Q: I am 48 but close to menopause. I skip periods and when I have them they are very light. Do I still need to worry about getting pregnant?
A: YES! Many women are under the (false) impression that they can no longer get pregnant after a certain age or when they are close to menopause. I have even had patients that have regular periods and think they don’t need to worry about pregnancy if they’re in peri-menopause or starting to have symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, etc.
Bottom line: if you still are having periods – if even only once in a while – you can get pregnant! Now, granted, your incidence is not as high and certainly viability is not great, but you still need to be cautious. Menopause is not until you have gone 12 consecutive months without a period.
Fertile during Perimenopause?
