menopause hereditary?

I am curious as to whether menopause is hereditary or not? I know all women go through it, but I was wondering if what my mother experienced during menopause years, will I experience about the same as she did, or all women different?  Weight gain, sweats, mood swings, etc?  I am 39 years old.  I had my first and only child after I turned 39.  My aunt told me not to worry about menopause for another 10 years or so because I had my child so late in life.  My periods have been pretty regular my whole life.  However, it was hard for me to get pregnant, hence having my child late in life.

Thank you for your input.
Wendy

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

While there is a tendency for women to follow the pattern of their mothers as to when they experience menopause and the symptoms they experience. But it is not a given as many women fluctuate a great deal from their mothers. I have had patients who have a baby at 39 and within months they seem to go into menopause and others who do not go into menopause for a decade as your aunt suggested. So it is hard to say for sure.  If you want another child, it might be a good idea to think about trying sooner than later.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD