Perimenopause is a time when many women notice that their body starts to change. Typically, this is around age 40, but can begin earlier, and one common change is that the menstrual cycles typically become less consistent. One important change contributing to this change in cycle regularity is that ovulation may not happen every month, which impacts the production of hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.
Initially, changes in perimenopause tend to be subtle, so tracking your cycle can be very helpful to notice and understand what is happening with your hormones and your cycle, as these will have an impact on how you feel.
This applies to women who are not on the birth control pill and have a consistent menstrual cycle.
How to track your cycle in perimenopause if you have a consistent menstrual cycle
Track day 1 of your period each month. This is the first day of bleeding. Light spotting doesn’t count as day 1.
Try to track your ovulation. This is around 2 weeks before your period. You may notice some cramping on one side of your lower abdomen around this time, and/or notice an increase in an egg-white like vaginal discharge, which is cervical mucus.
Track your PMS symptoms, which could include breast tenderness, mood changes, bloating, etc.
tracking perimenopausal cycles
As you get closer to, and into perimenopause, your cycle length is likely going to start changing. If you’ve had a regular period (up to 5 days fluctuation in your cycle length from month to month is normal), a 7 day change in cycle length in either direction (shorter or longer) can indicate the beginning of perimenopause. Cycles often get shorter before getting longer, but this is different for each individual. The amount of blood lost with each period will also fluctuate in perimenopause, some cycles being heavier and some cycles being lighter than your normal cycle. As your cycles change during perimenopause, continue to track them as this will help you understand some changes that are happening in your body.
You may start to notice other changes as you move into perimenopause. These can include difficulty sleeping, especially interrupted sleep, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood changes. It’s a good idea to track these symptoms throughout your cycle. They will fluctuate, sometimes lasting all month, and other times only during a certain phase of your cycle. Estrogen and progesterone are lowest right before your period and for a few days after your period starts. This is typically when your sleep and hot flashes will be the worst.
You may also notice that you don’t always have PMS symptoms. This indicates that you may not have ovulated, which is part of perimenopause. You must ovulate to have PMS symptoms. If you are not in or close to perimenopause, do not take the lack of PMS symptoms as an indication that you are not ovulating.
Having an irregular period in perimenopause is typical and is not something to be alarmed about. There are many ways to support the symptoms that appear in perimenopause, but regulating the cycle is not part of this. This is an ideal time to reflect on your lifestyle, including your nutrition, movement, stress, and other habits, to make sure they are aligned with how you want to feel now and as you move through the transition to menopause and beyond.