Where's my period? Is this the menopause?

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

I am 53 years old so expecting the menopause to start any time now.

About 7 years ago I had very heavy periods, turned out to be fibroids which were removed. Since then my periods have been fine and fairly regular. 25 -28 days apart. I can always tell when I'm ovulating, period appears 13 days later.

My period was due early April. But I hadnt ovulated and it didn't happen. I thought that might be the start of the menopause. However I ovulated when my period was due, ie two weeks late. So my period should have started last week. I had one day where there was a slight smear of blood but then nothing.

I've got no other symptoms. No sweats, no hot flushes. I always assumed that your periods stop because you are no longer ovulating. But i definitely ovulated. So why no period? And if this is the menopause, should I be having other symptoms?

Could you be pregnant OP?

@Bacardi101 Dh had a vasectomy after we had the DC. Plus I'm 53. So no!

Have you seen this OP? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3898675-Pandemic-affecting-menstrual-cycle

wow that's fascinating. I'd not seen that thread. To be honest, if I hadn't ovulated I'd just have chalked it up to my age but it was the fact that I definitely ovulated but no proper period arrived that made me wonder what is actually going on.

How do you know when you have ovulated? I must be weird because I never knew in my entire life, even when conceiving 2 DCs!

Many women once they get near menopause- mid to late 40s onwards- have anovular cycles.

@JinglingHellsBells I couldn't ever tell pre children. It would have been a useful skill back then!

At the risk of TMI, I have a thick mucus discharge and a sharp pain when I ovulate.

Doesn't Anovular mean "without ovulating"?
Whereas I have the opposite issue - I ovulated (but two weeks late) but no period. And I'm definitely not pregnant.

Have you/could you have had cv Emma?

I used to be able to practically set my watch to my periods they were very regular. Then at about 54 or so my periods started getting very irregular and more spaced apart. They did get a bit lighter but not until after a couple years. No other symptoms at all. I'd be regular for a few months then skip a couple months. It eventually got to a point where I'd get a very light one for two or three days a few months apart. Thank god no flooding or hot flushes ever. No fogginess or mood swings. Just diminished bleeds and I think I had my last one on my 57th birthday. Yay!

@sleepwhenidie. not as far as I know!

@Pipandmum that sounds great, I'm hoping I am the same. I was expecting my periods to become more irregular but I didnt expect to ovulate but then no period appear.

@sleepwhenidie
Can I ask why you ask about cv?
I have started reading this thread as, at 46 just turned, I have had no period for 9 weeks now. I also have had skin breakouts and some other menopausal symptoms so I was wondering if this might be the start for me. Just wondering if there was a connection with cv as this would tie in timewise???

Hi Bings I am 99% sure I had cv but my first symptoms were terrible might sweats (daytime awful headache and occasional hot flush but no fever). Coincided with period going AWOL (though it has been a bit erratic the last year). I am 47 and decided I must be suddenly perimenopausal but other covid symptoms followed and nightsweats stopped after about a fortnight.

Sorry, posted too soon!

Then a friend also with cv happened to ask if it had affected my cycle as hers was v late too so it got me wondering!

DM had no menopause symptoms. Just had one last period at 48 and then.... nothing.

Gives me hope that I'll be the same.

Onetoomany it would be great if that’s the case for me - easiest menopause ever! But seems weirdly coincidental and now I understand that research is being done into the relationship between covid and female hormones (they know it affects men’s reproductive health and think oestrogen is playing a protective part in the way men are much more likely to die from it) - so I’m maybe not completely nuts!

sleep this was back in 2012 so before Covid.

I didn’t mean any connection between covid and your mum’s experience onetoomany, just that I’d like that too!

Aaahh! Sorry, totally misread that then!
Yeah, it would be nice. Seeing as she also seems to have passed on the Hyperemesis gene (there's no real science to back that up but looks to be genetic in my family) so it would be nice to be the same.

@sleepwhenidie
That's so funny as I was wondering the same. I had cv symptoms - want tested but very clear symptoms about 7 weeks ago so the timing would be spot on.. I wonder if it is connected???

Well.my period still hasn't appeared. And still no menopausal symptoms....

You don't automatically get symptoms straight away!

I had very few symptoms until after my very last period. I didn't miss many cycles either- missed one, then around 4 in a row (and got mild flushes then), but they disappeared as my next cycle started. The stop-start of periods lasted about 9 months max, then they ended and the hot flushes started on the hour all day long.

I think I'd query if you really are ovulating- it's very hard to tell, but in menopause the cycles can be incomplete and you may not have entered the 2nd stage of a cycle that would result in a period.

@JinglingHellsBells oh no! I was hoping this might be it.

I am.99% certain I know when I ovulate and it definitely seemed like I did. Maybe my body is playing tricks....