---
title: "Perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause: what is the difference?"
description: "Perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause get mixed up. What each one means, at what age it usually happens and how to know where you are."
url: https://myperiod.app/en/blog/perimenopauze-of-menopauze-verschil
lang: en
date: 2026-10-23
publisher: PERIOD. B.V., Amsterdam
---

[Back to blog](https://myperiod.app/blog) [Menopause](https://myperiod.app/blog/categorie/overgang) · 5 min read

# Perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause: what is the difference?

[Lees dit artikel in het Nederlands](https://myperiod.app/blog/perimenopauze-of-menopauze-verschil)

PERIOD. team · October 23, 2026

**Short answer:** **menopause** is your last period. You only know it afterwards: after 12 months without a period. **Perimenopause** is the time before it, when your cycle becomes irregular and symptoms like hot flushes start. After that you are **postmenopausal**. In the UK and the Netherlands the average age of the last period is around 51.

## Perimenopause

In the years before your last period your hormones start to swing. Your cycle gets shorter, longer or irregular, your bleeding heavier or lighter. Many women also notice hot flushes, poorer sleep, mood changes or trouble concentrating. It can start in your 40s, sometimes earlier. Read [perimenopause in your 30s](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/perimenopauze-in-je-30s).

## Menopause

Menopause is one moment: your very last period. After 12 months without a period you look back and know when it was. For women over 45, doctors usually recognise it from your age and symptoms. A blood test is usually not needed.

## Postmenopause

After those 12 months you are postmenopausal. Some symptoms ease, others, like vaginal dryness, can stay or even start. **Bleeding at this stage is never normal: always see your GP.**

## Early menopause

If your last period comes between 40 and 45, it is called early menopause. Before 40 it is called premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). If you have menopause symptoms and are under 45, see your GP.

## How do you know where you are?

Your cycle tells you most. Log for a few months how long your cycles are, how you bleed and which symptoms you have. An overview of 3 to 6 months is exactly what your GP wants to see.

## In PERIOD.

In [PERIOD.](https://myperiod.app/meno-en), choose Perimenopause or Menopause under "Where are you now?". You can then log hot flushes, symptoms and bleeding, and read what belongs to perimenopause. That is free. Your cycle history comes with you; you never start over.

*Sources: NHS, Menopause and Perimenopause; NICE NG23; Thuisarts.nl (NHG), Overgang. This article is general information, not medical advice.*

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between perimenopause and menopause?

Perimenopause is the time before your last period. Menopause is that last period itself, confirmed after 12 months without a period.

### At what age does menopause happen?

On average around 51. Symptoms can start years earlier.

### Do you need a blood test to know you are in perimenopause?

For women over 45 usually not: your GP looks at your age, your cycle and your symptoms.

### Is bleeding after menopause normal?

No. Always see your GP if you bleed after 12 months without a period.

**Want to see how your cycle is changing? [Download PERIOD. on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/period-cycle-period-tracker/id6757947793) or [on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.myperiod.android).**

Want to understand your cycle better?

[Why PERIOD. is the period tracker that never sells your data](https://myperiod.app/free)

## Keep reading

[Perimenopause in your 30s: why the conversation is finally happeningPerimenopause can start in your late 30s, years before 'real' menopause. Here are the early signals, what your cycle is telling you, and why generations of women missed this.Read more](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/perimenopauze-in-je-30s)[Hot flushes: what is happening and what helps?Hot flushes are part of menopause, but you do not have to just sit them out. What a hot flush is, how long they last, what sets them off and what really helps.Read more](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/opvliegers-wat-helpt)[Tracking your HRT: why it helps and how to do itGel, patch, tablet or spray, often with progesterone: HRT can be a puzzle. How to keep track of what you use and how you feel, for yourself and your GP.Read more](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/hormoontherapie-bijhouden)