I don’t know about you,, but I’ve found that most women I talk to think about menopause as a singular occurrence, meaning, one day you are a menstruating woman and the next day hormones drop to menopausal levels and you no longer get a period.
In truth, the journey toward menopause lasts years. And during that time, a woman’s hormone levels go through a series of shifts.
The first stop on the pausal spectrum typically begins in our mid to late 30’s when our ovaries begin to experience starts and fits, much like that of a spotty wi-fi signal.
Sometimes our ovaries get the message that it’s time to mature a follicle and sometimes the signal gets lost and the ovary doesn’t produce a follicle, which means that a woman won’t ovulate. Since progesterone is only made in ROBUST amounts when we ovulate, we start to see a decline in progesterone. This is often the start of what we call perimenopause.
The perimenopause phase can last 5 to 15 years, and during that time, our ovaries continue to experience more frequent starts and fits. Progesterone continues to decline. Estrogen often goes on a roller coaster ride, surging sky-high one moment, and super low the next (hello, hot flashes). There are often major imbalances between progesterone and estrogen at this time, and women can feel pretty lousy.
Periods may be heavy or light, frequent or infrequent, or shorter or longer depending on estrogen and progesterone levels. This is often the most tumultuous and symptomatic time on a woman’s journey toward menopause. This can last for months or years before estrogen begins its steady decline, which most often happens in the 1 to 2 years prior to menopause. .
Once a woman has gone 12 months without a period, she is considered menopausal.
The journey toward menopause is different for everyone ~ no two women will have the same “pausal” experience. .
But one thing is for certain: ALL WOMEN will experience a decline in hormones. It’s inevitable. And it’s important to get educated about this phase in life so that you can be better prepared when it comes.
