What is Perimenopause? (And How to Support Yours)
I remember the first time I heard the word Perimenopause, I honestly thought, What the hell is this now.
It felt like some secret club no one had told me about, and suddenly I was being initiated whether I liked it or not.
I couldn’t believe I’d never even heard of it before, menopause, yes, but not the 7–10 year warm-up before. And yet, apparently, it’s a massive life shift that every woman and people with periods go through.
The lack of information we’re given about our own bodies is unbelievably baffling to me.
If you’ve followed my story for a while, you’ll know I was 38 before I found out our cycle had four different phases, that it was more than just a bleed.
So when I hit 40 and discovered this whole thing called Perimenopause, it really blew my mind.
So this week’s question is for my younger self, and for anyone else who’s just found out about this mysterious phase we’re all expected to navigate without a map.
“What even is perimenopause? And how the hell do I support mine?”
Perimenopause marks the transitional phase between regular menstrual cycles and the end of your periods.
Not to be confused with Menopause, a mere 24-hour affair, celebrating the one-day anniversary of your last cycle.
During perimenopause, you start to lose your reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone), and your cycles become irregular until eventually, they stop.
In the UK, menopause typically arrives at around 52, while perimenopause usually begins at approximately 43. However, hormonal shifts can kick in as early as your mid-30s.
So, if that extra cup of coffee or a bag of peanut M&Ms (my pre-lactose-intolerance penchant) has become your 3 pm ritual, your hormones might be trying to grab your attention.
Menopause is not a sign of being ‘old’.
There are many cases of people going through it prematurely, even in their 20s, due to a condition called Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).
And yes, there are even documented cases in teens, though that’s extremely rare.
There are also medical reasons why you might experience early menopause, like surgical menopause after the removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy), or medically induced menopause caused by chemotherapy or certain medications.
So it's defo not a sign of your youth and vitality being over!
It just marks the beginning of a different phase of your life cycle.
How to Support Irregular Cycles and Perimenopause
So what happens in perimenopause, and why do you need to know about it NOW?
Also known as second adolescence, perimenopause shares a similar hormonal roller coaster pattern to the one you might experience in your teen years.
If you've got a child going through puberty while you're riding the perimenopause rollercoaster, it can be a wild ride.
Some days, the clashing symptoms might have you butting heads.
Other days, you might end up being each other’s greatest ally, because who else really gets what it feels like when your body suddenly doesn’t make sense?
Now let's get nerdy with the science bit (you know I love me some science)
The Perimenopause Sequence of Events
The key hormonal players in your cycle are Estrogen and Progesterone. With regular, ovulatory cycles, our inner ecosystem remains in a state of harmonious balance and ticks over happily... until it doesn't.
During perimenopause, you start to have fewer and fewer ovulatory cycles. Since we only produce progesterone when we ovulate, less ovulation also means less progesterone.
Your brain then goes through a recalibration process, adjusting to the lower levels of estrogen and progesterone it’s been used to throughout your cycling years.
But unlike a Sat Nav, this recalibration can take up to seven years.
Here’s a little overview of what to expect, but please keep in mind, these are based on averages, and what might be true for you will be different for someone else.
👉 Remember – There is a broad spectrum of what is considered normal when it comes to our cycles
Pre-Perimenopause – Late 30s to Early 40s
This is the stage before perimenopause officially kicks in, and you may notice your hormone levels start to fluctuate (cue the Peanut M&Ms).
Early Perimenopause – Mid-40s
Estrogen and progesterone start to get a bit wonky. This normally starts with...
- Shorter cycles – 21 to 26 days (although not always, they can become longer)
- High and wildly fluctuating estrogen (hello second adolescence)
The result of that may be hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
Mid Perimenopause – Late 40s
Cycles tend to get longer as your periods become further and further apart.
Less ovulatory cycles mean less progesterone (because we only make progesterone when we ovulate) and you might experience mood swings, sleep disturbances, hot flushes, night sweats, and migraines.
Late Perimenopause – Early 50s
Estrogen continues its slow exit, and you might encounter more intense symptoms, such as Sahara-like dryness in lady bits.
Menstrual cycles start to become less predictable and more distant.
Menopause (Around 52, on average)
You officially hit menopause when you've had a solid 12 months sans periods.
Post Menopause
Your periods take a permanent vacation, transitioning you into the post-menopausal era.
Your Cycle – More Than a Baby Factory
Your cycle produces hormones that are crucial not just for baby-making but for long-term health. Each cycle is like a deposit in your hormonal piggy bank, providing support for your future self.
The more you nurture your cycle health now, the better positioned you are for a smoother perimenopause transition. Understanding your cycle today is basically setting the foundations for your midlife self.
And as we said before, menopause and menstruation are not separate. They are both part of one life cycle, but a lot of the time, I see two things...
👉 People in menopause who wish they had taken more time to understand their cycle.
👉 People with a cycle, oblivious as to why they should take the time to understand it.
Hard truth (with love), if you’re not really clued up on how to navigate your cycle now (and yes, chocolate and painkillers have their place, but that’s not what I’m talking about), perimenopause will feel like completely unknown territory when you get initiated into the club.
Your cycle is the compass that will guide your perimenopause experience. The more you know and understand about how your cycle works now, the more informed you will be about your body as it recalibrates itself during perimenopause.
Basically, why wait to fight fire later when you can take more self-loving action now?
How to Support Your Perimenopause Right Now
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Try to eat food that feels nourishing. Think satisfying meals with a balance of protein, healthy fats, and fibre.
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Go easy on the sugar where you can, to help manage energy dips and glucose spikes. A good rule of thumb is to pair your carbs with protein or fat to keep things steady.
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Prioritise sleep where you can. Take a look at your screen time and bedtime habits, and consider adding magnesium if it helps.
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Start mapping your cycle, even if it’s all over the place right now; it’s still worth tracking. Scroll to the bottom to get your FREE charting tool.
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Talk about it. Hormonal shifts can make you feel isolated; connection helps your nervous system remember you’re safe.
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You don’t need to do everything. But paying attention to your body now will make this next chapter a hell of a lot easier to navigate.
Perimenopause isn’t something to fear, but it is something worth understanding. The more you know now, the less you’ll need to firefight later.
And if you've just joined the club? Welcome. There’s no badge, but we do have snacks.
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