Older Women and Pregnancy
What happens to older women during pregnancy?
As women age, their hormone levels fall and menopause begins, ultimately resulting in their ovaries no longer producing eggs. However, while many women believe that menopause happens overnight, the process can actually take years to complete, and until then, a woman can still get pregnant. As you go through the cycle of menopause, it's important to keep regular gynecological checkups. These checkups will help you treat any symptoms as well as allow for the doctor to possibly detect a rouge pregnancy before it is too late to begin prenatal care. It is important to keep track of all your menstrual cycles well into menopause and take note of any changes occurring in the body. There are clear signs when a pregnancy begins that will not be synonymous with menopause. These symptoms may include the total cessation of periods, an unexplained increased in weight, and swelling of the extremities. Many women over the age of 40, feel they are not in need of contraception during sex due to perimenopause, or pre-menopausal symptoms. In fact, many women continue to ovulate well through their 40’s.
The menopausal baby is something that is a reality. When the number of periods decline, this does not mean the female body is not ovulating. Ovulation can occur without a period and pregnancy can occur well into the 40’s and 50’s. Women who believe they are experiencing menopause will need to be free of a menstrual cycle for at least one year before they are officially post-menopausal. And, even then, the chance of pregnancy, though rare, is still there. Contraception is the only way to ensure you are not going to get pregnant when sexually active. The contraception option most chosen by women of menopausal age is tubal ligation.
