What is perimenopause and how it can show up

Perimenopause is not a “sudden switch” or “the beginning of the end”, although it can feel that way. It is a natural stage when the body gradually begins to rebuild its hormonal rhythm. It may start long before menopause itself: 5, 7, or sometimes even 10 years earlier.

For most women, perimenopause begins around after 40, but for some the first changes become noticeable after 35. This period does not mean everything is “turning off”. On the contrary, hormones are still active; they are just working less steadily. The body responds to these fluctuations in different ways.

What you may feel during perimenopause:

• the cycle becomes less predictable: periods may come earlier or later, be heavy one month and almost unnoticeable the next
• emotional swings appear: irritability, anxiety, vulnerability, fatigue
• breasts may become sore
• sleep becomes lighter, with early waking or trouble falling asleep
• sweating may increase, especially at night
• weight, appetite, and libido may change
• skin may become drier, and the hair cycle may also change

These changes often feel scary because no one explains that they can be normal. It can seem like something is “wrong” with you. In reality, the body is preparing for a new life stage, just as it once did during adolescence. And like then, it is tuning its rhythm again.

It is important to know that ovulation can still happen during perimenopause, and pregnancy is still possible. At the same time, the cycle becomes more sensitive to stress, changes in routine, and illness. That is why tracking sensations and cycle phases becomes especially valuable.

If you notice that:

• your cycle has become unstable
• you more often feel tired and emotionally up and down
• new physical sensations have appeared that were not there before

this may be perimenopause. And it is not a diagnosis, just a new chapter.

IVA can be there to help you mark changes, compare months, see patterns, and feel less afraid.

Because you are still in your cycle. It just sounds different now.