Menopause is the cessation of ovulation and menstrual bleeding. Normally it occurs sometime after the 40th year, most often after 50. For most of history, pregnancy was not possible after menopause, but now, thanks to modern science, women as old as their 60s are having children.

Fertility During Perimenopause

Perimenopause can begin as early as your 30s. During this phase, you can experience many of the symptoms of menopause (e.g. hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings) but menstruation does not yet cease. As this phase progresses, you may have some periods where you do not ovulate. As this goes on, your chances of becoming pregnant get slimmer, but are still viable. In perimenopause you have even more reason to begin taking good care of yourself. Excellent health improves your chances for beginning and sustaining pregnancy. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, dairy and lean protein. Include whole grains to ensure good elimination and adequate B vitamins.

Fertility After Menopause

If you have experienced perimenopause for several years, you may find your periods becoming more irregular. This is an indication that your hormone production is becoming more irregular as well according to WomensHealth.gov. As these hormone levels decrease, so do your chances of getting pregnant. As long as you are menstruating, there exists the possibility. Still, according to Dr. Marjorie Greenfield at DrSpock.com, "It is very rare to get pregnant after age 45 without donor eggs or other assisted reproductive techniques." One strategy discussed at HumRep.OxfordJournals.org is to have your eggs harvested and frozen while they are still viable, then have them fertilized in vitro and implanted when you are ready to become pregnant. This process, according to Oxford Journals, was developed for women who experienced premature menopause. Later it was allowed for women over 40 years old. Menopause itself is the day you have not experienced a period for 12 months. After this point, there is no expectation that you will be able to become pregnant in the usual way. With the help of a fertility specialist, even a woman past menopause can carry an embryo that has been fertilized in the lab.

Considerations

In vitro fertilization is a costly and risky process. There are no guarantees that your eggs will develop properly in the lab once fertilized. Once implanted, the chances of carrying the fetus to term is much lower in an older woman. Health, hormonal factors, stress, fatigue and a greater chance for abnormalities all make this an option that you need to weigh with your family and your doctor.

Source:

DrSpock.com: Getting Pregnant After Menopause, Marjory Greenfield MD

WomensHealth.gov: Perimenopause

Oxford Journals, Human Reproduction: Responses in Post-Menopausal Women, Counselling Post-Menopausal Women on In-Vitro Fertilization and Hormone Replacement Therapy, Flamigni and Borini