Perimenopause or “menopause transition: ” Perimenopause can begin eight to 10 years before menopause when your ovaries gradually produce less and less estrogen. It usually starts when you’re in your 40s. You can be in perimenopause for several months or several years.

Perimenopause symptoms usually develop between ages 45–50 Perimenopause typically begins in your late 40s. You’ll likely still get a period during this time, but your menstrual cycles will become more erratic over time. You may notice more missed periods during the last year or two of perimenopause.

Most women begin to experience the symptoms of perimenopause naturally in their mid 40s, with an average age of 47 years. The average age of the menopause is 51 years. However, perimenopause or menopausal transition occurs in the years before periods stop so is usually from the 40s into the early 50s.

Dr. Urrutia says the first symptom you may notice, which can occur more than a decade before menopause, is that your cycles get shorter. This means the time between periods is shorter. “When women are about 43 years old, on average, their cycles will be the shortest length of their life,” Dr. Urrutia says.