Menopause is the process a woman goes through that causes her monthly periods to end. During menopause, a woman's ovaries stop producing eggs and produce fewer female hormones. When it is over, she can no longer get pregnant naturally. Menopause, and specifically the symptoms of menopause, can be challenging, both emotionally and physically. Yet for many women, the change of life is something they welcome, with freedom from menstrual periods and pregnancy.

As you approach mid-life, estrogen levels start to fluctuate and then drop. Most women notice that their periods stop being predictable. They may become shorter, longer, heavier or lighter than usual, and the spacing between periods may change, until a woman starts to skip her periods altogether. Eventually, they will cease. The average age for menopause is 51 for non-smokers and 49 for smokers.

The average age range is 47 to 55 years. Those who start menopause before age 45 are considered to have early menopause, while those who begin before age 40 are said to have premature menopause. The entire transition takes between four and five years, and during this time women can still get pregnant. Typically the process occurs gradually, but women who have lost or damaged ovaries may experience menopause more rapidly.