GP and menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson says that new or more severe PMS symptoms can include “low mood, irritability, fatigue, headaches, muscle pains, urinary symptoms, memory problems, palpitations and anxiety”.

As ever, every woman’s experience will be different at this stage (my periods have become heavier, but others might start to have lighter bleeds), but however your period changes, that change can last for years, says GP and menopause specialist Dr Charlotte Iveson. It’s during this transition that some women consider starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT). “This can be very helpful for both the mental and physical symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause. You don’t need to wait for your periods to stop to start [HRT],” she says. Dr Newson also suggests exercising regularly and cutting down on processed foods, alcohol and caffeinated drinks, as this can all help with PMS symptoms.

After years of heavy periods or cumbersome cramps, Dr Iveson says that perimenopause can sometimes come as a sort of relief. She also flags that it needn’t be a negative sign of ageing: “In fact, in other cultures, menopause is thought of as the second spring – a new lease of life. You may have teenage children leaving home for university, so there may be more time for self-care and to start up new hobbies.”

To find out more about the way in which our periods can change as we enter our fifth decade, we spoke to several women who are going through – or have already gone through – that transition phase.

“I keep thinking I’m pregnant”: 9 women on how their periods changed after turning 40