08/10/2026
🌸 MENOPAUSE PHASES — LET’S TALK ABOUT THEM
There’s often a lot of confusion around the different stages of menopause, so here’s a simple breakdown 👇
PREMENOPAUSE
This is essentially your reproductive years — from your first period until you enter perimenopause.
PERIMENOPAUSE
This is the transition towards menopause. Your reproductive hormones begin to fluctuate and change, and your menstrual cycle can become less predictable.
And yes — you can still get pregnant during perimenopause! 👶
As you move through late perimenopause, your periods may become increasingly irregular and can be months apart, 3 - 11 months apart!
MENOPAUSE
Here’s the important bit…
Menopause is actually an EVENT, not a phase.
It marks your final menstrual period and the end of your reproductive years — but you don’t know you’ve actually reached menopause until you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period (assuming there isn’t another cause for the absence of your periods).
So then you can officially say, “I’ve reached menopause!” 😂
POSTMENOPAUSE
This is everything after menopause — for the rest of your life.
And despite what we sometimes hear, it’s not necessarily the end of symptoms. Our bodies and hormones continue to adapt, and some women can continue to experience symptoms for years after their final period.
Whether you navigate your menopause transition naturally, with HRT, or somewhere in between, everyone’s experience is different.
And that’s the most important thing to remember…
❤️ You’re not alone.
Talk to other women. Share experiences. Ask questions. Keep learning. There is so much we can learn from each other.
If this was helpful, let me know in the comments 👇
And tell me — what other aspects of midlife or menopause would you like me to talk about?
Laonie x. #
