Menopause and Fertility: Understanding Conception During Transition

Question
Thank you for the information.
Another question:
Can a woman still conceive while she is in
the transition stage of her menopause?

Followup To
Question -
Hello.
What is the usual age in which menopause begins?

Answer -
Menopause is defined as the date of your final menstrual period. It usually occurs at around age 50, but can occur earlier or later than that. Between the ages of 40-50, a woman starts to have alterations in her cycle. It can occur more than once a month or become irregular. Soon (due to dropping estrogen levels) a woman will miss one month's period. Then she will bleed regularly for a few months. Then she will miss several periods in a row. When she misses a full 12 months in a row, we look back at the date of her last period. That is when we say she reached menopause. After that period, she is considered "post menopausal". I have one patient who is in her 60s and still gets her period every month.

Answer
As long as you get a monthly period, you probably ovulate and can, indeed, conceive. You have heard of "change of life" babies? These are babies that are born to women who are approaching menopause. Until you hae completely stopped having periods, you still can become pregnant.