Pregnancy during menopause

The main function of a woman is to give life to a new person, which is not possible at any age. At the age of 43-45, changes occur in a woman's physiology: the production of sex hormones gradually fades, ovulation and the production of follicles by the ovaries weaken. This period is called menopause. From Greek, this word is translated as "step". For a woman, this is really a turning point, a new stage, a step that limits the ability to continue the family line. But does this happen immediately or is pregnancy possible during menopause?

Is it possible to get pregnant during menopause?

To answer the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant during menopause, it is necessary to understand the processes that occur in a woman's body. The climacteric period goes through several stages in its development. The harbinger of change is premenopause, during which the level of estrogens and follicle-stimulating hormone increases, but does not exceed the norm. Gradually, the reaction of the ovaries to hormones decreases, as a result of which the eggs lose the ability to fully and on time mature. Menstrual irregularities appear. The onset of premenopause in each woman occurs differently, but it mainly happens after 43-45 years and can last up to 55 years. During this period, the risk of getting pregnant decreases, but is not excluded, and therefore there is a jump in unwanted pregnancies. The absence of menstruation for a long time is taken for the onset of menopause and women stop using protection.

The next stage begins after the last menstruation, lasts a year and is called menopause. On average, a woman approaches it at the age of 51. Various stresses, an unhealthy lifestyle, and the use of certain medications can speed up the onset of menopause. At this stage, it is almost impossible to get pregnant, and yet gynecologists recommend using contraception for at least a year after the end of menstruation, or even up to 5 years.

After menopause comes postmenopause, the reproductive system undergoes irreversible changes, becomes unsuitable for fertilization. For a woman, the time of fading and old age comes. Postmenopause lasts until the end of life. At this stage, pregnancy is impossible naturally.

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Probability of pregnancy during menopause

The probability of pregnancy during menopause in its first two periods (premenopause and menopause) is quite high, because the reproductive function of the body fades gradually, the production of eggs weakens, but continues. Early menopause is dangerous for unwanted pregnancy, when menstruation is unstable and the woman loses control over the time of their onset. Artificial insemination (in vitro fertilization) is possible at all stages of menopause development, but is undesirable. Any pregnancy leads to hormonal changes in the body. The same thing happens during the onset of menopause. This tandem results in an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Hypertension often occurs, metabolism is disturbed, bone density decreases, calcium is excreted from the body, kidney function worsens. The body suffers from a double load. Late pregnancy also negatively affects the fetus. The probability of genetic abnormalities in the child, Down syndrome and other various pathologies increases. Complications during childbirth are often possible, which are expressed in bleeding and ruptures of the birth canal.

How to distinguish pregnancy from menopause?

How to distinguish pregnancy from menopause? Menopause is characterized by a number of signs that are called "climacteric syndrome". This term includes symptoms of neuropsychiatric, cardiovascular and endocrine disorders.

From the nervous system side, one may observe increased irritability, insomnia, a constant feeling of anxiety and fear for oneself and one's loved ones, depression, lack of appetite or, on the contrary, an increased desire to "eat away" one's worries.

The cardiovascular system also makes itself known: frequent headaches due to vascular spasm, increased blood pressure, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, sudden hot flashes, during which the woman becomes covered in sweat.

The endocrine system also suffers: disruptions in the functioning of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands are possible, which result in a feeling of fatigue, joint pain, changes in body weight, and itching of the genitals.

Common to pregnancy and menopause is the absence of menstruation and some symptoms that overlap with those described above. However, during pregnancy there are signs that are not typical for menopause: toxicosis, breast swelling, aching pain in the lower back. A woman should pay attention to the "hints" and not remain careless in this situation, but clarify it by visiting a doctor and undergoing laboratory tests. A pregnancy test may not show pregnancy, since the hormone necessary for the test reaction is weakly produced during menopause and may not be enough to determine the condition.

Ectopic pregnancy during menopause

According to statistics, 1-2% of women have an ectopic pregnancy. The mechanism of its occurrence is that the fertilized cell as a result of the fusion of the egg and sperm (zygote) attaches to the fallopian tube or ovary, and sometimes enters the abdominal cavity, and does not enter the uterine cavity for further growth, as happens during a normal pregnancy. The zygote continues to grow in conditions outside the uterus that are not suitable for its development and can rupture the tube or damage the ovary. This is very dangerous for a woman, as it causes profuse bleeding with outflow into the abdominal cavity, infection of its tissues and, as a result, the occurrence of peritonitis. The end result can be removal of the uterus and even the death of the woman.

The most obvious symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are abdominal pain and bloody discharge. The localization of pain depends on the location of the fertilized cell. If it develops in the uterine (fallopian) tube, the pain is felt in the side, if it is located in the abdomen - in the middle of the abdomen, it can increase with movement, walking and changing the position of the body. The time of appearance of such symptoms also depends on the location of the fetus and can occur starting from the 5-6 week of pregnancy, sometimes from the 8th week.

Among the causes of ectopic pregnancy that doctors name (inflammation of the ovaries and tubes, cystitis, artificial abortions, past infections and gynecological operations), there are also hormonal changes. Thus, ectopic pregnancy during menopause is possible and, moreover, women in the climacteric period are in the high-risk zone. During hormonal changes in the body, the fallopian tubes narrow, as a result of which their transit functions are disrupted. Also, a woman after 40-45 years is more burdened than a young woman with various chronic gynecological and other ailments that can cause this pathology.

To avoid serious consequences of an ectopic pregnancy, it is necessary to visit a gynecologist in a timely manner, where they will conduct an ultrasound examination, and also do a blood test for the presence of a hormone that is released during pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, its content is reduced. Today, there is only one method of treatment - surgery.

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The first signs of pregnancy during menopause

If a woman has ever carried a fetus, she will definitely be alerted by some distinctive features of the conditions typical of menopause. These may include:

• changes in taste preferences;
• nausea, and often vomiting, from disgusting odors;
• breast swelling;
• rapid fatigue and drowsiness;
• nagging pain in the sacrum;
• heavy sweating.

These may be the first signs of pregnancy during menopause. A blood test from a vein will give an accurate answer to the question.

Doctors do not recommend planning pregnancy even with early menopause, because it is not only an excessive burden on the woman's body, but also a risk to the fetus. Termination of an unwanted pregnancy during menopause is also dangerous, because the cervix at this age is atrophic and there may be complications. And yet, doctors strongly recommend the latter option. Every woman needs to remember that pregnancy during menopause is real and it is better to prevent it than to pay with your health for mistakes.