Experiencing Menopause And Pregnancy In Later Life Is Possible
Women can begin the menopause process as virtually any age between 40 and 60, but menopause and pregnancy are not always tied closely together. While some consider menopause the end of their child bearing years, menopause by medical definition is the time at which a woman has her last menstrual period. It is not a date that can be written on a calendar and everyone is going to be different making menopause and pregnancy protection unpredictable.
During the early stages of menopause and pregnancy is a possibility, steps should be taken if the possibility of pregnancy is not wanted. While many doctors say that once a woman in is post menopause, meaning all periods have stopped, the possibility may still exist for them to get pregnant. Even without periods, if the ovaries are still producing eggs, it is possible for menopause and pregnancy to hit at the same time.
There is a lot of confusion about the terms associated with menopause, and some mistakenly believe that they quit having periods during menopause and pregnancy is not possible. Even those women who have not had a period in over a year should consult their doctor to determine if pregnancy is still a possibility.
No Time Limit On Menopause Stages
There are three recognized stages of menopause, premenopause, perimenopause and post menopause and pregnancy is possible during the first two. During premenopause, the woman's body is beginning to adjust in the next stage of their life by limiting the hormones being produced. While some of the hormones are related to the reproductive stage of their life, others affect them physiologically more than physical. Pregnancy during this stage is a distinct possibility.
In the perimenopause stage, the woman is going to further along in menopause and pregnancy may be unlikely but as long as they are still experiencing their menstrual cycles, they are still capable of becoming pregnant. During post menopause all periods have ceased and the ovaries are not producing eggs, making post menopause and pregnancy all but impossible.
Medical professionals also cite the dangers of women in menopause and pregnancy as the hormone imbalance may affect the healthy gestation of the fetus. Women going through menopause that become pregnant are considered at high risk for not only their own health but also for that of the new baby. Women who are going through menopause and pregnancy occurs will need near-constant pre-natal care to insure the health of baby and the mom.
