The period in which a woman can experience menopause is the age of approximately 45 to 58 years (on average, it occurs at 52 years). However, some women may experience menopause earlier, for example, due to surgery or specific medical treatment.
But regardless of whether menopause occurs for a specific reason or due to age, some women have a question: "Is there a chance to get pregnant after the onset of menopause (especially if it is before the due date) and give birth to a healthy child?".
Consider in order:
1. If menopause happens due to medical or surgical intervention, and the woman has not yet reached the standard period of menopause, a chance to get pregnant appears. Since menopause is considered to have occurred if a woman has not had periods for 12 months or more, the doctor will not exclude the possibility of pregnancy by this point.
2. By the age of forty, estrogen gradually decreases, and menstruation may become irregular. This period is called "premenopause" and can last from 6 to 15 years on average. Nevertheless, menstruation and ovulation during this period continue, although they may be irregular.
It happens that in the premenopausal period of some women, periods may stop for several months, then appear again, but ovulation may continue. And as long as there is ovulation and if the ovaries produce a viable egg that can be fertilized, conception is possible.
3. And, finally, if a woman has no menstruation for 12 months or more, then this is already considered menopause, and it is unlikely that she will be able to get pregnant naturally (although such cases have occurred in history, their percentage is minimal). During menopause, there are chances of conceiving a child by using the services of a reproductive specialist, who can recommend pregnancy with the help of assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) and others. This procedure is performed both during premenopause and postmenopause.
According to statistics, only 4.5% of women aged 25 cannot conceive a child naturally. At the age of 38, this figure is already 20%; at the age of 41— it increases to 50%; at the age of 45 — the indicator reaches 90%; at the age of 50 — it is almost 100%. The study was conducted on approximately 58,000 women.
Therefore, experts usually recommend getting pregnant before the age of 30, but this does not always work out for various reasons. So, when a woman decides to conceive a child after 35-45, difficulties arise with conception naturally. This happens because when a woman approaches menopause, the production of sex hormones and the number and quality of eggs decreases, which reduces the chances of getting pregnant.
But even in periods of premenopause and menopause, a woman can increase the chances of conception (it doesn't matter which way): by following a healthy and balanced diet, regularly performing physical exercises, and avoiding stressful situations. Modern ovulation test strips can be used to check the onset of ovulation.
Therefore, before planning a pregnancy, it is necessary to understand that the chance of a natural and healthy conception, even with assisted reproductive technologies, significantly decreases with age. We do not scare or encourage you to give birth without thinking just because "time is running away", but the earlier you start thinking about it and have additional information, the easier it will be for you to plan this period of life.
