PeriTracking period changes in perimenopause
Periods often change first. Here’s what to record so the changes are easy to describe, and which kinds of bleeding the NHS and ACOG say should be checked.
On this page
What often changes
A change to your periods is usually one of the first signs of perimenopause. Periods may come more or less often, and bleeding may get heavier or lighter, until they eventually stop.1 ACOG describes cycles getting shorter or longer, skipped periods, and flow becoming lighter or heavier.2
Changes are common, but ACOG still advises talking to your ob-gyn about bleeding changes, because abnormal bleeding can sometimes be a sign of a health problem.2 A clear record makes that conversation much easier.
What to log
- Day 1 is the first day of bleeding. A cycle runs from one day 1 to the day before the next.3
- Start and end dates of each period.
- Flow each day: spotting, light, normal or heavy.
- Bleeding outside a period: spotting between periods or after sex, with the date.
- Signs of heavy bleeding, which the NHS describes as including: needing to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, using two types of product together, periods lasting more than 7 days, clots larger than about 2.5cm, or bleeding through to clothes or bedding.4
- The date of your last period. Menopause is when you have not had a period for 12 months.1
The NHS describes periods as irregular when the gap between them is less than 21 days or more than 35 days.3 Counting your cycle lengths shows this at a glance.
Hormonal contraception and pregnancy
Hormonal contraception can make it harder to tell whether you've reached perimenopause or menopause, because some methods change or stop bleeding.1 Note your contraception in your log so your clinician can take it into account.
It's still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause. The NHS advises continuing contraception for 1 year after your final period if you're 50 or over, or 2 years if you're 40 to 49.1 A period log can't tell you whether you're protected, and Peri does not predict ovulation or fertility.
Bleeding that should be checked
The NHS advises contacting a GP if you're still having periods and your bleeding has changed so you're bleeding more, not less, and if you have any vaginal bleeding after 12 months without a period, even if it happened once, was only a small amount, or you're not sure it was blood.1 It also advises a GP if you bleed between periods or after sex, or if heavy periods are affecting your life.4
ACOG lists bleeding or spotting between periods or after sex, heavy bleeding, bleeding that is heavier or lasts more days than usual, and any bleeding after menopause as reasons to talk to your ob-gyn.2
If you take HRT, irregular bleeding is common at first; the NHS advises a GP if it lasts more than 6 months after starting or becomes heavier.5 NICE advises seeking help promptly for unscheduled bleeding beyond the expected timeframes.6
How Peri handles this
In Peri you log when a period starts or ends, spotting, and flow, on the day it happens or within the past 7 days on the free plan. Peri shows informational cycle statistics such as average cycle length, and skipped or irregular cycles are logged as normal data. It does not predict periods, ovulation or fertility. If you've had a hysterectomy, the cycle tab is hidden.
Prefer paper? The printable symptom diary includes a bleeding row for each day.
Sources
We link to the original pages so you can read them in full. Guidance differs between countries; your own clinician's advice comes first.
- NHS. Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Page last reviewed 19 May 2026. Accessed 20 October 2026.
- ACOG. Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause. Last reviewed February 2024. Accessed 20 October 2026.
- NHS. Irregular periods. Page last reviewed 26 June 2026. Accessed 20 October 2026.
- NHS. Heavy periods. Page last reviewed 19 September 2024. Accessed 20 October 2026.
- NHS. Side effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Page last reviewed 3 January 2023. Accessed 20 October 2026.
- NICE. Menopause: identification and management (NG23): Recommendations. Published 12 November 2015, last updated 15 April 2026. Accessed 20 October 2026.
