After the introduction of assisted reproductive technologies ARTs, many women are experiencing wonders in their lives, they can get pregnant even without fallopian tubes and with any severe complications. As a step ahead, in vitro fertilization can make women pregnant after menopause. Want to know how? Keep reading and learn how a woman conceives after menopause.
Can you get pregnant after menopause?
Your question should be how or can natural pregnancy occur after menopause? It’s because women can become pregnant after menopause.
Here the thing is pregnancy is possible, but women can’t get pregnant through natural methods. In vitro fertilization is one of the best assisted reproductive techniques that can make a woman pregnant even though she reached her menopause stage.
But wait is menopause only means reaching a certain age, in which a woman can’t bear a child? No. Women are born with a certain number of ovarian follicles, meaning ovarian reserve and once it is over, they could reach menopause. This can be separated into different stages, they are:
Stages of menopause
Perimenopause or premenopause
Perimenopause stage begins in women during their late 30s or 40s. It can cause hormonal fluctuations and causes irregular periods, mood swings, and hot flashes. In addition, women can’t predict their ovulation period, so natural pregnancy will become more difficult. Many women utilize assisted reproductive technologies like IVF during this phase.
Menopause
Menopause is reached when a woman has gone 12 months without a period, typically between ages 45 and 55. The ovaries stop releasing eggs, estrogen levels drop, and symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes become common. Natural pregnancy is no longer possible, but donor eggs and hormonal treatments can help. This phase marks the official end of fertility.
Post-menopause
Post-menopause follows menopause, lasting for the rest of a woman’s life, with hormone levels remaining low. Symptoms like hot flashes may persist but gradually fade, while health risks like osteoporosis and heart disease increase. Pregnancy is only possible through advanced reproductive treatments. Managing bone health and overall well-being becomes a priority.
How can ARTs help for conception?
IVF is a type of ART that has become a boon for couples and women facing difficulties in conception. Here are the two key points that make in vitro fertilization a prominent option for conception after menopause.
Hormonal therapy
Hormonal therapy helps in managing menopause-related fertility challenges. The doctors analyze a woman’s body and provide sufficient supplements to overcome or increase the declining estrogen and progesterone levels.
It helps regulate the uterine lining to make it more receptive to embryo implantation. During IVF, these supplements help to prepare the body for pregnancy using donor or frozen eggs. This therapy helps to overcome symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.
Frozen or donor eggs
Women can use donor eggs fertilized through IVF and implanted into their uterus. They can also freeze their eggs before menopause to get pregnant later in life. It’s because the uterus can still support pregnancy with proper hormonal preparation. This method offers hope for postmenopausal women seeking motherhood.
Challenges of IVF after menopause
Eggs availability
Women who did not freeze their eggs earlier need to wait for donor eggs. Women and doctors need to find a suitable donor whose genetic profile, ethnicity, and health history match their wishes and medical considerations will consume more time.
Low success rate
The success rate of IVF in women after menopause is lower when compared to younger women. Uterine receptivity, hormonal changes, and underlying health conditions are some factors affecting implantation. The average IVF success rate is 30-40% for younger women, for women over 45-50, the chances drop significantly.
Budget might be a concern
IVF is a costly procedure for women undergoing treatment pre-menopause. The costs may be even higher due to the need for additional hormonal treatments, donor eggs, and multiple IVF cycles in case of pregnancy after menopause.
List of potential risks of pregnancy after menopause
In general, women face several health risks due to conception at the age of 35, they are:
- Gestation diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Multiple pregnancies
- Miscarriages or stillbirths
- Cesarean births
- Premature or low birth weight
- Placenta previa
These risk factors can potentially affect the women who are pregnant after menopause. Late pregnancies can also result in chromosomal abnormalities and other issues. In this instance, women must consult the doctors as their valuable advice can guide them on the right path.
What are the possible results of IVF after menopause?
As you know, once after menopause women can’t get pregnant as their bodies don’t have eggs and through donor eggs only they can get success.
Positive Pregnancy
To start with good news, women can get pregnant through IVF. Yes, even though the success rate of menopause is low, women can get pregnant if they are provided with proper care and treatments.
Miscarriages
Miscarriage is one of the highly possible results when experimenting with IVF after menopause. Particularly, the miscarriage rate is high when the age of the woman is above 40 years.
Multiple IVF Cycles
As the success rate of IVF after menopause is less, fertility experts may recommend undergoing multiple IVF cycles as much as possible. So that women can have a healthy baby.
Health Complications
Once a woman reaches the menopause stage, the hormonal secretions become very less. Progesterone, estrogen, and other pregnancy hormones will be very low. This may lead to complications like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and others due to IVF.
Final words
This is how a woman can get pregnant after menopause, even though the success rate of IVF after menopause is low. For women who want to start a family after menopause and with lower ovarian reserve, IVF is truly a blessing for a happy family. Therefore, consult your healthcare provider to discuss whether this treatment works out for you or not after menopause.
People also ask
No, natural fertility can’t be restored after menopause. It’s because the ovaries stop releasing eggs and producing the hormones supporting conception. Hence, women may become pregnant after menopause with the assistance of fertility experts, but natural fertility can’t be restored.
Generally, IVF is considered the right choice after menopause. It’s because this is the only possible way to achieve pregnancy and build a family post-menopause.
No periods or menstrual cycle won’t restart after menopause. Vaginal bleeding post menopause is considered abnormal and immediate doctor’s guidance is required and highly recommended.
These are the sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body, which is usually most intense over the face, chest, and neck. Hot flashes can also cause sweating, women’s skin might redden, and increased sweating, fatigue, and irritability are also some symptoms of hot flashes.
Yes, menopause is a period you can gain weight. It happens for several reasons including hormonal changes, ageing, lifestyle factors, genetics, weight gain and health condition.
