Is it possible to get pregnant when you don't have periods at all? What could be the reason that a woman is not pregnant, but does not have periods?

Women with an unstable and irregular menstrual cycle often have a reasonable question: is it possible to get pregnant if there are no periods?

If you need to give an unambiguous answer, then gynecologists answer - you can. However, if such a question arises, it is necessary to understand its essence and find out the prerequisites for the problem that has arisen. As a rule, there are two reasons, and they are opposite.

Some women are concerned that an unplanned pregnancy may occur due to the absence of menstruation. For others, on the contrary, the problem becomes childlessness due to an irregular or absent monthly cycle.

Monthly cycle

What's happened menstrual cycle, short and clear: this is the regular work of the reproductive function of a healthy fertile (capable of becoming pregnant, bearing and giving birth to a baby) woman.

The cyclical nature of the process is regulated by complex hormonal mechanisms. The egg matures in due time, leaves the ovary and moves towards a potential sperm.

At this time, the delicate work of the entire endocrine system of the body is underway, preparing for fertilization. The uterus lines the endometrium, its inner lining, as a place for the fertilized egg to attach. If fertilization does not occur, the vessels narrow, the endometrium exfoliates and is excreted with uterine blood during menstruation. Then new eggs begin to mature and everything starts all over again.

Pregnancy becomes possible only during a certain period of the cycle, and the absence of menstruation most often indicates problems in this very cycle.

Pathological manifestations

In the absence of menstruation, for any reason, physiological or pathological, first of all, you need to find out. Regular bleeding in itself shows that the endometrium has been prepared and is not in demand (pregnancy has not taken place).

The fact that there are no discharges may be a symptom of both gynecological and other diseases indirectly related to the genital area. You can’t guess with tea leaves about the causes of the pathology; you need to visit a gynecologist, a qualified doctor will clarify the situation.

"Normal" amenorrhea

A period of up to 6 months during which there is no regulation is considered a disorder that does not require intensive intervention; this period is usually attributed to some kind of disruption of the menstrual cycle.

If there is no menstruation for more than six months, amenorrhea is diagnosed, which means the absence of menstruation. Amenorrhea can be normal during the following periods of a woman’s life:

before puberty;
pregnancy;
lactation;
upon the onset of menopause.

With some forms of amenorrhea, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant without menstruation often has a positive answer. Pregnancy can occur at a young age in a girl if menstruation has already begun, but the cycle has not yet been regulated and there have been no periods for several months, due to the installation of the hormonal system. Therefore, it is necessary to educate young people about the need to use contraceptives.

Pathological amenorrhea

The absence of non-physiological regulations for more than 6 months is a pathological manifestation of amenorrhea. It happens:

Primary – there are no signs of puberty (female hair growth, enlargement of the mammary glands) and menstruation at 14 years of age, with no menstruation by 16 years of age.
Secondary - in the absence of regulation for more than six months, if before that they were present, but stopped.

In addition, true and false amenorrhea are distinguished. Causes of false amenorrhea:

Congenital anomalies (atresia or fusion of the vagina, cervix, hymen).
Congenital absence of an organ.

In these cases, the ovaries perform their functions, ovulation occurs, but the flow of blood and exfoliated epithelium is hampered due to obstacles caused by developmental abnormalities.

True amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation and ovulation. Pregnancy cannot occur. The physiological absence of regulation can also become a manifestation of true amenorrhea, we discussed it above.

Pathological true amenorrhea is caused by:

Diseases of the endocrine system.
Diseases of the nervous system.
Pathologies of the brain (pituitary gland, hypothalamus).
Obesity, anorexia.
Chronic poisoning with phosphorus and heavy metals.
Gynecological pathology.

A large number of gynecological diseases and complications after surgery can lead to secondary amenorrhea. For example:

Acute infectious processes.
Diseases of the ovaries (tumors, polycystic disease, etc.).
Hormonal dysfunctions.
Tuberculosis of the genital organs.
Abortion, operations on the uterus, cicatricial fusion of the vagina, cervical canal (false secondary).
Removal of the uterus and/or ovaries.

All these problems require intervention and supervision from a qualified specialist; do not refuse a visit to the gynecologist.

Breast-feeding

During lactation (breastfeeding), a woman's body releases the hormone prolactin. It suppresses the synthesis of estrogens - hormones for endometrial growth - and the development of the egg, so pregnancy, in principle, cannot occur.

But in the first months, a woman feeds hourly and on demand, that is, often, stimulating the production of prolactin. As the child grows older, feedings occur less frequently and complementary foods are introduced.

In some cases, the level of estrogen in the blood increases and, against the background of feeding, the ovaries are able to release into the world another egg ready for fertilization. And then, during breastfeeding, while maintaining sexual activity without mechanical contraception, the baby may have a new brother or sister.

It is noteworthy that a nursing mother may not even notice that pregnancy has occurred: her period does not appear after childbirth, and it does not occur because of a new pregnancy.

Children of the same age are rarely planned pregnancies, but most often just such cases. Therefore, if you do not plan to give birth to a second child so quickly, then it is better to take care of contraception. Especially for women who have had difficult births, C-section with weakened children.

Climax

During menopause and after, the absence of menstruation is also physiological. And there are incidents of nature itself. During this period, the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant without menstruation may have the answer - yes. Both during the period of the beginning of the reproductive function and during its decline, there are disruptions in the menstrual cycle associated with hormonal changes and on this wave, a mature woman who does not use contraceptives can become pregnant in the absence of menstruation. These are very real life stories.

Pregnancy and absence of menstruation

Given the wide range of options in which a period may be absent, it is better the real reason find out from a professional, and not suffer from ignorance.

If you have an unwanted pregnancy, you should not take risks; you need to use contraceptives, even if they do not provide a 100% guarantee.

If a pregnancy is desired, it is better to plan it against the backdrop of complete health and a normal cycle: first you need to find out the reason for the absence of menstruation and eliminate it.

Instructions

Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation. Moreover, this diagnosis can only be made in the absence of regular menstruation for 6 months. In medical practice, there are several types of amenorrhea. The effectiveness of treatment in each specific case will influence the ability to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby. How to get pregnant with amenorrhea?

First of all, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination, determine the type and severity of amenorrhea, as well as the reasons that caused it. A woman will definitely need to take a cytological smear, urine and blood to determine hormone levels and, if necessary, take an x-ray in the area of the sella turcica. In case of primary amenorrhea, which is accompanied by the absence of menstruation in a sexually mature girl, a surgical operation is performed to remove obstacles to the ongoing menstruation. If necessary, hormonal therapy and a special diet are prescribed to build muscle and fat tissue and stimulate menstruation.

Secondary amenorrhea, in which a woman had menstruation but for some reason disappeared, the woman is advised to be examined by an endocrinologist, nutritionist and neuropsychiatrist. Perhaps amenorrhea was caused by stress or excessive physical and emotional stress. In this case, it is important to develop a new, healthy and optimal lifestyle: adjust nutrition and exercise, eliminate stressful situations, get more sleep. Only after the menstrual cycle has been established can pregnancy occur.

If pituitary dysfunction is diagnosed, the patient will be prescribed hormonal therapy with estrogen-gestagen drugs. The same treatment is carried out for polycystic ovary syndrome. Women with amenorrhea of ovarian origin can undergo ovulation stimulation, but only if eggs are present. If there are no positive results, a decision is made on in vitro fertilization. Preparation for it includes taking hormones to create an artificial menstrual cycle. If a woman is diagnosed with a pathology of the adrenal cortex, as well as hyperplasia or a tumor, she will need treatment in an endocrinology hospital.

With false amenorrhea, the woman’s hormonal system works normally, but the embryo, as a rule, cannot develop due to the fact that there are adhesions or some other obstacles in the uterine cavity. Or a woman has problems with the implantation of a fertilized egg into the altered uterine wall. In such a situation, the doctor raises the question of surgical intervention, which involves dissecting adhesions with a hysteroscope or curettage of the uterine cavity. Having eliminated the cause of amenorrhea and corrected the menstrual cycle, you can begin planning a pregnancy.

The absence of menstruation in an adult woman always causes alarm, because regular menstruation like clockwork is a sign of complete health, and you don’t even need a medical education to understand this. But sometimes it happens that the discharge stops, and of course, I would like to know possible reasons this.

Normal Reasons for Missing Menstruation

1. Pregnancy. The most important and most joyful reason for the absence of the usual red discharge once a month may be that you will soon become a mother. This occurs because the cycle has ended with the beginning of fetal development, and there is no longer a need to shed the endometrium of the uterus for a new one to begin. The absence of red substances throughout pregnancy is considered normal.

2. Lactation. If you have a baby you are breastfeeding, there may be no red leakage throughout the entire breastfeeding period. In the presence of lactation, this is considered normal and does not indicate problems, although most often recovery occurs by 6-7 months after birth.

3. Climax. During menopause, everything stops due to the decline of your reproductive function. The discharge becomes rare and disappears completely in the age range from 45 to 55 years. There are earlier menopause, and some are able to conceive longer.

These are three natural, completely normal reasons for the absence of red substances that should not bother you. Rather, it should cause you anxiety or the resumption of the cycle at 60 years. But there may be other reasons besides pregnancy and the above conditions.

Worrying Reasons for Missing Menstruation

Young girls may have problems for 2-3 years after menarche. This is also a normal course of events, however, it is worth seeing a gynecologist.

Another reason for the delay may be hormonal disorders. That's enough serious problem, difficult to diagnose and treat. As a rule, there are other symptoms of a woman’s hormonal imbalance, such as obesity or “improper” hair growth on the body. In such cases, examination by a gynecologist and endocrinologist is necessary, and there is no need to put the matter off for a long time. Why is this lack of discharge dangerous? In itself, it is not dangerous, but it is worth remembering that the longer a hormonal imbalance exists, the more serious the changes in your hormonal system organs. Developed polycystic ovary syndrome is very difficult to treat, and you want to conceive and give birth to a child in the future.

Sometimes a delay occurs against the background of complete health. This happens if you are under a lot of stress, work a lot, don’t sleep and are nervous, have lost a lot of weight, that is, your body is carrying a load that is unusual for it.

And finally, there may be no final stage after discontinuation of OCs, a common situation, especially when taking drugs such as Jess. The fact is that the body gets used to receiving hormonal support from the outside, and the own ovarian function is inhibited. This leads to the fact that ovulation does not occur, and it takes time to restore the ability to conceive.

If you notice problems in your gender, you shouldn’t postpone treatment, but what if the reasons are serious? Consult your doctor.

Menopause is a natural process in a woman’s life when her reproductive function fades. Usually, this phenomenon comes unexpectedly for the fair sex, who feel young, energetic, and interruptions in their cycle have already appeared.

Many of them are mistaken in believing that it is impossible to get pregnant during menopause. This is not so, pregnancy during this period of life is possible and undesirable, and to understand why, let’s take a closer look at the so-called autumn period female body.

Stages of menopause

Each girl has approximately 300-400 thousand eggs from the moment of birth, which gradually decrease in proportion to age. By the age of 51-52, about 1000 germ cells remain. All this occurs due to a decrease in ovarian function and a decrease in the production of hormones that regulate this process. A woman enters the final phase of her childbearing period.

The concept of menopause is currently considered unreliable and is not often used by specialists. It is correct to divide this life process into the following stages:

Perimenopause precedes the end of menstruation. It occurs on average at 45 years of age and lasts about 3-7 years. At this time, changes in the cycle occur, the interval between menstruation increases, and they themselves become scanty or, conversely, too abundant. At this stage of life, the ovaries, although in small quantities and not every month, still grow follicles.
Menopause lasts about 12 months after the last bleeding, the woman’s age at this moment is approximately 50-51 years. Theoretically, the egg should no longer develop, but when assessing whether it is possible to get pregnant during menopause if you have not had periods for 1 year, it is impossible to give a definitive negative answer. It is believed that in the absence of critical days for more than a year, pregnancy does not occur due to the fact that there is no development of follicles. But it is quite possible that the egg will appear unexpectedly. Therefore, some experts recommend using contraception for 5 years from the date of your last menstruation.
Postmenopause lasts until the ovaries stop working completely, that is, until the end of life.

Is it possible to get pregnant during menopause?

Nowadays, women busy with their careers and acquiring a material status that is normal by their standards, very often plan to give birth after 35 years, without thinking that pregnancy at this age accelerates the onset of menopause and negatively affects its course. And after an unsuccessful first attempt, the dilemma of whether it is possible to get pregnant during menopause and how this threatens the child is quite controversial.

Risks during pregnancy

It is clear that with age one acquires its own set of diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc.), which, together with hormonal changes in the body, can have a bad effect on pregnancy. Among other things, metabolism and kidney function are disrupted, and calcium is washed out of teeth and bones. Late childbirth occurs with complications such as bleeding and rupture of the genital tract and can result in the birth of a child with genetic disorders due to poor egg quality and the age of the mother. The risk of having a baby with Down syndrome is high.

Abortion is also dangerous due to the development of complications, because the cervix is already atrophic, the cervical canal is difficult to open, which leads to an increased likelihood of inflammatory diseases.

Pregnancy without menstruation for several years

Is it possible to get pregnant during menopause if you have not had periods for 2 years? This is also a solvable question, especially with early menopause, which can occur at 37 years old due to hormonal imbalance. In this case, it is possible to stimulate the development of the egg. The birth of a baby during menopause is justified if the couple does not have children for a number of reasons, one of which may be infertility, or the previous child has died. But it is worth showing prudence and responsibility, because the child still needs to be raised.

The high percentage of unplanned pregnancies during menopause between the ages of 40 and 55 is due to a loss of control. When interruptions in menstruation begin, it is difficult to track the moment of ovulation, and when the cycle no longer seems to work, the woman relaxes, believing that the cells are not maturing and conception is impossible. But the appearance of a random egg can present an unexpected and sometimes unpleasant surprise.

The risk of becoming pregnant during an increase in the intermenstrual period persists for about two years. Therefore, it is worth remembering precautions and using contraceptives.

Pregnancy during menopause (video)

It happens that a woman knows for sure that she is not pregnant, but there is no period. This situation is familiar to many representatives of the fair sex. It causes panic.

In such a situation, among other questions, doubt also arises: is it possible to get pregnant if you don’t have periods? The absence of menstruation on time indicates some kind of anomaly in female physiology. To cast aside all doubts, it is better to immediately visit a gynecologist and find out the reason. But with the modern rhythm of life, this is not always possible to do quickly. Therefore, a woman who takes care of her women's health, should know the possible reasons. There can be a lot of such reasons.

Emotional and physical overload

A woman’s body is a very well-coordinated mechanism. A failure in one “part” can lead to problems in another system. Doctors confirm that stress, depression, emotional overload - all this can lead to the absence of menstruation. IN modern world There are a lot of reasons for women’s stress: driving in a big city, conflicts at work and in the family, exams and others. At such moments, the body turns on a defense mechanism and prevents pregnancy.

By the way, a sharp increase in ultraviolet exposure to the skin can also be considered a stressful situation for the body. Therefore, many women who come to the south to relax notice that the onset of menstrual periods does not occur or occurs with a delay.

Doctors have noted that if a woman experiences excessive physical activity in her life, she may also notice a lack of menstruation. We are not talking about physical culture, but about lifting and carrying weights, sports, and other activities in which a woman’s physical potential is used to the maximum.

Weight changes and menstruation

Weight changes, namely its rapid increase or decrease during diets and fasting, can also lead to their absence or even their absence. Women who often torment themselves with diets should know this very well. Illiterate play with your own weight can cause a malfunction in the body.

Scientists have long established that the amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue and the level female hormone estrogen is very closely related to each other. The more fat, the more estrogen in the body, the more likely hormonal imbalance. If you are underweight, the body again turns on its defense mechanism and makes the following verdict: in such conditions, bearing and giving birth to a child is impossible, there should be no pregnancy. The result is no menstruation. Therefore, if over the last month a woman’s weight has sharply decreased or gained, she will not get her period on time.

Gynecological problems

This reason is more serious than the previous ones. In gynecology, there are a lot of diseases, the symptoms of which include the absence of menstruation: benign and malignant tumors, various inflammatory processes in the reproductive system and others. To prevent such diagnoses from becoming a surprise one day, a woman needs to visit a gynecologist once every six months. Almost any disease can be cured if it is detected at an early stage.

Separately, it is necessary to note such a disease as polycystic ovary syndrome. It is associated with dysfunction of these organs due to the appearance of special formations in them - cysts. And since the ovaries play a hormonal role, if their work malfunctions, a woman’s periods may be absent or delayed, and may be very scanty or excessively abundant. With this diagnosis, there may be no menstruation, but ovulation occurs without disturbance. The opposite picture is also possible: the menstrual cycle does not change, but ovulation does not occur. The danger of the disease is that it can lead to infertility. Polycystic disease, in addition to the absence of menstruation, is characterized by other symptoms: intensive growth of body hair, the appearance of pimples and blackheads, which are concentrated in large numbers on the back, face, and arms. All this appears against the background of a high content of male sex hormones androgens in the body. Polycystic disease is being treated today, although this process is very complex and multi-stage.

Gynecological problems that cause include abortions and miscarriages. In both cases, after termination of pregnancy, major hormonal changes occur in the body.

In addition, in the event of an abortion, injury to the inner layer of the uterus occurs. For these reasons, a woman may not have menstruation for some time. Usually the doctor warns you at the appointment about how long it will take for the cycle to be restored.

Finally, problems in your cycle can arise due to contraceptives. We are talking about pills and uterine devices. In case hormonal pills Delayed menstruation may occur both at the beginning of taking it and when discontinuing the drug.

It is worth mentioning separately emergency contraception- pills that prevent pregnancy in case of unprotected sexual intercourse. Such drugs can cause a delay in menstruation - this is a side effect that is usually indicated in the instructions. Such products act very harshly, as they contain an increased dose of hormones. This leads to a disruption in the menstrual cycle. Therefore, it is worth resorting to such contraceptive measures as rarely as possible.

Transitional age for girls

Women's doctors often hear the following complaints from young girls: menstruation always came on time, but in lately They are not there or they arrive late.

If a girl has no other serious gynecological problems, doctors usually point to an unsettled menstrual cycle. At the age of 12 - 17 years, hormonal development occurs in a girl’s body. Therefore, for this age it is not a critical phenomenon. Typically, a regular cycle is established within 12 months from the date of the first menstruation. But there are exceptions. In some cases, a gynecologist may prescribe a girl a blood test for sex hormones. Depending on the result, the patient is prescribed hormonal therapy.

Menopause as a reason for lack of menstruation

Menopause occurs in women aged 45 - 55 years. In addition to other unpleasant symptoms, it manifests itself as a delay, and then a complete absence of menstruation. This is the period of decline of reproductive function.

Changes occur in a woman’s hormonal system: progesterone and estrogen, which are responsible for childbirth, are no longer produced in the same volume. As a result, a woman’s periods may come with a delay of several days, they may not occur for 3-4 months, and then they come and stop again. Manifestations of menopause in this case may vary. In this case, there may be no menstruation, but this does not mean that the woman cannot become pregnant.

Pregnancy and absence of menstruation

Obstetricians-gynecologists answer this question positively. After all, the absence of menstruation does not mean the absence of ovulation. If the egg matures, its fertilization is quite possible. A classic example of this situation is pregnancy while breastfeeding. During this period, the mother’s body produces the hormone prolactin, which prevents pregnancy. But in the practice of these same doctors, there are a huge number of cases when a mother, while breastfeeding her first child, learned that she was already pregnant with her second. Therefore, the absence of menstruation does not mean that pregnancy cannot occur.

In addition to these reasons for delayed periods, there may be others. For example, disorders in the functioning of the brain. If there are any pathologies in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus or cerebral cortex, then this can also lead to the absence of critical days. Various endocrine diseases can also lead to this: diabetes, thyroid and adrenal diseases.

A woman can know for sure that she is not pregnant only if she does not have regular sex life. In all other cases, pregnancy cannot be ruled out if menstruation is late, even if the test is negative. No method of contraception today is capable of 100% preventing pregnancy.

Therefore, before looking for the cause of a missed period, it is better to donate blood for a special test to confirm the presence or absence of pregnancy.