Casey, age 53, woke up chilled. At 4 am this morning.
Had she actually slept through a hot flash? Miracle of miracles, she could only hope.
Still groggy, she managed to register some gratitude and relief that it wasn’t 1 am, which it had been for the last several weeks. She sighed, turned to her other side, and touched her cheek down to a fresher spot on her pillow. Another sigh.
She counted 6.5 hours of glorious, uninterrupted, deep sleep. “At last,” she thought, “Maybe I’m getting the hang of… wait. What was that?” A warm liquid flood released with her new sleep position. She tentatively touched the mattress behind her back, and the backside of her underwear and sure enough. Evidence… bold, red, and wet was there. “Noooo… no, no, no… I thought I was done with periods.”
It had been 6 months since her last cycle… and there was no mistake that she was having one now.
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If you haven’t experienced skipped (or extra) periods in perimenopause, allow us to assure you, it can be a normal (and annoying) part of the process.
As hormone levels change, menstrual cycles may go from reliable and familiar to whose-period-is-this? Changes may include:
In order to illustrate, let’s do a comparison of what goes on during a regular period and a perimenopausal irregular period.
An egg matures in the ovaries during a period with the help of an increased level of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone). It’s the follicles that produce estrogen, and the estrogen, in turn, causes the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) to thicken, to prepare to receive a fertilized egg.
Ovulation, the release of the mature egg, creates progesterone. Most eggs aren’t fertilized. What happens next is, the progesterone goes away and the endometrium is sloughed off. This is what we know as a period.
During perimenopause periods, there aren’t as many follicles to stimulate, so the body really increases the FSH, resulting in more estrogen being created. More estrogen means the uterine lining becomes even thicker – causing heavier bleeding and perimenopause periods lasting longer. This whole process can take longer, too, resulting in longer gaps between periods.
Yes, indeed it can happen more often than not. In some cycles, the endometrium continues to thicken until it has to be shed – resulting in a very heavy flow.
During a cycle that has a heavier flow than you’re familiar with, it can feel surprising, baffling, even a little scary to see more blood and clots than you are used to.
Bear in mind, you may experience feelings of disappointment, exasperation, weariness, all in addition to increased or intensified cycle symptoms. Be easy on yourself and ramp your self-care if you can. Your body and mind are going through a significant transformation.
This being said, a regular period can release between 2 tablespoons over the course of 4-6 days, or more, for more days or fewer. We’ve also seen reports of regular or normal period bleeding as being 2-3 tablespoons over 3-5 days.
Abnormal bleeding, specifically may look like very heavy bleeding or bleeding that:
In order to really dial into your own health and body, consider a check-in with one of our Telemedicine doctors. This is for assurance, guidance, support, and it will keep your files noted with new data and insights.
No, not hyper-vigilance. Just simple awareness. Here are a few ways to be and stay prepared for an unexpected period:
When was your last period? How many months have you gone without a cycle?
Menstrual cup, tampons, or pads, have something on-hand until you’re sure you’ve gone 12 months without a period. Desk, car, bag, duffel, wherever. And it doesn’t have to be a lot of supplies, just the right one for you to get you through a few hours.
If you’re experiencing multiple perimenopause symptoms, it’ll make more sense and may feel more normal to have irregular periods at this time. Journal about them, keep a record on Post-it notes at your bedside, record them in a notes-application on your mobile device. They may prove useful and paint a bigger picture when you…
Let your doctor or professional know what’s going on with you and your body. Support, education, and care will really help you navigate through perimenopause to menopause by making informed choices about your options.
We have no idea when or which one our last period is. There’s no indicator that we’re on the final countdown, tallying 12 full months of no menstrual cycle to achieve and unlock the menopause level.
Best you can do is to be aware, consult your doctor (or speak with one of ours), practice some extra self-care, and know that this could be the last or at least one of the last, periods you’ll go through. You’ll be closer, if not finished. Regardless, transformation is, indeed, happening.
What have you experienced around irregular periods in perimenopause? And… what are your questions about period reoccurrence during perimenopause? Check-in and chat in our Gennev Community Forums.
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