Peri-Menopause
Natural midlife changes start when your periods become irregular. Peri-menopause refers to the time leading up to menopause when the cycle length and menstrual flow can vary significantly. The gradual decrease in the production of oestrogen in the ovaries during this time is simply the body’s natural evolution from the fertile, child-bearing years to a whole new stage of life.
If you are in your 40s, or sometimes even earlier, you may have started to experience some of the normal and natural changes that signal peri menopause. The time between periods can shorten or lengthen, the periods can become heavier or lighter. The fluctuations in the hormones can produce a host of symptoms, which can last up to several years. Peri menopause can best be summed up as the time when your body gets ready for menopause. At menopause our oestrogen and progesterone levels become quite low. It is during peri menopause that our body gets ready for these new, lower levels.
Every woman is unique, as is her experience of menopause. If you are unsure about the changes you are feeling, the best thing is to speak to your healthcare professional, who can help you clarify some of these changes and suggest the best way to ease symptoms you might be experiencing.