Can You Get Pregnant After Menopause?

If you’re looking to start a family later in life, you’re not alone.

There are so many reasons why it might work for you to wait.

You might want to hold on until you feel emotionally ready and financially prepared — or until you have found the person you want to raise children with.

Or maybe it’s just taking longer than you planned.

(The TTC struggle can be real.)

But what happens when you hit menopause?

Can you get pregnant after menopause?

If so, what are your options?

Let’s find out together.

In this article: 📝

What is menopause?

First, a quick science lesson on menopause.

Menopause is 12 months (a year) after you stop having periods.

It happens because, as you age, your ovaries stop producing the hormones responsible for your menstrual cycle — particularly estrogen and progesterone.

Up to this point, these hormones have helped prepare your body for possible pregnancy.

They make sure that every month, the lining of your uterus builds up in preparation for implantation, and your ovaries release an egg.

And if that egg is not fertilized, they’ve also been responsible for it passing out of your body — together with that extra uterus lining and some blood — in the form of a period.

Can you ovulate after menopause?

When menopause hits, this process comes to an end.

The average age for menopause in North America is 51, and most women will usually experience it sometime between 40 and 58.

But for some people, it can happen much earlier, which can be a bit of a challenge for those trying to conceive.

🔎 Dig deeper: When Does Menopause Start?

Can you still get pregnant after menopause?

The simple answer to this is yes (sort of)!

It just depends on how far along you are in your menopause journey.

To explain this more fully, let’s take a look at how menopause works.

After your periods have stopped completely, you won’t be able to conceive by having sex.

But you can still become pregnant once you’ve started experiencing menopause symptoms.

This is because the term ‘menopause’ is often used to cover the entire run-up to the time when your periods stop.

But actually, doctors split this all-important change into three stages:

Perimenopause

This is a period of about three to five years when you’re producing less estrogen and progesterone.

It usually happens in your 40s, but can start earlier.

At this time, you could experience initial menopause symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mental health challenges, vaginal dryness, and irregular periods.

The good news is that while it may not be as easy as it was before, it is still possible to get pregnant if you’re going through perimenopause.

Menopause

This is technically defined as the point when you’ve gone 12 months (a year) without having a period.

👉 Get the full lowdown: How Long Does Menopause Last?

Postmenopause

This final stage of postmenopause starts a year after your last period.

At this point, perimenopause symptoms might start to subside — although in some cases they could stick around for a year or more.

So the bottom line is, it is still possible to get pregnant naturally when you’re in perimenopause.

But since you’ll be releasing fewer eggs, it may be more difficult.

What are the changes of getting pregnant after 35?

Though there are risks, 35+ pregnancies are totally possible — and for many, preferable.

But the reality is, your chances of conceiving do decrease as you get older.

As well as this, 35+ pregnancies do come with some additional challenges.

The risk of pregnancy loss is higher as we age. And the possibility of your baby developing chromosomal abnormalities goes up.

There is a higher chance that your eggs might develop with an unusual number of chromosomes.

This can mean that they are less likely to implant properly, and can cause pregnancy loss or lead to your baby having genetic differences, like Down syndrome.

But it’s still possible to have a totally healthy pregnancy when you’re a bit older, either with some help or without.

What’s the oldest age a woman can get pregnant?

One study of 58,000 women found that 50% were unable to conceive through sex at 41, nearly 90% were unable to do so at 45, and almost 100% couldn’t at 50.

But don’t give up! Women start perimenopause at different times, have different symptoms, and finally reach menopause at different stages too.

The good news is, there are other options.

If it’s right for you, you want to research fertility treatments or freezing your eggs.

What are the chances of getting pregnant after menopause?

Once your periods have stopped for twelve months, you’ll need some help to get pregnant.

This is because your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs.

But it is possible to become pregnant and give birth after menopause using in vitro fertilization, or IVF.

You can either use your own eggs that you’ve previously frozen or eggs from a donor.

Whichever route you choose, the eggs will be placed in a container with sperm from either your partner or a donor.

The goal is for the sperm to fertilize the eggs to create embryos, which will then be left to grow in a lab for a few days.

After this, they’ll be popped into your uterus and, with a bit of luck, will settle and start to grow!

Since your ovaries are the only part of your reproductive system impacted by menopause, pregnancy, and childbirth will work the same way after menopause as before.

Interestingly, some of the complications associated with 35+ pregnancies can be avoided by using IVF.

This is because implanted eggs from a younger woman — either your frozen eggs or a donor’s — are less likely to have chromosomal abnormalities than an older woman’s eggs.

So, the age you can become pregnant using fertility treatments will depend on a number of factors, including your overall health, the eggs you use, and what your fertility journey has been to date.

So, can a woman get pregnant after menopause?

Sort of, yes.

You can still get pregnant after you’ve started experiencing menopause symptoms, since you may still be in perimenopause.

True menopause happens when you haven’t had a period for 12 months.

After this stage, you can’t get pregnant “naturally”, through sex.

But, after you’ve reached menopause, you can still get pregnant, using donor eggs or your own frozen eggs via IVF.

If you’re struggling to conceive at any age, or want to talk to other women about menopause, reach out to the Peanut community for support.

We’re having the conversation.

All the best. ❤️