Menopause stages:

the inside the body story

“Every woman has a right to be educated about what’s happening in her body. This knowledge not only helps you, but your family and colleagues too.”
— Maryon Stewart

Learn more about the stages of menopause

Early Menopause

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Perimenopause

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Menopause

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Postmenopause

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Early Menopause • Perimenopause • Menopause • Postmenopause •

Essentially there are different stages of menopause:

Women are often taken by surprise when hormone changes happen at midlife. There is no roadmap to navigate through the different stages of menopause and beyond. 

Femmar aims to explain more about each stage and how it affects your body and how you can support yourself to regain your wellbeing.

Early menopause

A condition in which the ovaries stop working and periods stop before the age of 40.

Early menopause can cause symptoms of menopause and infertility. There are two types, primary and secondary. Primary early menopause means that the ovaries do not function normally, maybe because they have been removed surgically, some other form of health condition has occurred, or due to a genetic condition. Primary early menopause can be very distressing for women, as they may feel like their body has let them down.

In secondary early menopause, the ovaries are normal but there is a problem getting hormone signals from them to the brain. This is usually caused by issues with or diseases of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Some women with secondary early menopause do still have periods and can conceive.

Perimenopause

Female hormonal changes, often around the age of 40, give rise to a myriad of symptoms.

When women talk about ‘going through menopause’ this is the stage they’re most commonly referring to, often without realising. Peri (or PRE) menopause is the period of time when a woman’s  body goes through a series of changes that lead to menopause. She is not yet in the menopausal stage of life. The signs of perimenopause often start with a change in the pattern of periods. They may become irregular, longer or shorter, as well as heavier or in some cases lighter, but have not yet ceased entirely.

Other signs of the perimenopause stage include unpleasant symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, loss of libido, low energy, sleepless nights, or an inability to concentrate… all of which just seem to get worse and worse each year.

Perimenopause may simply bring a degree of unpredictability into a woman’s life, since they often never know when their period is going to arrive.

Menopause

The roughly 12-month period of time when a woman’s periods cease and she begins experiencing hormonal changes.

Typically occurring in her late 40s or early 50s, the Menopause stage is when a woman’s ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones like estrogen and progesterone. As a result, her periods become irregular and eventually stop. This change can bring about other symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats, the specific combination and severity of which are different for each woman. While menopause marks the end of a woman’s fertility, it doesn't signify the end of a vibrant and healthy life. Treatment and management of symptoms in this phase can help women live well and maintain their health.

Postmenopause

Women are officially postmenopausal one year and one day after their last period.

The post menopause years are the rest of a woman’s life beyond menopause. During this stage some symptoms may reduce or completely stop all together, but unfortunately for many women symptoms may linger causing continuing distress. If these years of changes weren’t frustrating enough, lower levels of estrogen increase a woman’s risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Femmar supports women through every stage of their menopause journey by providing effective symptom management solutions, motivation and the educational tools needed for a successful midlife refuel. Menopause is not the end of a woman’s life, but just the beginning of a new and exciting chapter. 

Hear how these women changed their mid-and-later lives naturally

Coming soon!

Learn more about the progressive stages of menopause on the Femmar Blog.

  • Early menopause

    Noticing the initial signs of premenopause requires a proactive awareness of changes in the body and mind.

  • Perimenopause

    Also known as premenopause. When a woman’s period becomes more erratic and the earliest symptoms of menopause begin it can feel like the body is robbing you of life. Though normal, most perimenopause symptom severity is manageable naturally.

  • Menopause

    A normal phase of life for women, those experiencing menopause can work in partnership with Femmar and their physician to incorporate natural practices for to live their best midlife.

  • Postmenopause

    A year after a woman’s last period she enters postmenopause and a new phase of life and holistic care is required to ensure she thrives.