Can You Get Pregnant During Perimenopause?

As perimenopause does not mark the immediate cessation of fertility, if a woman is sexually active and not using contraception, there remains a chance of pregnancy.

Quality of Eggs

With advancing age, both the quantity and quality of eggs in the ovaries decrease.

The reduced egg quality can lead to issues with fertilization, implantation, and development of a healthy fetus.

This is one of the reasons why getting pregnant naturally during perimenopause can be more challenging.

Download your free copy of the  Outsmart Hormone Havoc eBook!

Risks Associated with Pregnancy During Perimenopause

There is little research on the risks of pregnancy during perimenopause. Thus, each case must be considered individually.

Pregnancy during perimenopause presents in 2 distinct categories: 

Women who have utilized assistive reproductive technologies and those who have become pregnant spontaneously. 

Women becoming pregnant utilizing assisted reproductive technologies have pregnancy risks associated with that treatment, but are at lower risks of a fetus affected by aneuploidy. Those using assistive reproductive technologies are screened rigorously for medical complications, thus they tend to have lower risk of maternal medical complications, such as diabetes or hypertension. 

In contrast, women conceiving spontaneously are more likely to be of high parity, and may have additional medical complications such as obesity, hypertension or diabetes which become increasingly common through the lifespan.

In addition to the increased risk of antenatal complications during perimenopause such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, gestational diabetes and hypertension, perimenopausal women have higher risk of unexplained stillbirth and having to undergo a Cesarean section.

Repetitive cesarean section is a risk factor for future development of anemia especially in the perimenopausal period. 

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

For women experiencing difficulty getting pregnant naturally during perimenopause, ART might be a consideration. This includes techniques like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or using donor eggs. However, these procedures don’t guarantee a successful pregnancy and can be physically and emotionally taxing.

Older Fathers and Associated Pregnancy Risks

Declining Fertility

While men continue to produce sperm throughout their life, sperm quality (including motility and morphology) and semen volume can decrease with age, reducing the chances of successful fertilization.

Genetic Mutations

The frequency of genetic mutations in sperm increases as men age. Sperm-producing cells (spermatogonia) divide throughout a man’s life, and each division carries a risk of introducing a new mutation. 

Increased Risk of Autism and Schizophrenia

Research indicates that children born to older fathers have a slightly higher risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia. While the absolute risk remains low, the relative risk increases with paternal age.

Risk of Chromosomal Abnormalities

Certain rare chromosomal disorders, including Apert syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, and achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism), are associated with increased paternal age. 

Increased Risk of Certain Childhood Cancers

Both advanced maternal age and advanced paternal age are associated with increased risks of some childhood cancers in the offspring. For example, both maternal and paternal older ages were associated with risk of lymphoma.

Risk of Miscarriage

Research has shown that pregnancies where the father is over 45 years old have a higher risk of miscarriage compared to younger fathers. This is thought to be due to the higher frequency of sperm DNA mutations in older men.

While it is biologically possible to get pregnant during perimenopause, the associated risks and challenges increase. It’s essential for women and their male partners to have informed discussions with their healthcare providers about their reproductive health, pregnancy plans, and overall wellness during this transitional phase of life.

BECOME A PERIMENOPAUSE & MENOPAUSE EXPERT IN ONLY 3 MONTHS! 

Discover how to provide your clients in their 30’s through 50’s with the specialized support needed to help them address their symptoms while also growing your own practice and niche skillset. 

This 3-month Certificate Program starts as soon as you enroll! 

Nourishment to Reduce Risks of Advanced Maternal and Paternal Age Pregnancies

Nutrition to optimize egg and sperm quality can reduce risks associated with advanced maternal or paternal age pregnancies, and improve maternal health throughout the pregnancy in perimenopause and for years to come. 

References

1. Park, J. Y., & Lee, S. W. (2017). A history of repetitive cesarean section is a risk factor of anemia in healthy perimenopausal women: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012. PloS one, 12(11), e0188903. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188903

2. Tower C. (2009). Pregnancy in peri- and postmenopausal women: challenges in management. Menopause international, 15(4), 165–168. https://doi.org/10.1258/mi.2009.009040

3. Janecka, M., Mill, J., Basson, M. A., Goriely, A., Spiers, H., Reichenberg, A., Schalkwyk, L., & Fernandes, C. (2017). Advanced paternal age effects in neurodevelopmental disorders-review of potential underlying mechanisms. Translational psychiatry, 7(1), e1019. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2016.294

4. Wang, R., Metayer, C., Morimoto, L., Wiemels, J. L., Yang, J., DeWan, A. T., Kang, A., & Ma, X. (2017). Parental Age and Risk of Pediatric Cancer in the Offspring: A Population-Based Record-Linkage Study in California. American journal of epidemiology, 186(7), 843–856. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx160

Read Related Posts from The Integrative Women's Health Institute Blog: