Quick poll: does your cycle gets shorter as you grow older?

[Francagoestohollywood]

Mine does and I'm now really annoyed. What about you?

Sorry, huge typo in the title

I am almost 40 and have had a short-ish cycle since I came off the pill. Not sure what it was before the pill. I had a 22 day cycle this month and a 26 day cycle last month. I was under the impression that it would get longer as you got older but could be wrong.

Am TTC so to have it so short is really annoying.

Same. Getting shorter.
I had my mirena removed a few months ago though, so wonder whether it has something to do with that as well.

Also - the days I have it on are getting shorter too. I have medium bleeding day one, heavy for 2 days and then it gets very light and stops about day 5. Might be the effects of age?

Am really hoping I can manage to conceive before I am completely barren!

I'm the opposite, mine stops and starts for about 10 days now, plus it seems to appear at random times. Mind you, I have now got a hormonal DD who is probably knocking my cycle out of whack.

Yes! GYN said it usually gets shorter around the time of perimenopause.

It's in menopause that it actually gets longer (menopause takes a while unless it's surgical/drug-induced).

I'm 39 next month.

My mother didn't menopause until she was 52.

I wish I could just get rid of periods (can't use progesten-based contraception so Mirena is out)!

They are a nuisance.

I'm too old for any more babies and DH having snip.

I get stop and start, too!

Glad to know it's not just me.

I also get worse PMT and my cervix is so tender and sore for a day or two at mid-cycle it actually hurts.

Had swab/smear test a couple of months ago because bled after sex around that time and results were normal, but practice nurse said I've got cervical erosion (which I also had after giving birth to DD1).

Joy!

I don't do PMT any more thanks to ADs, just as well or I probably wouldn't have a family . I think I'm prone to cysts, I had one a few years ago, but they seem to pop on their own so seeing as I'll never be TTC again I just ignore it.

Empathy, Franca!

My sister is 42. She had her children in her 20s. Then she had endometrial ablation for fibroids in her late 30s, so now she has loads of freedom because her children are more independent AND extremely light or no periods.

Jealous!

I was 39 in November and I now have 23/24 days cycle. It feels like I have my period all the time , I'm not happy.

Oh at your sister Expat.
We aren't planning to expand our family, though I haven't really crossed the option for good.

Mine's about 25 days. Used to be pretty much bang on 30.

I had DS when I was 37. He's a poor sleeper and I have to say, that put paid to having any more babies for me! The girls were always such good sleepers.

But even now, at 14 months, he's up between 1-3AM, sometimes again around 5 and for good at 7.

Plus, he is very active.

It is seriously knackering!

My cycle used to be very long before I got pg for the first time (I was 31 and a half then), I think around 36 days .

Awwww Expat. My ds was appalling as far as sleeping habits were concerned. I feel your pain.

I'm definitely still ovulating, too.

Grrr. Can't wait till DH gets the all-clear, because don't want any more.

DS is lovely, but he's a very bad sleeper and we do have the other two girls to get to school/nursery, lessons, activities, etc.

I look at babies now and I think, 'He/she is growing to grow into a child,' and man, they can be demanding!

I'm not sure about ovulating, a few months ago I was much more aware of when I was.

I don't know, what really puts me off about having another one is that I'm not really good with toddlers. Toddlers are too irrational !

Thing that puts me off is that they start to get more expensive as they get older!

We'd have to get another car.

And, with my age, increased risk of having a disabled child and/or complications during pregnancy and delivery is an issue.

My last delivery was my hardest. He was heavier than his sisters and I could definitely feel my age.

It's not so for others, but it is for me.

I'm 42 when I was 40...got down to 21 day cycles..bled some days but not others...period seemed to last for about 10 days before all spottyness had gone.

Had a mirena coil fitted no periods...very happy me!

Yes, children are expensive, aren't they. And here in Milan activities are more expensive than where we used to live in the UK. Here, however, nursery schools are free from the year they turn 3, which is good.

I've also been suffering from really bad back ache since after I had my second, so I'm not sure how fit I'd be in a third pg.

Zoomy a 10 days period would drive me insane. Glad to hear you sorted it with the mirena coil. I need to ring my gynae.

oh buggery, they get shorter just pre-menopause? Pants. I had regular 28-30 day cycle for years until I had DS (aged 40 - me that is, not him) and since they came back it has been a 26 day cycle. Hasn't got any worse though and I did get pg 3m ago, although MC at 8w, so maybe not premenopausal just yet.. (fingers crossed!)

I guess it's the hormone interruption that may change the cycle length, rather than OC pill or other contraception?

It drove me nuts tbh Franca.

I had 3 c/sections in 3 years in my late 20's early 30's.

I think the operations sent my hormones a bit screwy, although my Mum's menopause was all over and done with by the time she was 40 so it could be all natural, whatever the cause though the Mirena was a god send for me, nothing else seemed to regulate it all.

Hope the gynae visit goes Ok.

Im nearly 28 and have 2 d and my cycle is 21/22 days, by the time i reach mid 30 - 40 i'll be bleeding all the time!

I had a Mirena and never stopped bleeding/spotting.

For 10 months, I had about a fortnight of dry days.

It also gave me horrendous spots, mood swings and killed my sex drive.

So it's the snip for DH (can't use combined hormones due to hypertension, don't agree with how copper coil works).

Also, my last two pregnancies (missed miscarriage and then DS) I fell pregnant scarily quickly.

That sounds horrible expat.

I must admit the Mirena - bar a hysterectomy was my last option for everything.

I think if I expected my meno' to be years and years away my DH would be having the snip too...but after my last mc I don't think I can carry anymore so I could be post meno' by the time DH had the op.