Almost 31, cycle getting shorter. Is this my fertility declining?

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

It used to be 28 days, now it's usually 26. Wondering if this is my body saying I should be ttc sooner rather than later. Or is 2 days shorter not significant?

[awaywego1]

Marking place as I'm 32 and mine has done the same.

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

Are you ttc awaywego?

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

I read somewhere that cycles get shorter as fertility declines, but have no idea if this is just a normal fluctuation for me that I wouldn't have noticed when younger. It's been 25-26 days for nearly a year now.

[Mintyy]

Yes, mine got shorter as I got older. I don't know if that is officially a sign of declining fertility, but it is certainly my experience.

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

When did it start getting shorter mintyy?

[awaywego1]

No-would love to be but have some health problems at the moment (not related to cycle) mine has been around 25-26 for a year too before that it was about 28. I have an app which I use to track.

[awaywego1]

I'm quite paranoid about declining fertility I be honest but am not really in a position to do anything about it.

[Mintyy]

Hmm. Not sure. Perhaps around age 36/37? that is certainly the time we started ttc and I seem to remember that my cycle was 26 or 27 days when we were ttc, whereas it had been 28 regular as clockwork for years and years before that. I remember having conversations with my best friend (same age and also ttc) about our slightly shorter cycles.

[CointreauVersial]

Mine certainly got shorter as I got older - for years I was 29 days, regular as clockwork, but by the time I was 40 I was down to 25/26 days.

Difficult to pinpoint when it started to change, as I had three DCs during my 30s. I don't know if it's a sign of decreasing fertility, though.

Now I'm 45, they are all over the place.

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

Hmm, thanks mintyy. I'm wondering if i'm wrong to be thinking that 30 is relatively young fertility-wise.

I'm sorry to hear that awaywego, I hope you're in a better position soon. It's only this cycle shortening thats got me thinking about it, not sure if I should be looking for other signs.

[joycep]

Mine was a clockwork 28/29 day cycle for the whole of my life. But after a miscarriage over 2 years ago at the age of 30, it has ranged from 21-27 days. I have spoken to quite a few doctors about this and I have been told , this sort of thing does happen. Hormones can readjust your cycles etc and it's not necessarily a sign of declining fertility. What is also apparent is that hidden asymptomatic bacterial infections can cause periods to change but this is a controversial area . So I have been told I have hidden chlymadia dna which was tested through a menstrual tissue test. I don't have the usual chlamidia that you get tested for in the UK. Anyway, i am just starting antibiotics now so it will be very interesting to see if I my cycles go back to what they use to be. (This is all in the hope of trying to conceive).

This isn't suppose to scare, and i hope it doesn't but just to offer you other reasons as to why your cycle might have changed.

[goinnowhere]

Interesting. Mine have gone shorter, but IT just thought that was me.

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

That's interesting Joycep, thanks, and not scary so don't worry. I hope you are sorted soon.

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

This happened to me too. I had a 28 day cycle bang on until i was around 27-28 years old. It then started to shorten a day at a time.

Went to the docs when I was 31, cycle now 25-26 days. GP said it could be a sign & did some tests as early menopause runs in my family. Came back with a high FSH & low LH, they told me I was peri menopausal. I was stressing out about it but single so it was kind of irrelevant.

My cycle kept shortening & was 21-22 days by the time i was 34. I then got diagnosed with coeliac disease & went gluten free. My cycle returned to 28 with two months & then I fell pregnant

[RandomMess]

In my twenties mine were up to 40 days, in my early 30s dropped down to 30-32 per cycle, mid 30s down to 28. I've hit 40 and more like 25 days...

[dottyaboutstripes]

Mine were always 27 days. Had a ruptured ectopic at 33 and when AF returned, was suddenly down to 25 days. Didn't seem to have any effect on fertility in my case as I conceived quite easily afterwards and went on to have 3 more babies (already had 3) and a mc. Almost 43 now and still 25 days regular as clockwork

[NotAnIdiotHonest]

Hmm, ok might ask doc about it next time I'm there, just in case she thinks it's worth doing some tests. No early menopause in my family though.

[beck36]

I'm 40, had whopping second son three years ago and hormones still in recovery I think. My cycle now seems to be every three weeks. Maybe on my way to perimenopause?

[digerd]

After 40, my periods came earlier, but erratic. Was always 28 days, but became 26-23. Still was having them though at 50

[Simona10]

Hi! I share your concern and I am 31 as well. Mine used to be 30-31 days and suddenly dropped to 25.
I had two stressful months with a lot of bleeding (during and outside period as well) after which it just dropped 5-6 days. For the first 4 months of shortened cycle I had unusually high flow, after which it declined gradually and in the past month it was unusually low, barely any bleeding. While the bleeding was heavy I had some blood tests done privately that showed the estradiol levels 50% higher than the maximum limit. I don't have any medical condition apart from being severely allergic to dairy and my immune system having a mind of its own.
I have been feeling a bit unusual which led me to take a pregnancy test which turned out negative, but nothing that bothers me very much. I don't have any children and I am starting to worry maybe I might be running out of time? I would like to talk to a doctor but doctors in the UK seem to never take anything seriously so I am weary of making an appointment for this reason. The blood tests that I mentioned earlier were done privately outside the UK because I was feeling like knocking on death's door and they would still not take me seriously (that's when I learned I had a maximum allergy score). I have been dairy free for a few months now and I suppose if the hormonal changes were due to feeling generally very ill, things should have gone to normal by now? Who should I talk to?