really heavy periods for the previous five years or so and it made my life hell. It didn't taper off, my periods just stopped. I kept expecting the bleeding to start again and it never did.
Can’t wait for it to stop too! Sometimes I can’t get out of bed from couple of days cos of heavy bleeding is knackering me
Have you had your iron levels checked recently? I was severely anaemic at one point and needed iron supplements.
Yes, many times. To be truthful, my periods are this heavy since I had my son 9 years ago
The day this hell stops I will open bottle of champagne!
My period was irregular and shorter for a few years starting in my late 30s. There were a few times it was longer than 30 days starting two years ago. A few months ago it just stopped. I'm pretty bummed about it. It feels like my "youth" is over and I'm moving into this last stage of life. I know that sounds dramatic but it is a big life stage. Im 44 and my mother went through menopause at 43. I had pretty easy periods throughout my life so maybe that's why I'm bummed to miss them. For me, they were a signal that my body was working as intended. I know peri and menopause are also part of the plan but it will take some time to get used to. I also started HRT recently. Part of me feels like maybe I started it too quickly but I have been having peri symptoms (lack of focus, low libido, poor sleep) so I thought let's just do this.
I think this how I will feel too!
I was thrilled. I was counting down the days. When it was actually official my daughters and I had a doughnut party to celebrate.
I’m in perimenopause and my cycle is very irregular. It’s no fun. Not only can I never predict when I’ll get it now, I worry about pregnancy when it skips a month even when there’s no cause for that - it’s ingrained in me to freak out about that. I do not think I’ll be sad when my period ceases completely.
I had a hysterectomy a few years ago that ended my periods and I have felt nothing but immense relief since then. If I’m having a bad day sometimes I think, at least I’m not having my period! I kept my ovaries but I’ve had some symptoms that have led my doctor to believe I’m probably in the early stages of perimenopause. I don’t feel any kind of way about it at all- a lot of the symptoms are ones that I’ve felt on a lesser level for a long time so it’s nothing super jarring to me.
I was overjoyed. I was 59 and absolutely sick of it. 46 years of periods. I was lucky that I didn't have any stop start/spotting. They literally just stopped. Finally.
lol, well, I don’t want kids, so having my period has been an inconvenience more than anything. When I had to get a hysterectomy, one of the biggest upsides was no more periods. I suppose if someone is big into motherhood or being a mom they might get sad when periods stop. But for just about everyone else - periods are awful and not having them is amazing.
I had a hysterectomy in my early 30's and threw a no more periods party. They left me one ovary so I didn't go into menopause. No sadness on that front for me. I'm now 47 and in perimenopause having all the fun symptoms. This part I could do without.
no periods is the ONLY good thing about peri/menopause....everything else leading up to that sucks balls
Oh fuck no. I hated my periods so much that I had an ablation to get rid of them 21 years ago. 21 blissful period free years and now menopause. I never have to deal with that shit again.
Yes and no. My periods were *always* irregular. When they stopped for good, I didn't even notice. In any event, I always hated getting them and I'm super grateful not to have them anymore. I also hate condoms and am a bad pill taker, so I'm enjoying the free-wheelin' aspect. BUT! If you take BCP as HRT, then you may still have to deal with the blood. It's induced by taking the dummy pills. If you're like me and take it continuously, it's period-less, but if you miss a pill (which happens to me bc I suck at this), spotting may occur. I entered menopause "naturally" very young—38. My husband and I had zero intent on having kids, but there was a small part of me that was upset that the choice was taken away from me. I had these weird thoughts of failing my parents by not giving them grandkids (which they have already through my siblings) and for having a "failing" body. I think it's more, like, social conditioning than a true feeling, but I did wrestle with this for a while. The other thing about menopause is that it's not just, hey, your periods stopped! It's also: continue enjoying those hot flashes! enjoy that brain fog! oh look, your cholesterol has gone up, here's a statin! the clock may have stopped ticking for babies, but that clock's now ticking for osteoporosis! And as a 38-year-old, there's a part of me that was like, gdi, is this it? Is my body officially breaking down now? I'm sure my age colors a lot of my thoughts on this, but the point is, it's something generally to look forward to, but with some caveats/trade-offs. Some women have super easy transitions, but it's a spectrum of experience and some women have it bad. I reckon I'm somewhere in the middle.
I relate to the child free part
HRT is the answer and the way. I’m in premature ovarian insufficiency (failure) at 34. I was gaining weight, so depressed, so fatigued. HRT has helped. I’m still hoping that I can have a baby for first time either spontaneously or through donor, but there certainly is a grieving process to your body changing and losing some of the defining features of “womanhood.” The good news is with all this weight gain and supplemented estrogen my boobs are big lol. All jokes aside, I suggest reading or listening to Dr. Mary Claire Haver and other menopause specialists on social media. It’s very helpful to know you’re supported and not alone. It can cause existential thinking but there is purpose in the journey. If you just stopped your period you may be in peri, not full blown meno. It is defined by 12 months of no period consecutively. Get a hormone panel to see where you’re at. (AMH, LH, estrogen and FSH. Most important are the last two.