Can I get pregnant during menopause?

Climax is a natural state in which the reproductive ability of a woman gradually fades away. Some people are concerned about the question whether it is possible to get pregnant during such a period and how pregnancy will proceed.

Menopause and hormone levels

All processes occurring in the human body, have a relationship with each other. Very many of them occur due to the normal functioning of the endocrine system, in particular the fertilization of the egg and pregnancy. Under the influence of female hormones - estrogen and progesterone, the egg is matured, then the uterus is prepared to accept and fix the embryo.Along with this, changes occur in the mammary gland, so the body is preparing to feed the baby with breast milk.

With age, there is a worsening of the reaction of the ovaries to the effects of hormones, as a result of which regular and proper maturation of the egg does not always happen. The main sign that a woman will soon have menopause is irregularity or the absence of menstruation.

It must be said that the effect of estrogen protects the vessels of the woman from atherosclerosis, for this reason the onset of menopause adversely affects her overall condition. It is known that the functioning of arteries and veins affects all systems of the body, therefore, when a failure occurs in this process, the onset of conception during menopause is considered impossible.

Menopause and menstruation delay

Most women of mature age delay menstruation due to stress. This is due to the fact that, as a rule, they are difficult to tolerate the symptoms of menopause. During this period, the most frequent manifestations are hot flashes, irritability, depression, which also has a negative impact on the ovaries and leads to instability of the menstrual cycle.

Pregnancy after menopause - is it possible?

After 45 years, ovarian function in women is significantly impaired. This happens because the necessary hormones are produced with a slowdown.But the fact is that in order for the climacter to fully come, it will take a certain period that can last for a long time.

During this period, it remains possible to conceive a child, since the reproductive function of a woman does not fade away immediately, but gradually. Especially often the onset of ovulation and subsequent fertilization of the egg occurs in the early stages of menopause, for this reason, women should be careful and use contraceptive means.

Stages of Menopause

The onset of menopause is carried out in several stages:

• Premenopause. At this time, the ovaries reduce their function, but do not stop working.
• Perimenopause. During this period, the work of the ovaries gradually ends.
• Postmenopause. The ovum is completely absent. In such a situation, conception cannot occur.

According to gynecologists, pregnancy with menopause may occur, but not all women are capable of such fertilization. In some cases, when the reproductive function is completely extinct, IVF (in vitro fertilization) is used with the donor's egg cell, which makes it possible to bear and give birth to a healthy child.

Unplanned pregnancy

On average, the age at which menopause occurs is 52 years, but the onset of menopause is individual for each woman. To hormones completely rebuilt, it will take about ten years. At the same time, in order for the reproductive function to disappear, no more than two years may pass from the moment when the monthly periods finally ceased. It is then that the woman becomes less alert and attentive in terms of contraception, as a result, an increase in the number of abortions is observed. This suggests that the majority of the fair sex simply do not know whether pregnancy is possible during menopause and whether it is necessary to protect themselves. To find a suitable remedy to protect against unwanted pregnancy, you need to visit a gynecologist, who will select the appropriate hormonal preparations. These same drugs can reduce the unpleasant symptoms that accompany menopause.

In addition, even with menopause, pregnancy may occur, it is not possible to notice the first manifestations of this condition in all cases in a timely manner. Since the menopause period is characterized by instability of the menstrual cycle, a woman may not notice that her period has not come.In addition, at this time she often feels unwell, dizzy, and therefore can take these signs as manifestations of menopause, and not pregnancy. They can also bring home pregnancy test strips, showing a false result, since the hormonal background in such a period is rather unstable.

How to get pregnant during menopause?

It is believed that the best time to bear and give birth to a healthy child is the age of a woman 18-38 years old. At the moment, many consider this period more suitable for building a career than for creating a family. Of course, everyone has the right to decide for himself at what age to have children. But do not forget about the phenomenon, which happens not so rarely. This is an early menopause, which may occur after 35 years.

Carrying a child during menopause can lead to considerable health problems for a pregnant woman. But, even knowing this, some women consciously go for it, since pregnancy and the subsequent upbringing of the baby contribute to smoothing the unpleasant manifestations of menopause.It is believed that it is possible to prolong youth, because the hormonal changes that occur when carrying and breastfeeding a baby have a positive effect on the body. But in the future there will be a deterioration in the health of the mother, because the supply of necessary substances is significantly reduced.

How is pregnancy during menopause

If a woman decides to keep a pregnancy that occurs during menopause, she should be registered as early as possible in the antenatal clinic. The body of a pregnant woman needs support from the first days.

In the first trimester, in order not to lose the desired child, the woman will have to drink hormonal drugs that will replenish the supply of progesterone in the body. Thanks to such measures, in most cases it is possible to maintain a pregnancy until the second trimester. And then the production of this hormone is carried out by the placenta, so its additional use will no longer be required.

The survey design is not different from the usual. All pregnant women should pass standard tests: urine, blood, STD tests, carry out the necessary screenings, ultrasound, doppler.The screening for genetic malformations of the child, amniocentesis (taking the amniotic fluid) and cordocentesis (a method for obtaining umbilical cord blood of the fetus for further research) will be particularly relevant during this period. These procedures are necessary to detect chromosome set mutations and other diseases in time.

Natural childbirth during menopause does not occur often. Usually, delivery is by caesarean section. The operation can be assigned if the expectant mother suffers from chronic pathologies, or if the condition of the fetus is unsatisfactory. 3-4 weeks before the expected date of birth, a pregnant woman is sent for antenatal hospitalization.

Artificial menopause

The condition called “artificial menopause” is an urgent blocking of ovarian function, which is deliberately caused by medical intervention. Why do this? Suspending the production of female sex hormones is needed if you need to cure certain diseases: endometriosis, uterine bleeding, uterine myoma, oncology. In addition, a temporary halt in the production of estrogens may be needed during infertility therapy.Let's try to figure out whether a pregnancy can occur after an artificially created menopause.

Types of artificial menopause
There are several types of this condition:

1. Surgical menopause. To achieve it, the ovaries are completely removed. The operation is irreversible and is performed in case of a cancer of the ovaries, uterus or breast.
2. Radiological climax. The condition is caused by acting on the ovaries with X-rays. Subsequently, as a rule, full or partial restoration of their function is possible.
3. Drug climax. This is due to the fact that special medications are introduced, which are analogues of natural hormones. This method is the most benign, because after the treatment is completed, ovarian function is in most cases completely restored.

Possible consequences
The clinical manifestations of artificial menopause include the following:

• decreased appetite;
• insomnia;
• general malaise;
• increased emotionality;
• decrease in sexual desire;
• vaginal dryness;
• pain during intercourse;
• loss of elasticity of the skin;
• deterioration of the hair and nail plates;
• joint pain;
• pain in the bones;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system.

How long after an artificial menopause can you conceive a child?
Restoration of the menstrual cycle occurs, as a rule, one to two months after the last injection was introduced. Pregnancy may occur in the first six months after discontinuation of the medication. Basically, it proceeds no harder than normal pregnancy.

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