Pregnancy during menopause

The main function of a woman is to give life to a new person, not at any age. At the turn of 43-45 years in the physiology of women, changes come: the development of sex hormones gradually fades, ovulation and the production of follicles by ovaries weakens. This period is called the menopause. From Greek this word is translated as a "step". For a woman, this is really a turning point, a new stage, a step that limits the ability to procreate. But is it immediately happening or is it still possible to have a pregnancy during menopause?

Can I get pregnant with menopause?

To answer the question whether it is possible to become pregnant with menopause, it is necessary to understand the processes that occur in the body of a woman. The climacteric period in its development goes through several stages. A harbinger of changes is premenopause, during which the level of estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone rises, but does not exceed the norm. Gradually, the response of the ovaries to hormones decreases, resulting in the eggs lose their ability to fully and in time to ripen. There are violations of the menstrual cycle. Premenopause is different for every woman, but mostly it happens after 43-45 years and can last as long as 55 years. During this period, the risk of becoming pregnant decreases, but it is not excluded, in connection with which there is a jump in unwanted pregnancies. The absence of a long period of time is taken for the onset of menopause and women cease to be protected.

The next stage begins after the last menstruation, lasts a year and is called menopause. On average, a woman approaches him by the year 51 of her life. To accelerate the arrival of menopause can various stresses, unhealthy lifestyle, the use of certain medications. At this stage, it is almost impossible to get pregnant, and yet gynecologists recommend to be protected at least a year after the termination of menstruation, and even up to 5 years.

After menopause occurs postmenopause, the reproductive system undergoes irreversible changes, becomes unfit for fertilization. For a woman comes the time of wilting and old age. Postmenopause lasts until the end of life. At this stage, the onset of pregnancy in a natural way is impossible.

[1], [2], [3], [4]

Probability of pregnancy with menopause

The probability of pregnancy with menopause in the first two of its periods (premenopause and menopause) is quite high, because the reproductive function of the body fades away gradually, egg production weakens, but continues. For an unwanted pregnancy, an early menopause is dangerous, when the 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 the development of menopause, 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 ailments. Often there is a hypertonic disease, metabolism is broken, bone tissue density is reduced, calcium is excreted from the body, kidney function worsens. The body suffers from a doubled load. Late pregnancy negatively affects the fetus. The probability of genetic abnormalities in a child, Down's disease and other various pathologies increases. It is often possible complications and during labor, which are expressed in bleeding and ruptures of the birth canal.

How to distinguish pregnancy from menopause?

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

On the part of the nervous system, there may be increased irritability, insomnia, a constant sense of anxiety and fear for themselves and their loved ones, depression, lack of appetite or vice versa, an increased desire to "seize" their anxieties.

The cardiovascular system also makes itself felt: frequent headaches due to vasospasm, increased pressure, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, sudden hot flashes, during which the woman becomes sweaty.

The endocrine system also suffers: malfunctions in work of a thyroid gland and adrenals which are poured out in feeling of weariness, a pain in joints, change of body weight, an itch of genitals are possible.

Common to pregnancy and menopause is the absence of menstruation and some symptoms that resonate with the above. However, in pregnancy, there are uncharacteristic signs for menopause: toxicosis, swelling of the chest, aching pain in the lower back. A woman should pay attention to "tips" and do not remain careless in this situation, and clarify it by practicing a trip to the doctor and conducting laboratory studies. Pregnancy test may not show pregnancy, tk. Necessary for the reaction of the test, the hormone during the menopause is poorly developed and it may not be enough to determine the condition.

Ectopic pregnancy with menopause

According to statistics, 1-2% of women experience an ectopic pregnancy. The mechanism of its occurrence is that a fertilized cell as a result of the fusion of the egg and sperm (zygote), is attached to the uterine tube or ovary, and sometimes enters the abdominal cavity, and does not enter the uterine cavity for further growth, as occurs with a normally occurring pregnancy . Zygote continues to grow in unsuitable conditions for its development outside the uterus and can break the tube or damage the ovary. This is very dangerous for a woman, because causes abundant bleeding with an outflow into the abdominal cavity, infection of its tissues and, as a consequence, the occurrence of peritonitis. The final may be the removal of the uterus and even the death of a woman.

The most obvious symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are abdominal pain and spotting. Localization of pain occurs depending on the place where the fertilized cell is attached. If it develops in the fallopian tube, the pain is felt in the side, with abdominal finding - in the middle of the abdomen, while walking, walking and changing the position of the trunk can be strengthened. The time of appearance of such symptoms also depends on the finding of the fetus and can occur, starting from 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, sometimes from 8 weeks.

Among a number of causes of ectopic pregnancy, which are called doctors (inflammation of the ovaries and tubes, cystitis, artificial abortions, transferred infections and gynecological operations), are hormonal changes. Thus, ectopic pregnancy with menopause is possible and, moreover, women in the climacteric period are in the zone of increased risk. With hormonal restructuring of the organism, the fallopian tubes contract, thus violating their transit functions. 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.

Avoid the severe consequences of ectopic pregnancy will help timely treatment in gynecological consultation, where they will conduct an ultrasound examination, and also make a blood test for the presence of the hormone that is released during pregnancy. With ectopic pregnancy, its content is reduced. To date, there is only one method of treatment - operational.

[5], [6], [7]

The first signs of pregnancy with menopause

If a woman ever bore a fetus, then she certainly will be alerted by some distinctive features from the climatic conditions. These may include:

• changes in taste preferences;
• nausea, and often vomiting from disgusting odors;
• breast swelling;
• fast fatigue and drowsiness;
• drawing pains in the sacrum;
• intense sweating.

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

Doctors do not recommend planning a pregnancy, even with an early menopause, because it is not only an excessive burden on the woman's body, but also a risk to the fetus. Interruption of unwanted pregnancy in the climacteric period 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 better to prevent her than to pay her health for mistakes.