Jim KwikFounder, Kwik Brain · Brain Coach

The 3 Stages of Menopause

6 Mar 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:49

In this concise monologue, the speaker outlines the three primary phases of the menopause transition: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Menopause is defined as the point at which a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period; everything after that point is postmenopause, which the speaker collectively refers to as "menopause" for simplicity. Perimenopause is highlighted as the most confusing and prolonged stage, lasting anywhere from four to ten years before the onset of menopause. During perimenopause, hormone levels fluctuate dramatically, leading to a wide array of symptoms—up to 34 distinct complaints—including disrupted sleep, weight changes, mood swings, and a pervasive sense of not feeling like oneself. The speaker emphasizes that many women experience these symptoms without recognizing they are part of the perimenopausal transition.

Chapters

What are the stages of menopause? So when you look at menopause, you have the 3, like, big stages that I say are perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. And menopause is literally 12 months without your period, and everything after that is post. So I just call it menopause in general, 'cause that's just easier to understand. Perimenopause is the one that gets very confusing because it can last for several years, anywhere up from 4 to 10 years before menopause. And that's the one where your hormones are all over the place, where you've got rotating hormones, feelings that are different, sleep that's different, weight that's different. And that's what we really talk about when we say, I don't feel like myself anymore. Like, I feel like something is wrong. What is going on? And, you know, there are some big symptoms that come with that, upwards of 34 symptoms. And that's what we struggle with often without realizing what's happening.