Periods gone haywire at 40

[Justchooseone]

I posted in women’s health but got no replies so posting here for traffic.

Last month my period was 4 days late, heavier than normal and spotted continuously for a week afterwards.
I’m currently 10 days late this month and no sign. Negative pregnancy test.

So as not to drip feed - coil came out in January as we were TTC, but have now stopped and using condoms (properly) as we have some big life decisions to make. We have one 2 year old DC.

Has anyone has this and what was it? My friends are saying stress, but I’ve been stressed before and this hasn’t happened. I’m usually between 24-26 days. The NHS website says to wait until you’ve missed three periods before going to the GP but I dont really want to wait that long!

Mine have been consistently inconsistent the last 5 years, I can go 3 consecutive months with a period then nothing for 2 months before it goes back to a semi regular pattern

Am mid 40s so assuming that might be normal approaching the menopause, not got anything checked though

Though talking of covid jab affecting the cycle, I had 2nd jab in May 2021 3 days after I finished and came on again a week later but it was only for about 4 days, but that also meant I didn't have 1 for 2 months then the same thing happened when I had the booster at the end of that year 🤷‍♀️

gosh no ,don't presume you can't conceive during peri ,its why a lot of people conceive unexpectedly at this stage of life as they presume they are no longer fertile! as i said, the best way to track ovulation is by charting/monitoring your basal body temperature and cervical mucous daily (google natural family planning if you dont know what i'm going on about!) its a faff but i managed to conceive this way after starting to head down the assisted fertility path at 37.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. Mumsnet can be a lovely place!!
I’m off on Monday so will be ringing the doc xx

Mine started like this around 41. I assume it’s the start of peri too, which can go on for 10 years, so still plenty of time yet to have a baby. I’d keep trying if it’s what you want.

That said, I don’t think a few days is much to worry about and 24-26 days is actually quite a short cycle anyway. When mine started going haywire, it was more 20 days and then 43 and then 56. I don’t think it’s anything to ring the GP about as nothing you can ‘do’ about it. If you want to TTC, just get going again.

Mine have started going haywire in the last year (41) I was like clockwork before, it started after Covid though, but that might be coincidence 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm not quite 40 and I've been gently sliding into peri for about 18 months now. The Covid jab seems to have accelerated it, but I'm on par with my mum - she experienced about 15 years of peri 🙄
Don't know about fertility etc. as I have no children/want no children.

You're still fertile. However at 40 I wouldn't be using condoms too long, if you do want another baby it's as well to crack on.

Don't worry just yet. Not everyone has erratic periods due to perimenopause. Indeed, my periods were like clockwork during (my) perimenopause, although I had every other symptom going!

Also, many often assume they're in perimenopause due to erratic periods and then find out they're pregnant, as evidenced by many threads on here about surprise pregnancies.

I'm 31 and this is happening to me atm. TTC, 10 days late and negative tests 😭 it's so frustrating!

Hi @Justchooseone i know this is an old thread but was hoping you could please update on what happened? I’m in the same situation… thank you

It irritates me slightly when mums “barely notice menopause” or “sail through the menopause”. Either they’ve been really lucky not to have peri menopause/menopause symptoms and their daughters with their busy lives get horrendous menopause’s instead. Maybe the mothers are deliberately playing this down as it wasn’t done to talk about women’s symptoms then.

OP I’d check your thyroid, an acquaintance of mine got pregnant in her 40s (she already has an adult son) and because she’s underactive thyroid hadn’t thought to mention this to her GP and sadly suffered a miscarriage.

I'm peri and mine have got closer together not further apart. Could you have pcos? Mirena can make that worse.

I had similar symptoms from around 44, with some really long and heavy irregular periods. Then in my late forties I started missing periods and they were light instead. Then they just went back to regular for ages. Now they are just random and I'm heading towards 52, last one seemed completely normal. It can definitely go on for a lot of years!