After Menopause Pregnancy

Menopause vs. Perimenopause

• Menopause occurs when a woman's body stops releasing an egg each month (ovulation) for potential fertilization. However, for most there is no clear-cut moment when the body suddenly stops releasing eggs. Menstruation and ovulation taper off, and during this time a woman is in perimenopause. In this transition, she may have menstrual periods some months while other months she will have none. The fact that she is still menstruating on occasion means that her body still has eggs that could potentially be fertilized and lead to a pregnancy. According to the Mayo Clinic, menopause is not officially diagnosed until one year has transpired since a woman's last menstrual period.

Pregnancy After Menopause

• If a woman wants to become pregnant after she has officially gone through menopause, she cannot become pregnant with her own eggs but she may be a candidate for egg donation. During the process, the egg donor receives medications that stimulate egg development. When her eggs are ready, they are retrieved and combined with a man's sperm (which can either be taken from the recipient's partner or a sperm donor) to create embryos. The embryos are then implanted in the recipient's body, which has also been prepared for pregnancy. If one or more embryos is successfully accepted, the post-menopausal woman will become pregnant.

Pregnancy in Perimenopause

• An older woman is less likely than a younger woman to become pregnant in any given cycle. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), two-thirds of women older than 40 have issues with fertility. A woman in her 20s has about a 25 percent chance of getting pregnant each month. In contrast, a woman over age 40 has around a 5 percent chance of becoming pregnant in a monthly cycle, says fertility specialist and author Sherman Silber. Once a woman is going through perimenopause, her chances of conceiving are even slimmer. However, pregnancy is still possible.

Contraception

• A woman going through perimenopause should use some form of contraception if she does not want to become pregnant. A surgical sterilization method such as tubal ligation (where a doctor cuts, ties or clamps the fallopian tubes) is irreversible, but it may be a preferred method for perimenopausal women since they are about to become infertile anyways. Oral contraception ("the pill") and barrier methods (condoms, diaphragms) are also options.

Risks

• In addition to reduced fertility, older women face more pregnancy risks than younger women. A woman over 35 who becomes pregnant with her own egg is more likely than a woman under 35 to give birth to a baby with genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a woman over 40 has twice the risk of miscarriage than a woman in her 20s and early 30s (likely due to chromosome problems if she becomes pregnant using her own egg). In addition, a woman over 35 is more likely to develop health problems such as pre-eclampsia and have problems during labor.