Stacey Solomon, 35, makes huge life decision as she fears early menopause

Stacey Solomon is concerned that she is heading into an early menopause. The former Loose Women star, 35, is well over a decade away from the average age in which the reproductive stage for a woman ends, but can't help but worry that it is coming sooner than normal after noticing just how 'tired' and 'snappy' she has been.

The TV star, who is married to ex-EastEnders actor Joe Swash and has Rex, five, Rose, three, and two-year-old Belle with him but also has Leighton, 13, and 17-year-old Zachary from previous relationships, has returned to screens alongside her husband with their BBC reality show Stacey & Joe, and on Tuesday's episode, she had a candid chat with her sister Jemma.

As they spoke, Stacey reminded her sister that early menopause could potentially run in the family. She said: "I think I'm going through the menopause, I'm perimenopausal, I'm so snappy and tired. I wake up tired, I have eight hours' sleep and I wake up and I'm exhausted. On mum's side the menopause came early so we're likely to go through it early too."

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Jemma, 36, who has three children herself, then joked to Stacey: "You've got to remember you have 18 children, 17 dogs, 45 chickens, you work full-time, you have a busy life."

Stacey, who shot to fame as a contestant on The X Factor in her late teens and has since carved out a major career as a television personality, then ruled out the idea of having any more children if indeed she is heading for the menopause at this stage in life.

She said: "If you could test tolerance mine would be at its all time low. If I am going through the menopause and that's it, no more children for me, then I think I will open an animal sanctuary."

Later on, Stacey was joined by Joe, who also has Harry, 18, with his ex Emma Sophocleous, where she opened up to her personal physiologist Dr Olly, and told him: "I feel like I'm drying out. I think my ovaries are pruned and they have said goodbye.

"All my friends on Loose Women talk about it all the time. Some things I can't relate to. But I do think that as I get older I do get more agitated."

Later on, she told the camera: "My health anxiety started when I had Zach. I think when you have kids you start to recognise your own mortality. Meeting Olly and having that friend that can go down the rabbit hole with you has really helped."

Women generally enter the menopause between 44 and 53 years old, and symptoms can include anxiety and depression as well as irregular periods, hot flashes and mood swings.

Even though Stacey has seemingly quashed the idea of having another child, insiders recently claimed to The Mirror that it wouldn't be a 'surprise' to anyone if another little one arrived.

The source said: "They’ve both got so much love to give and Joe is the best, most hands-on dad. They would have another baby if the time was right, but their lives are so busy. They’ve talked about Joe having a vasectomy but even then they’ve joked about it being reversible. No one would be surprised if a number seven came along!"

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