How many stages are there during menopause?

There are three stages of menopause that experts creatively (not) call perimenopause (the period before), menopause (during), and postmenopause (after). Perimenopause normally begins around the age of 40 when the ovaries produce less and less estrogen. It can last for around 10 years. And it’s the last couple of years of perimenopause that are associated with those pesky hot flashes, disturbed sleep, and other uncomfortable symptoms. A woman becomes postmenopausal when she has not had her period for a year.

 

You might think of the changes a woman undergoes at midlife as a drama in three acts: perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Perimenopause describes the time when a woman may begin to experience some of the symptoms that can occur with menopause, such as hot flashes. ("Peri" means "around" or "about.") Her ovaries are slowly shutting down production and periods may become less frequent. Perimenopause usually starts when a woman is in her 40s.

While the term menopause is usually used to describe the entire transitional midlife phase in a woman's life, it does not officially begin until very specific criteria are met: A woman is truly menopausal once she has gone one year without having a menstrual period. Technically speaking, that means a woman is postmenopausal for the rest of her days, which can be up to one third of her life.

There are 3 stages to menopause, including perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Perimenopause usually begins when women are in their 40s. Menopause is when a woman has not had her monthly period for at least 12 months. Postmenopause can last for several years after menopause.