Ask the Experts- October 2025

Dear Red Hot Mamas,

Thank you for always helping women. My question to you is “Will I start menopause at the same age as my mother did?”

Lori

Dear Lori,

The average age of menopause is 51. As for whether your mother’s age is a predictor of the age you’ll start menopause, it may be. Genetics play a major role in determining when menopause begins, but other factors such as smoking, body weight and stress influence timing. You might want to ask your mother when she went into menopause, and of course a question like this also helps to get the conversation going about finding out about your family’s health history too. Having a family history of early menopause does increase the risk of entering menopause earlier than average.

In conclusion, your mother’s experience with menopause, may provide some answers for you, however it might not be a precise prediction as to when you will go into menopause. And lifestyle and environmental factors like smoking, stress, and low BMI can either amplify or moderate the risk.

Hope this information helps.