to ask your cycle length and…

[Wouldloveanother]

If it has got slightly shorter as time has gone on or after a baby?
mine has gone from 29/30 days as a teen to 26/27 in my early 30s, and just had an odd 24 day cycle. Just curious if this is a ‘thing’!

I'm 33 now and my cycles are anything between 26-31 days for the last year. Before my second born who is four now my cycle was exactly 29 days. I have noticed that while my cycles are a little unpredictable now (as in not exact) the length of my period has dropped from standard 7/8 days to only 4/5 days.

yes I used to be 27-28 days before children, after first child that became 26 day cycles now after the second and stopping breastfeeding it is usually 24 days! Periods have got lighter and shorter but other hormonal symptoms way more extreme. I now get delightful morning sickness style nausea and even sometimes vomiting during the hormone crash on first day of my period. More cramps and headaches etc. 🙁

Oh and I’m 35

I've definitely seen a change in my hormonal symptoms too since having kids.

Pre kids I had debilitating cramps, nausea, vomiting and headaches two days before and two days into my period. Every month. Now I'm fortunate enough to say I barely get cramps and the nausea is only every few months but my moods are terrible (angry, irrational, emotional) and I get big anxiety flare ups the week before too.

I’ve been the same, much worse PMT although still no pain - how strange! A baby definitely seems to reprogram everything.

@Wouldloveanother just seen you asking about peri and if it can happen early. My mum had an early menopause and was all done and dusted by 45. Apparently peri symptoms can start up to 10 years before the actual menopause so that would fit with what I’ve experienced assuming that I follow my mum’s pattern. But you can still conceive during peri and I have heard (no idea if true) that you can be extra fertile at this time.

That’s interesting Retrieve - my mum only went into the full menopause when she was 54. I don’t think she was peri until late 40s. Nobody in my family have had earlyish menopause, in fact a lot of them have popped out babies at 43/43. I guess it’s not an exact science though!

I’ve always had a shortish cycle, average is 26 days (and my dd is the same), but have had a few very short cycles recently - 21 days. I can tell when I’m ovulating and I think I’ve had a few cycles where I haven’t ovulated - these seem to be the short ones. I’m nearly 40 with no other obvious symptoms of peri menopause.

I conceived easily on my short cycle - key is to remember that you ovulate 14 days before your period is due, not on day 14.

I seriously thought this was going to be about bicycle frame sizes 😂