Are you wondering if you can get pregnant if you are pre-menopausal? If you are premenopausal and are looking to conceive, you have reached the right page. Read on for trivia on pre-menopause phase and how to conceive if you wish to.

These days, women have become highly conscious about their career and position in the society. For this reason, many women tend to have their first child in the later years of their life. Many of them even try to conceive after the age of 40 for some personal reasons as well. However, with growing age, it becomes little difficult to conceive. As you reach your 40s pre-menopause, a phase heading you towards menopause, begins. This is usually considered as the end to a woman’s reproductive years. It gets more difficult to become pregnant.

About Pre-menopause

Also referred as menopause transition, pre-menopause is the phase thatoccurs preceding menopause. During this transition, the body prepares itself for menopause and the production f estrogen by the ovaries declines. While most women experience the menopause in 40s, some might also start in their late 30s.

This phase comes to an end when a woman spends a year without having periods and the no more eggs are produced by the ovaries. On an average, the pre-menopause period can last for as much as 4-10 years. However, some might also experience this phase for a few months only. During this phase, the menstrual cycles get irregular thus making it harder yet possible to conceive.

Symptoms of Pre-Menopause

Pre-menopause is a result of hormonal changes. This is why many symptoms appear during this phase. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Irregular periods
• Low Libido
• Trouble Sleeping
• Vaginal Dryness
• Breast Tenderness
• Fatigue
• Worse PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
• Mood Swings
• Hair Loss
• Urine Leakage (occurs during sneezing or coughing)

Can you conceive during Pre-menopause?

Every woman is with limited egg count. With growing age, the egg reserve declines. While those remaining are aging, it increases the chances of chromosomal abnormalities. Therefore, as the fertility of a woman declines with age, so do the chances of getting pregnant go down. This is even more prominent in case of pre-menopause symptoms. As compared to a 30 year old woman, who has 20% chance of becoming pregnant, the odds of a woman who has reached her 40s has a baby plummet rapidly due to reduction in the quantity of her eggs.

During pre-menopause, skipped periods or hot flashes can last for a few months and disappear, as the cycle gets back to normal. Thus, a woman in her pre-menopause phase has the chances of getting pregnant until the ovulation comes to an end. However, factors like hormonal fluctuations lead to irregular periods that make it difficult to conceive.

Risks of Being Pregnant during Pre-menopause

Medical risks during pregnancy get higher during pregnancy. For instance, pregnant women over the age of 35 years of age are more susceptible to gestational diabetes as compared to younger women. Besides, there are also higher chances of developing conditions like placental issues and high blood pressure. Moreover, the uterus might also not function as effectively as a younger woman during the time of delivery. A woman over the age of 40 years is more likely to deliver through a caesarian section.

Adding further, there is also higher risk of having an ectopic pregnancy – a complication wherein the embryo implants outside the uterus. Though miscarriages can occur at any age, the chances are higher if you are over 40 years of age, as much as 33%. However, if you have crossed 45 ad planning to get pregnant, the chances are only 50% that your pregnancy will reach the delivery stage.

How to get Pregnant in Pre-menopause Phase?

One of the most effective ways to improve the chances of conceiving during the pre-menopause phase is to track the ovulation period. During pre-menopause, the periods might get sporadic. Consequently, it get more complicated to figure out the exact time of ovulation and the exact time frame when you are most fertile.

Another issue that makes it difficult to get pregnant during pre-menopause is the reduced number of eggs. Therefore, any woman planning to conceive in the pre-menopausal phase not only needs to find out the exact time of fertility but also be acquainted with the signs of ovulation, like breast tenderness or vaginal discharge.

Above all, it is advised to all the women out there who are planning to conceive while in their pre-menopausal phase to consult a good medical practitioner and have a safe pregnancy.