Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Women's life stages

By Mayo Clinic staff

Women's life stages are based on the reproductive cycle, beginning with menstruation and ending with menopause.

To understand women's life stages, start with the biology. Every month an egg is released from the ovary during ovulation. It travels down the fallopian tube, where it may be fertilized by a sperm. If fertilized, it implants in the lining of the uterus. If not, the egg and lining are shed during menstruation. This continues until perimenopause — the time when a woman's body begins the natural transition to menopause.

Women's life stages are often marked by specific signs and symptoms, such as menstrual cramps, mood swings, hot flashes and weight gain. Understand how healthy lifestyle choices can help you feel your best at any stage — and know when to ask your doctor for additional suggestions.

MY00379

March 19, 2009

© 1998-2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


Text Size: smaller largerlarger