Cycle getting noticeably shorter, I am 35, is this normal??!!

[Susie352]

We've decided to start TTC, I am 35. However I have become very anxious that I might be entering early menopause because I have noticed thay my monthly cycle has gradually been shortening from 28 days in my 20s to 24 to 27 days a year ago and has been down to 21 to 24 days in the last few months. Has anyone else experienced this and has it affected your ability to get pregnant? This would be my first child and I've not been on any hormonal contraception.

I'm 37, yes my cycles have gotten shorter in my 30's. They are irregular 23-27 days but average about 25 days. Its not made me any less fertile though. I've got 5 kids, 2 in my 30's. My youngest is only 11 months. I sometimes think it might be my body knowing I'm in the last few years of fertility so it's popping out as many eggs as possible 🤣

My periods used to be 27/29 days in my 30's. In my early 40's they went to around 26 days. I've managed to make them longer to 28 days recently by improving my diet i.e. cutting out sugar and alcohol. The months I slip back to my old bad habits, my cycle goes back to 26 days, it is quite quick and noticeable the improvements to my cycle when my diet improves consistently.

Would agree with @NorseKiwi, hows your diet? Are you getting all the nutrients you need? When TTC my first (I was 28) I had a semi normal cycle 27-28 days but a short Luteal phase, once I started increasing my Vitamin C and B6 it made a big different increasing it by at least a day.. the month after I got my BFP. Your diet plays a huge part in your hormonal cycle, worth looking into. Good luck! x

I've been taking pre-pregnancy multi vits for a couple of months and also a few weeks ago started vit c, I definitely have a short luteal phase - 8 to 10 days I think, but I think my follicular phase has also shortened by a few days (I've been charting my cycles for a number of years). I thought my diet was pretty good, I wouldn't say I eat a lot of sugar and have been massively cutting back on alcohol, only thing I struggle to reduce is coffee but I've been working on that too. I think it's got me really worried because of the gradual shortening over the last 5 years. I'm basically with cycles that are currently 5 to 8 days shorter than in my 20s and the recent change is quite sudden. I have booked an appointment with my gp but not sure whether they will take me seriously.

@Susie352 Good, glad to hear you've contacted your doctor.. You just have to make them aware of how much it's worrying you and force them to take you seriously, explain that you have been tracking your cycles for a long period of time etc as I'm sure they will suggest this but you have already done that part.. I hope they can give you some answers.

Sounds like you are all good health wise, I struggle with the coffee too, I used to drink a lot during the day but have cut it down to 1 cup in the AM and I only drink de-caff after that.

Are you tracking Ovulation? When do you ovulate currently?

I think I ovulate on day 11 to 14, hopefully I can persuade the GP to listen. Reading online it does say some shortening of cycles is normal with age but mine seems quite extreme at the moment. Anyone else with similar experience?

Do you get stressed much?

I'm usually 26-29 days but have had a couple of 21 day cycles in the last 12 months.

In my 30’s when ttc my cycles were irregular and between 35 and 42 days long.

I hit 40 and theyre every 28 days. Ffs.

I wondered whether it might be stress as the last year has been quite stressful but thought this tends to delay rather than hasten periods; but maybe if it's caused my hormones to be out of whack it's possible it's gone the other way.

I had this, from about thirty. I successfully conceived at 37 and again at 40.

Oh and didn’t get menopause till 54