Is Ovulation During Perimenopause Possible?

Dear women, as you age, many physical and hormonal changes can occur to your body, which may seem unusual. These changes could be irregular periods, mood swings, sleep problems, low levels of energy, or low cholesterol levels. Have you been experiencing such symptoms lately? If yes, you might be experiencing perimenopause - the natural transitional phase to menopause (when a woman stops ovulating and cannot become pregnant).¹

However, the hormonal imbalance during perimenopause may feel sometimes as changeable as the weather. When the body is going through this transitional phase, there is a natural and expected progression in a woman's reproductive system. Additionally, the inconsistent menstrual cycle influences the process of ovulation during perimenopause, which leads to an interesting question. Can one still become pregnant during the perimenopause phase? 

In this blog, we shall briefly discuss perimenopause and ovulation and the hormonal changes taking place during perimenopause. So, let’s get started.  

What Is Perimenopause? What Are Its Symptoms?

Perimenopause, or the menopause transition, is the phase when your body makes the natural transition to menopause. The symptoms usually begin in women who are in their early 40s and can last for several years. However, some women may also experience hormonal shifts in their early 30s. The numerous physical and hormonal changes experienced by a woman during this phase can affect various functions of her body. For instance, fertility, as menstrual cycles become unpredictable. ^1, 2

During this phase, a woman may experience a range of symptoms like ^{2, 3}

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Inconsistent menstrual cycle
• Mood swings
• Sleep problems
• Bone Loss & osteoporosis risk 
• Insomnia
• Vaginal dryness
• Decreased libido

An inconsistent menstrual cycle is one of the symptoms of perimenopause, which affects ovulation. Before we delve deeper into understanding how hormonal changes affect the process of ovulation during perimenopause, let us briefly discuss ovulation.

What Is Ovulation?

Ovulation is the phase in the female’s menstrual cycle in which the ovaries release an egg (ovum). After it’s released, it travels down the fallopian tube, while staying there for 12-24 hours, where it can be fertilized. In an average 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs around the 14^th day varying from woman to woman.^{4, 5}

How Do Hormonal Changes Affect Ovulation During Perimenopause?

As discussed already, a woman’s body undergoes various hormonal changes during perimenopause, resulting in various noticeable symptoms. As you age and approach menopause, the egg supply decreases and AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone) levels also drop. AMH helps determine the size of your ovarian reserve (the number of eggs remaining in your ovaries) and indicates the proximity to menopause. Additionally, hormonal fluctuations are usually caused by a decline in the body’s estrogen levels. The ovaries play a significant role in producing estrogen (the primary sex hormone of women) and progesterone hormones (which take care of ovulation and menstruation). ² Therefore, once a woman enters the transitioning phase, her ovaries work slowly, producing low levels of estrogen and therefore, releasing fewer eggs. It in turn causes fluctuation in the menstrual cycle and interferes with the regular process of ovulation. ^{2, 6, 7}

Ovulation During Perimenopause - Yes Or No?

During perimenopause, women may experience irregular periods, indicating ongoing ovulation. This means that a woman can still conceive and become pregnant even if she is experiencing perimenopause. It is crucial for them to understand that their bodies are still capable of producing eggs and that pregnancy is possible until they have experienced menstrual cycles for 12 consecutive months.^{2, 8}

Summing Up

For some women, perimenopause takes a few months to settle and sometimes, it can also last a decade. Also, the irregular menstrual cycles can be at times erratic, irritating, and stressful but this may be an obvious clue that your hormones are changing and you might be nearing menopause. 

We hope that this blog has been helpful and you have gained a better understanding of how these fluctuating hormonal changes can affect the process of ovulation during perimenopause and take a toll on women’s health. Therefore, you need to seek proper medical advice if you’ve been experiencing any of the previously mentioned symptoms lately. 

Fortunately, there is an easy and convenient way to evaluate hormone levels from the comfort of your home with LifeCell’s Perimenopause Test. This test evaluates 3 female hormones - AMH (anti-mullerian hormone), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), and fT4 (free thyroxine) and helps them understand if the symptoms are due to menopause or an underlying thyroid condition. Furthermore, it is the first-ever FDA-approved AMH blood test that determines the menopausal transition. In addition to this, you can also refer to expert-reviewed results and in case of doubts, you may have a virtual consultation with our expert! 

So, if your hormones are giving you a hard time, decode the pesky symptoms. Simply click on the order tab and get your LifeCell’s Perimenopause Test kit today!