· Vag Health · 3 min read
The perimenopause story no-one talks about
The story women rarely share, even with their closest friends. She never expected her period to become something she feared, but perimenopause can rewrite cycles in ways no one warns women about. For some, the changes are nothing short of life-altering.
Her cycles had always been manageable. Predictable. Annoying at times, but never disruptive. Then one random Tuesday morning at work, she stood up from her chair after a meeting and felt a warm rush. She looked down. Her chair was stained. In that moment, embarrassment, fear, and confusion collided. She tied her jumper around her waist and left work early — praying no one noticed.
Think this is a story about a teenager? Well yes, that might also be true, but in reality it’s a story about perimenopause. A story told to me by clients over and over again.
Why perimenopause can trigger sudden, heavy bleeding
Here’s the truth: heavy bleeding, the kind that bleeds through maxi pads and tampons really does happen in perimenopause. It’s hormonal physiology — and it makes sense once women finally hear the explanation.
- Progesterone drops first — removing the body’s natural stabiliser
Perimenopause begins with irregular ovulation. No ovulation = low progesterone, the hormone that keeps the uterine lining stable and encourages an orderly bleed.
Low progesterone leads to:
- thicker uterine lining
- heavier bleeding
- increased clotting
- bleeding that’s harder to predict
- a sense of losing control
Having to change period products every hour or 2, or feeling a gushing of blood, many women describe this as “flooding”. Because that’s exactly how it feels.
- Oestrogen becomes unpredictable — spiking, crashing, and overstimulating the uterine lining
It’s very simplistic to say that oestrogen simply falls as women age. In reality, perimenopause is a time of dramatic oestrogen surges followed by sudden dips. These swings can:
- overstimulate the uterine lining
- create rapid endometrial growth
- lead to heavier and longer bleeds
So when a woman suddenly has to change products every hour, it’s not hysteria — it’s physiology.
- The inflammatory load rises
Perimenopause often collides with the busiest seasons of a woman’s life: careers, caregiving, sleep disruption, metabolic changes, emotional stress. All of these increase systemic inflammation, which can:
- intensify cramping
- amplify bleeding
- disrupt clotting
The uterus becomes more reactive when the body is overwhelmed.
- The clotting cascade becomes less efficient
Because hormones regulate many aspects of the clotting process, fluctuating levels can lead to, large clots, bleeding that stops and restarts, and unpredictable mid-cycle spotting. This isn’t weakness. It’s biomechanics.
Time for a shift
The thing is, we don’t have to put up with these changes, we don’t want our world to shrink as we become too afraid to leave the house on those heavy bleed days. Instead of feeling like you’re losing it, feel too emotional, just aren’t coping, recognise that your body is overwhelmed and doing its best with the resources available.
With the right support to stabilise hormones, improve detoxification pathways, reduce inflammation and calm the nervous system, this chaos does settle. Clients report improvements within months - more predictable cycles, the ability to manage the bleed (as it’s no longer heavy), trusting their body and being able to live again.
Heavy bleeding isn’t something to power through. It’s a message that needs interpretation and evidence-based support.
If perimenopause has shifted life in ways that no longer feel manageable, the Vag Hormone Assessment offers a safe, thorough place to begin.
