Periods suddenly stopped at 48 yrs - Pregnant or menopause?

[Panickingnow]

I’m 48 yrs old, turning 49 in December.
My periods were always very accurate every 28 days my whole life since I started them at 13 yrs old.
However when I got Covid vaccine last year this suddenly all changed and my periods became an irregular, like for example coming in shorter cycles between -18-20 days for a whole year, some very light.
I had Gyno private check up in May - vag scan and a smear test, these were all ok.
The DR mentioned vaguely that my ovaries don’t look too much active but obviously still working but not as in 20 yrs old women.
Now my last period was on 21 June and seemed normal, actually arrived on day 28 and lasted about 5 days.

Then we had a bereavement in a family about a 10 days later and on that day I started a bleeding slightly for a day or two, this was very light and stopped.
Since that no period at all.
I thought maybe the stress from the bereavement could caused this.

I had a sex few times ( 2-3max ) and all was unprotected but given my age I thought the chance to get pregnant would be extremely slim but I know it still does exists.

I tested few times with cheepo tests from Amazon but all was negative.
I had NO any symptoms of peri or menopause like hot flashes etc nothing ever, also no pregnancy symptoms at all apart I noticed I put on weight like half stone a bit in short time like few weeks- like my bum feels much bigger, have a huge tyre on my stomach, jeans feel tight in waist, my thighs look really big and suddenly chunky.
I did a another pregnancy test this morning and although it came back negative, an hour later there was some thin line.
Now i panicking that I’m might be actually pregnant!
But if I am should not them tests show it properly?
As I would be like 4 months gone by now as last period was in 21st June.
plus with all my previous pregnancies successful or miscarried I always felt sick very from the beginning with low tummy pain, sore boobs etc.
I just don’t know what’s going on..

Honestly I don't think there's that much of a mystery, you're entering perimenopause. The irregular periods and bleeding are the symptoms of that.

Your tests were all negative so you can rule out pregnancy, and the chances of carrying to term at your age would be extremely low in any case.

If there was a line on the one this morning then to put your mind at rest I’d do another test. But most likely it’s menopause.

Can you get a first response test ? And check it within the time frame that should give you a definite answer regarding pregnancy

A faint line that shows up after the time specified on the box (often 3-10 minutes ish) is not a valid positive test.
I would have thought a pregnancy test would immediately show up as a blazing positive if you were 4 months gone too.

Thank you all.
Yep I was thinking menopause as my mum had hers at 46 yrs, so even earlier than me.
But does menopause come without any other symptoms like flashes, sweating, moods? I had none of these, my mum had bad hot flashes nonstop.
I just tested again, cheepos tests but highly sensitive, and different brand - both negative within the 5 mins window.
@WhatAboutTheDesk yep would get First response if still some line appeared, only didn’t want to waste money if not needed.

Stand up straight.. Bend backwards.. Feel your pubic line firmly. If your uterus was bigger you would be able to feel it at 4 months for sure.. I could at 8 weeks.

Mine stopped at about the same age, then I had a period a year later, and another a year after that. I think the symptoms started a year or two later, i had hot flushes on and off for a year or two, but that was about it.

Usually you follow your mother with the menopause, so I would say menopause.

Steady on!

You've missed a period. Possibly two. This is peri menopause.

It doesn't mean you are now post menopause (no more periods EVER!)

You can only say you are post menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.

What usually happens is that women miss one or two cycles, then normal service is resumed and a few more normal periods arrive, then maybe a few more periods are missed , or cycles become shorter, or longer, and bleeding ca be heavier or lighter, AND THIS CAN GO ON FOR YEARS.

Just because you have missed a period doesn't mean they have stopped forever.

(And it's far too soon to think you won't have any flushes or other symptoms. My flushes etc started after my last period round abut 53.)

what is the perimenopause

There is LOADS of info on that site so have a browse around.

As a BTW, you can get pregnant in your late 40s, and medical advice it use contraception until you have gone 2 years without a period.

(Or 1 year if over 50.)

I was 44 when my periods stopped. They never got lighter or heavier, just stopped dead. I had no symptoms leading up to it except feeling a bit hot during the night.

I know I was extremely lucky and just sailed through it, my mum was exactly the same.

Thank you.
hoping I’m just in peri and still will get some more periods.

Update:

Yesterday evening I started to feel a familiar low stomach pain which went on for the whole night and today my period arrived!
Yes, so definitely missed one and definitely in the Peri phase now!
thank you all!