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Menopause

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Is this early menopause?

3 replies

lizziedripping98 · 05/01/2026 07:38

Good morning, hope you all had a lovely Christmas & New Year.
I was 40 in October, had my second baby in 2023.
I started my periods when I was 11 & recently they have been coming every 2 weeks but lasting only 3 days. Usually they would come every 4 weeks and last 5/6 (I've always had terrible ones). I used to crave chocolate like crazy and cry over something silly the day before it came but I have none of that now. No signs or warnings its on its way.
I am absolutely exhausted and get horrible pain at the top of my thighs like cramp. Totally gone off sex and just exhausted all the time.
My mum has passed away and my my grandma had a hysterectomy in her early 20s so she never experienced this.
Thank you all for reading and any advice would be greatly appreciated xx

OP posts:
ClareVoiance · 05/01/2026 11:44

Sounds like perimenopause but I'd ask your General Practitioner as it might be something else.
Menopause is after your periods have stopped completely.

101trees · 05/01/2026 20:29

I am also 40 and had my second baby in 2023!

Personally, if I was lightly bleeding every 2 weeks, I would get checked out with my GP. It might be perimenopause, but it might be something else going on.

I found that after pregnancy my periods had changed, they were closer together (not as close as yours though) and really light.

After that they got extremely heavy, still closer together, and I started to get hot flushes and other menopause symptoms (increased migraines, anxiety etc).

I went on HRT 9 months or so ago. It has helped a good bit, but I also think I have huge volatility in my own hormones, which has been hard to control with HRT.

Have you considered the contraceptive pill? If I went back again now, I'd probably try this. There are some almost bio-identical ones now.

My periods did actually start to change before I was pregnant, I just didn't recognise it at the time. I do think crashing from pregnancy hormones into volatile perimenopause hormones caused me quite a few issues. But that's just my personal theory.

Before I was put on HRT they did an ultrasound and checked various other blood tests. I have a strong family history of early menopause though, so this was always the most likely scenario.

I did also get a lot of "well toddlers are tiring at your age" rubbish, before some blood tests and a gynae confirmed it was perimenopause.

ClareVoiance · 05/01/2026 20:39

Congratulations to you both on your babies.
Hope you get checked out @lizziedripping98 .

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