AIBU to worry about an unusually short, lighter period at 36?

[Cheeseandpicklecob]

I’m 36.
Normally my periods follow the same pattern: pain before it starts, then pain and heavy bleeding on days 1+2, medium flow on day 3+4, then easing off between day 5+6. Sometimes day 7.

This month started as normal - I always get pain before I start bleeding and I did. I had the usual build up symptoms.
It arrived a day late, when it started it was brown spotting to begin with, then heavy flow for around 24 hours. Day two was a lot lesser flow than usual. Day three was basically nothing, except the odd amount of spotting. Now on day four, it has all but stopped.

I had a hormone blood test just last month which showed nothing unusual or suspicious.
I definitely ovulated this month. So I have no idea what’s going on, it’s a very odd month for me. Has anyone experienced similar?

I also have on/off breast pain today and some itching of my nipples. Which is definitely hormone related from experience.

Possibility of pregnancy?

It was a heavy bleed day one, so unlike if to be pregnancy I’d have thought?
Also we use protection (condoms) as I don’t react well to hormonal contraceptives.

It's completely normal for women to have the occasional period that isn't exactly like the others. If you suddenly keep getting weird periods or things become unpredictable for months, then you might want to see your GP, but one odd period isn't usually a concern and probably doesn't have any significant explanation.

I started hrt at 37ish. My periods got super light from 36 onwards for 6 months then developed night sweats. It was the start of menopause.

I had implantation bleeding with my last pregnancy and assumed it was a period as was heavy enough to be, but less days than normal. I’d do a pregnancy test to rule it out.

Personally I'd test for pregnancy as condoms are not foolproof and bleeding whilst pregnant can be one of the signs of ectopic (or not!), but best to know to keep an eye on it.

Assuming you are not pregnant, then to answer your question - no, one funny period is not anything to worry about. If your next period is back to what's normal for you, all good. If the next couple of periods are like the recent period though, I would see the GP as that's an established change.

This happened to me about the same age, my periods starting changing like this with 1 or 2 days of heavy bleeding, then pretty much nothing, and then my periods stopped completely at 43. Relatively early menopause. I had a (much wanted) baby aged 38 though so the changes to my periods didn't stop me getting pregnant. Just my experience of course and might not reflect what is happening with you.

Possibly peri which can start many years before menopause but you would need to speak to your GP about it. I am in my 50s now and through menopause but in my 30s I went through a stage of my periods becoming shorter and lighter for several month's, i worried it might be early menopause, but then they just returned to normal up until my early 50s.

I’m 39 and I had changes in flow pattern around age 36, too. Pretty much the exact same ones as you, minus the pain (I’ve never really had painful periods). My periods have mostly stayed in the new pattern.

I don’t have any solid medical information to share, but my mother says she had something similar in her late thirties. She started skipping periods in her late forties and had her last period when she was 51.

As PP’s have said, do a pregnancy test just in case.

period changes due to age are common from mid 30s onwards. Doesn't sound that strange to me, and it's only one period – seems a bit extreme to worry this much about it.

I have twice been pregnant after a weirdly short period.

One of those times was ectopic.

Please do a test to be sure.