Menopause and pregnancy

What are the chances of pregnancy when entering the menopause?

10 Liked what you read? Show your support

There are many similar symptoms shared between pregnancy and menopause, such as nausea, bloating, late periods etc. Many women brush off these symptoms, believing that they cannot get pregnant because they are going through the menopause. Our menopause expert Eileen Durward is on hand to correct this assumption and to discuss the risk of becoming pregnant during the menopause.

An introduction to pregnancy and menopause

The menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her fertility begins to die away. For some women, this is something to look forward to, for others the opposite can be said.

Whatever your attitude towards the menopause might be, your chances of becoming pregnant are the same, and so it is important to be aware that pregnancy is still an option until you have gone for two years without a period.

The risk of pregnancy

The decline of hormones means increasingly irregular ovulation so it is difficult for a woman to know how long she continues to be fertile. Many forget when their last period occurred – six months ago? Perhaps eight? Although it is tempting to consider yourself no longer fertile during the peri-menopause, remember that it is usually after 12 months without a period that women are considered to be infertile.

No matter how irregular your periods may have become, this does not entirely rule out your chances of conceiving – it is possible to have a natural conception until the mid-fifties. This may be both positive and negative.

If you do not want to run the risk of becoming pregnant while going through the peri-menopause, it is recommended that you continue using contraception for two years after your last period.

Generally speaking, however, it is harder for older women to conceive and the risks associated with pregnancy in older women are higher. This is because a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. As these eggs age, they become more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities.

In addition, an older woman’s body is not as adaptable to pregnancy as a younger woman’s, and factors such as high blood pressure all contribute their own risks to the pregnancy.

Becoming pregnant when entering the peri-menopause

Despite the higher risks, many women seek to become pregnant when entering the peri-menopause and are physically able to deliver happy and healthy babies.

Once your periods have become irregular, it can be difficult to predict when an egg is being released – this is the time you are most likely to become pregnant. Measures such as IVF now mean that older women are more likely to be able to become pregnant if this is what they choose.

With the advancement of medical science, it is now even possible for women to become pregnant after the menopause. Although the risks attached to having a baby at this stage are much higher, the uterus is still fully capable of carrying out a pregnancy.

Today, many women are putting off having babies until later in life because of career goals, meaning that older mothers are becoming more commonplace. However, there is still controversy over older women having babies, particularly post-menopausal women, not only because of the associated risks of the pregnancy but also because many feel it is unfair for the child, when the mother may not be able to perform the necessary duties as the child grows up, or leaves home.

Whatever your decision regarding pregnancy, it may be worth speaking to your doctor, as he will be able to give you advice on the prevention of pregnancy during the peri-menopause or provide help on how to conceive in the safest way for you and your child.

12 Comments

Add your comments

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.

Gloria Monloy — 07.10.2017 17:27
Hi Doctor Eileen, am already 53 years old menopaused. Its possible for me to get pregnant through injection? Thanks
Reply
Sandra — 04.10.2017 14:47
Great news everyone! Me and my husband has been married for about 3years now but have not be able to get pregnant and last year his family member want me out of the house because they said i was on able to give them a child and they want him to get married to someone else i have know where to run to one day a friend of my told me about Mallam Abusu on how powerful he is and how he has also help her with spell so i have to contact him immediately on his email: mallamabuduspiritualhome@gmail.com and he told me what i have to do which i did and after 10 days i started seeing some charges in my body and i have to go and have a test carried out on me and find out that i was pregnant and it was just like a dream to me and i and my husband are very happy now and even the family member love me more than ever before and i had my baby delivered on may this years thanks to Mallam Abudu,i will advice anyone in need of help to contact him because he is very nice on email mallamabuduspiritualhome@gmail.com
Reply
Kim — 10.09.2017 19:06
I am 54 and on HRT for just over 1 year i had an endrametrial eblation 15 years ago never had a period since. When is it safe to have sex I have had all the hot flushes sweats and can't tell as don't have periods. I have been told it's 54/55
Reply

show
- eileen — 11.09.2017 13:23
  Hi Kim You are usually considered safe from pregnancy after 2 years without a period but if you have no periods as a guide it is much more difficult to tell. For most women they will be through the menopause by 55 and if your symptoms have tailed off it is possible that you are through it. However, it may be an idea to ask your doctor to do a hormone test and that may be a better marker to see if you could still get pregnant.
  Reply
Beverley — 30.08.2017 05:55
I am having realy bad hot flushes they get so bad i feel like im going to pass out i started the menopause three years ago any help would be brilliant
Reply

show
- eileen — 11.09.2017 13:23
  Hi Beverley You could try the sage as this is specifically for flushes and sweats and usually works quickly. However, if these are getting worse it is best to check with your doctor as there may be other health issues involved such as low iron or low vitamin D.
  Reply
Miss c — 01.07.2017 21:27
I have a partner and would like to have another child i have been sterlised and want to have it reversed if i can, im going through menpause but see a period every 3-4 months is there anychance of conceiving a prrgnancy
Reply

show
- eileen — 03.07.2017 10:28
  Hi Miss C The theory is that you can still get pregnant until you have not had any periods for 1-2 years, however there are other factors to take into account such as your age and general health. I would ask your doctor for a hormone test and that should indicate whether you can still conceive naturally.
  Reply
Salma Ali — 13.06.2017 07:02
I would like to know if I can get advices of what to do if I want baby while I am already on monopose. My and my new partner we want triples if is possible. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Reply

show
- Eileen — 20.06.2017 08:42
  Hi Salma Unfortunately, getting pregnant in the menopause can be very difficult especially if your periods have stopped, sorry. The best thing to do is see your doctor, they can test your hormone levels and that will indicate whether you can still get pregnant or not.
  Reply
Lina — 28.05.2017 14:57
Had menses on 8th Jan & 28th Jan. Next was on the 10th April. Slept with my husand on the 28th April. Till now dated 29th May im still dont hv my menses yet. Am i at high risk to get pregnant? Im worry coz due to my age 49 & having hypertension.
Reply

show
- eileen — 30.05.2017 12:46
  Hi Lina Pregnancies at this age are not very common but could still, in theory, happen. The best thing to do is get a pregnancy test kit and hopefully this will put your mind at rest.
  Reply

+ Show more

Our customers love us!

We are proud of the products we offer and the high standard of customer service we deliver. Our customers love us so much they give us a customer rating of 4.8 out of 5!

Read some of our customer ratings