“The first sign of the perimenopause is usually,
but not always, a change in the normal pattern
of your periods, for example they become irregular”.1
Umbrella
What may the Periods and Menopause Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Menstrual Cycle Changes/Symptoms
- Menstrual Periods Changes/Symptoms
- Monthly Period Changes/Symptoms
- Period Changes/Symptoms
First Sign of Menopause
What can be the first sign of the perimenopause?
According to the (United Kingdom) NHS:
“The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular”.2
Skipped Periods
Are skipped periods during perimenopause common?
In Menopause: Symptoms & Causes – Symptoms the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:
Period cycles tend to get shorter in early perimenopause, so periods are closer together. As menopause gets closer, periods get farther apart for months before they end”.3
Normal or Not
Are all period changes normal?
In Symptoms: Changes In Menstrual Periods – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) elaborate on:

Menstrual Calendar
Where may I find a menstrual calendar to keep a record of my periods?
In MenoNotes the Menopause Society include:
Menstrual Calendar
Pregnant or Not
Can you still get pregnant during this time?
Yes. In Menopause: Symptoms & Causes – Symptoms the Mayo Clinic explain:
Other Causes
What may be other causes of period changes?
In Symptoms: Changes In Menstrual Periods – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding the Menopause Society also note:
Health Care Provider
What if my periods are changing?
In Menstrual Calendar the Menopause Society explain:
- Periods that are much heavier than usual
- Spotting or bleeding between periods
- Periods that last longer than 10 days
- Bleeding after sex
- Frequent periods (fewer than 21 days between periods)
- Any bleeding after menopause”.7
In Perimenopause: Symptoms and Causes – How Can I Reduce My Risk of Perimenopause Complications? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic note:
- Your periods become very heavy or contain large blood clots
- You change pads or tampons every one to two hours
- Your periods last several days longer than usual
- You spot or bleed between periods
- You bleed after sex
- Your periods occur less than 21 days apart”.8
In What Is Menopause? When To See Your Doctor the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health also note:
- Irregular periods
- Heavy bleeding
- Bleeding after menopause
- Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
- Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, that interfere with your daily life”.9
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Periods and Menopause?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Periods and Menopause?
Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- About the Menstrual Cycle [+ Video]
- About the Menstrual Cycle: When To See Your Doctor
- Are Menstrual Cups Right for You?
- Bleeding Between Periods? How To Tell If It’s A Problem
- Bleeding Disorders In Women
- Bleeding Disorders In Women: About Bleeding Disorders In Women
- Bleeding Disorders In Women: About Heavy Menstrual Bleeding – Testing and Diagnosis: Menstrual Chart & Scoring System
- Bleeding During Menopause | Dr Louise Newson [Video]
- Blood Clots During Menstruation: A Concern?
- Can HRT Stop Your Periods?
- Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
- Endometriosis
- Endometriosis
- Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In New Video
- FAQs: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society: Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- First Symptoms of Menopause
- Gynecologic Cancers
- Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
- Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: What Women Need To Know – Podcast
- Heavy Periods
- Heavy Periods
- Heavy Periods (Menorrhagia)
- Heavy Periods: Can Folic Acid Help?
- Heavy Periods: How Much Is Heavy Bleeding? Heavy Periods Self-Assessment
- Here’s What You Need To Know About Menopause [Video]
- How To Deal With Perimenopause Cramps
- How To Talk To Your Doctor About Heavy Periods
- Irregular or Absent Periods
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP] [Other Languages and Formats]
- Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Perimenopause and Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Menopause
Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause Checklist Podcast: Episode 2: Bye Bye Periods
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Understanding Menstrual Health and Menopause
- Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
- Menopause: Identification and Management NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
- Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] [07 November 2024]
- Menopause: Symptoms
- Menopause: Symptoms & Causes
- Menopause: Your Choice of Language
- Menometrorrhagia
- Menorrhagia (Heavy Menstrual Bleeding)
- Menstrual Calendar
- Menstrual Calendar: Calendario Menstrual [Spanish]
- Menstrual Calendar: Calendrier Menstruel [French]
- Menstrual Cycle
- Menstrual Cycle: What’s Normal, What’s Not
Menstrual Cycle: What’s Normal, What’s Not – How Can I Track My Menstrual Cycle?
- Menstrual Hygiene Day [28 May]
- My Periods Have Changed. Is Menopause Around the Corner?
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
- PMD Awareness Month [April 2025]
- Peri-Menopause and Irregular Periods
- Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause
- Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Bleeding
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
- Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
- Period Symptom Checker
- Periods
- Periods
- Periods Information Hub
- Periods (Menstruation) [Other Languages and Formats] [13 January 2025]
- Periods: Do I Need A Doctor?
- Periods: Menstrual Cycle: Animation
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Push Back Against PMS
- Symptoms of Menopause
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Tips for Tracking Your Bleeding
- Tricky Periods: What’s ‘Normal’ and What’s Not – What About Menopause?
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Cancer Awareness
- Uterine/Endometrial Cancer/GTD
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Bleeding Between Periods or After Sex
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Abnormal Bleeding
- Webinars: Previous – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding In Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women
- Webinars: Previous – The Perimenopause Journey: An Adaptive Reproductive Phase
- What Are Heavy Periods?
- What Is Menopause?
- What Is Menopause? [+ Video]
- When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning [Video]
- Why Is Bleeding So Heavy? [Video]
- You Need To Know [+ Video: Bleeding After the Menopause – An Important Message You Need To Know]
- Your Period
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Menopause: Symptoms – Changes To Your Periods. Page Last Reviewed: 17 May 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/#changes-to-your-periods Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Menopause: Symptoms – Changes To Your Periods. Page Last Reviewed: 17 May 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/#changes-to-your-periods Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Menopause: Symptoms & Causes – Symptoms. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397 Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Symptoms: Changes In Menstrual Periods – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/symptoms Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Menopause: Symptoms & Causes – Symptoms. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397 Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Symptoms: Changes In Menstrual Periods – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/symptoms Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Menstrual Calendar. 2015. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/menonote-menstrual-calendar-english.pdf Accessed: 12 April 2025
- Perimenopause: Symptoms and Causes – How Can I Reduce My Risk of Perimenopause Complications? Last Reviewed: 08 August 2024. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21608-perimenopause Accessed: 12 April 2025
- What Is Menopause? When To See Your Doctor. Last Updated: 03 March 2025 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause#when-to-see-your-doctor Accessed: 12 April 2025