How long before the start of menopause did you lose fertility?

[Anonymous]

I got pregnant on the first try at 35 and had a healthy baby at 36. Started TTC #2 at 37. Still TTC #2 at 41 with no luck, infertility treatments did not work for me. Anyhow when I turned 41 I started noticing perimenopause symptoms (shorter periods and shorter cycles). However my FSH has always been 5, which is a good number. But I was diagnosed at 37 with mild DOR--AFC of 10. AMH .60, FSH of 5.

I believe that I became completely infertile at 36. That is 5 years before I started perimenopause symptoms. I'm wondering what is average in terms of losing fertility before the onset of perimenopause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant on the first try at 35 and had a healthy baby at 36. Started TTC #2 at 37. Still TTC #2 at 41 with no luck, infertility treatments did not work for me. Anyhow when I turned 41 I started noticing perimenopause symptoms (shorter periods and shorter cycles). However my FSH has always been 5, which is a good number. But I was diagnosed at 37 with mild DOR--AFC of 10. AMH .60, FSH of 5.

I believe that I became completely infertile at 36. That is 5 years before I started perimenopause symptoms. I'm wondering what is average in terms of losing fertility before the onset of perimenopause.

there exists an argument that it happens 10-11 years before menopause. the curves for menopause and the age of last child among populations not using birth control are identical and 10 years apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant on the first try at 35 and had a healthy baby at 36. Started TTC #2 at 37. Still TTC #2 at 41 with no luck, infertility treatments did not work for me. Anyhow when I turned 41 I started noticing perimenopause symptoms (shorter periods and shorter cycles). However my FSH has always been 5, which is a good number. But I was diagnosed at 37 with mild DOR--AFC of 10. AMH .60, FSH of 5.

I believe that I became completely infertile at 36. That is 5 years before I started perimenopause symptoms. I'm wondering what is average in terms of losing fertility before the onset of perimenopause.

this is not necessarily perimenopause. i've had shorter cycles (22-23 days often) since i was about 30 and had two kids in my forties.

[Anonymous]

I'm 34 with DOR, worse numbers than yours. I had my first a little over 2.5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

No idea about my numbers (though my AMH was like 3.8 last year), but my period has also shortened and so have my cycles (25-26 days instead of 30-31). I am 33 and go pregnant first try with #1,2 and I am currntly pregnant with 3 and it was an accident. I don’t think a shorter period/cycle is a sign of anything. I am sure there are many other reasons why this happnes

[Anonymous]

You have no way of knowing if you just got very lucky with your first pregnancy and were always subfertile for reasons other than age (and were always unexplained). Even couples with a 1% chance of conceiving have a chance of hitting this 1% on the first month. For others, it may take 100 months or 200 months (in other words—never).

As long as you have eggs, sperm and a uterus you have some chance of getting pregnant each month you have sex.

[Anonymous]

From a statistical perspective the PP is correct that it's about 10 years prior to menopause (perimenopause can go on for many years, typical age range for menopause is 48-55), but there are certainly exceptions. Cycles can change for reasons other than perimenopause. You can have kids in perimenopause, even without ART, but it is generally less likely.

[Anonymous]

I had difficulty conceiving about 11 years before menopause in my mid-40s. Managed to conceive, but it took 3 years and many many interventions.