What’s going on with my periods?
Before your periods stop for good, they often go a bit chaotic first. They might come closer together, further apart, skip a month or two, or be heavier or lighter than you’re used to. This is one of the earliest signs that your body is heading towards menopause.
Why does this happen?
Your periods are controlled by your hormones, mainly oestrogen and progesterone. In the lead-up to menopause, your body starts releasing eggs less regularly, so these hormones go a bit up and down instead of following their usual steady pattern. That knock-on effect is what makes your periods unpredictable.
Sometimes your body skips releasing an egg altogether that month. When that happens, periods can be heavier or come at a different time than expected.
Doctors use irregular periods (alongside hot flushes or night sweats) as one of the main signs of perimenopause. In most cases, you don’t even need a blood test to confirm it if you’re over 45 and have these symptoms.
What’s normal
- Periods coming closer together, further apart, or skipping a month or two
- Periods being heavier or lighter than your usual
- The odd bit of light spotting between periods
Things that can help
- Keeping a note of your periods (even roughly) so you and your clinician can spot if something’s actually changed, versus just being unpredictable
- Eating iron-rich foods if your periods are heavier than usual, to help top back up
- Looking after sleep and stress, which can sometimes help settle things down too
If it’s really bothering you
If irregular or heavy periods are genuinely affecting your life, there are treatment options, including certain types of contraceptive pills or HRT, that can help settle things down. This is a completely normal thing to bring up in your consultation.
When to get checked
Most period changes around this time are completely normal. But see a doctor if you notice:
- very heavy bleeding (needing to change pads/tampons every 1–2 hours)
- bleeding after sex
- very painful bleeding that not typical for you
- periods coming more often than every 3 weeks
- any bleeding at all once you’ve already gone 12 months with no periods
These can occasionally be caused by something else, like polyps or fibroids, so it’s always worth getting checked rather than just assuming it’s “probably just perimenopause.”
The bottom line
Unpredictable periods are one of the first signs that menopause is on its way, but “unpredictable” has limits. Knowing the difference between normal and “get this checked” is genuinely worth knowing.
Not sure what’s normal for you? Try our symptom checker, or book a menopause consultation — we can help you work out what’s going on.
References
- NICE NG23: Menopause — identification and management — diagnostic criteria; no lab tests needed over 45 with typical symptoms
- Bleeding during perimenopause: What you need to know — Bupa, citing NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (last revised November 2024)
