Has Peri/Meno made myp eriod 2 weeks late?

[PCol]

I am coming up for 49. I guess I am in perimenopause. Symptoms in the last year or so have been cycles getting a bit shorter, periods getting a bit heavier and the resurgence of PMT symptoms that I used to get in teens/twenties (mainly very sore breasts), running a bit hotter (need a fan in the bedroom after showers etc), a bit of insomnia and, somewhat counter to what I hear, increased libido.

Periods still pretty regular, if a heavier. However, this month I was 14 days or so late and had a lot of cramping. I was actually worried about pregnancy (test was negative on day 38 when started bleeding). I don't think it has ever been this late, apart from once before in my early twenties after a traumatic breakup.

Is this part of/beginning of menopause? Or could it just be stress? (of which there has been plenty recently)

I track my cycle in an app so it now looks like this, going backwards: 38, 24, 25, 24, 25, 24, 30, 21, 17, 21, 26, 25, 28, 22, 23, 25, 22, 26, 24, 23, 24, 23, 25, 24, 26, 23, 29, 25, 24, 24, 23, 27, 26, 25, 24, 24, 27, 24, 25, 26, 27, 24

Sounds like peri. I went from a regular 28 day cycle to cycles from 14-120 days. HRT has regulated these now.

Irregular, late, and very late periods were definitely a symptom for me, starting in my early 40's. I had my tubes tied at 27, and then had clockwork periods for well over a decade until things went bonkers. Twice, I didn't have a period for 3 months and then it came back. I'm on HRT now and it's glorious. No hot flushes, no more anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, etc.

Thanks Guys - reassuring that it's normal (and also not pregnant, phew!)

Bit of a shock to the system after always being pretty regular. And so it begins I guess!