collaborative post // Many women do not realize that they can still get pregnant well into menopause. It is hard to pin down exactly when fertility ends, and it does not always correspond to the end of regular period symptoms. For some people it can happen earlier or later than period irregularity.
As a result, thousands of menopausal women are caught off-guard by pregnancies every year. This can be an issue, because pregnancy becomes higher risk with age. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate those risks and keep yourself healthy even while experiencing both menopause and pregnancy at once.
1. Talk To Your Doctor
The first step in any pregnancy is getting medical advice that works for you and your baby. Everyone is different and has different needs, and your doctor is the person most likely to understand your overall health and be able to make a plan with you. This might include additional vitamins beyond the standard prenatal recommendations, lifestyle and exercise changes, or increased monitoring of your health. You won’t know what you need until you have that talk.
2. Consider Hormone Therapy
Pregnancy often causes estrogen levels to spike but menopausal women make less estrogen by definition. Offsetting a potential hormone issue with estrogen pills over the counter might be the best way to keep your levels where they need to be for a healthy pregnancy.
There are more options than ever for treating hormone imbalances during menopause and during pregnancy, so you should work with your medical provider to find the best solution and dosage for your body. If you are questioning whether prescription or over the counter estrogen is right for you, check out Equelle menopause reviews to see what results you can expect.
3. Vitamins, Vitamins, Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are essential for any pregnancy. From supporting the healthy growth of your baby to minimizing risks that could endanger the pregnancy, vitamins serve an essential role, and often the bizarre food cravings associated with late pregnancy are tied to nutrient needs.
Menopause is also a time when your nutritional needs change, and conditions like heart disease and osteoporosis are often related to proper nutrition as the body changes. Handling both of these issues together requires a lot of nutritional support for every aspect of your health from your bones to your immune system, so finding the right combination of vitamins and diet is vital.
4. Keep Yourself Active
Strenuous exercise is not a good idea during pregnancy, but neither is a totally sedentary lifestyle in most cases. Many menopause symptoms like increased fatigue are best treated with exercise that supports cardiovascular health and range of movement. Finding the right maternity-friendly activities to keep yourself moving and keep your strength are essential unless your doctor specifically recommends decreased activity and rest because of other risk factors.
5. Understand Your Symptoms
Learning to spot pregnant at 50 symptoms can be the best way to know when to communicate with your medical provider about changes to your situation. Remember, pregnancy is a marathon, and ongoing change needs to be monitored. Understanding what symptoms are signs of normal progression and which ones should lead to concern is an important part of navigating this journey.
You learn something new everyday. I had no idea menopausal women could get pregnant at 50 or beyond. This was a great post! Very interesting.