Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: fiorinda on April 23, 2015, 05:29:10 PM
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Hi, not been here for a long time, everything has been hunky dory since I started taking HRT 1.5 years ago!! Hope everyone is well!
Anyway, I visited my doc recently because I was feeling dizzy, tired, a bit sick and generally out of sorts. I suspected a low-level virus, which the doc confirmed (inner ear).
However, before she took my blood pressure/pulse/looked in my ears etc she asked me what contraception I was using. I told her none. She said that I shouldn't assume I definitely wouldn't fall pregnant. I did tell her that I would be over the moon if I fell pregnant (I'm 6 months married to a man of 26, we would have loved a child together!). I asked her if there would be any danger to a foetus from taking HRT and she said no. She recommended I regularly take pregnancy tests and I can see the sense in that - I'd want to know asap if it were to happen.
Now, I'm not in any way expecting to accidentally fall pregnant - I do know it's extremely unlikely, and also that it's only one of many hurdles to having a healthy baby at the age of 50.
It's just that I can't find ANY information online about women getting pregnant whilst taking HRT, though I do know it occasionally happens. Does anyone here know anything about it? For example, considering my 'periods' aren't really periods at all but triggered by the progestogen part of the HRT, would they stop if a pregnancy occurred?
I wonder why there is so little info on this! The only thing I can really find is a couple of old newspaper articles about women it has happened to. Don't worry, I really don't think it's going to happen, I'm just curious!
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Had a quick look and found this http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/pregnancyandchildbirth/204013.html
Taz x
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... and this one http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-480591/HRT-triggered-pregnancy-worlds-oldest-mum.html Although it's a few years old now.
Taz x
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I guess it would depend on if you were still ovulating occassionally.
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Thank you for taking the time to search, yes, I've seen both of those pages. There's very little actual information in either of them.
I'm 50, I've been perimenopausal for probably about 6 years. I don't think I am ovulating, but my doctor says that doesn't guarantee I won't, very occasionally.
I'm looking for actual information on what happens if a woman falls pregnant whilst taking HRT.
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Hi - I was charting for 18mnths before I went on HRT and may have ovulated once, in the last cycle before I started HRT. It is hard to be certain, but it is the only cycle I had that was the right length, had cervical mucus and a proper temperature rise. I am sure it can happen randomly for quite a while. The more I find out about it, the more I am sure there is no 'off switch' where periods stop, ovulation stops and hormones stop - more a continuum.
I have been trying to find out about pregnancy over 50, (for the opposite reason - don't want it but hate the contraception) and usually, it is lumped in with over 40s, which is not the same thing.
I have found this site to support older mothers: http://oldermum.co.uk/
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I think you would also be wise to look @ info on what happens if a woman falls pregnant at 50, I am sure, that there are associated risks at having a child at this age...I may be wrong though, I am no expert on this....I hope that you find your answers. I know that women on the Daisy Network, which is the network for premature meno...had fallen pregnant whilst on hrt but these were women in their 20s and 30s who needed to be on hrt as they had gone through meno years ahead of their time....
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dahliagirl, thank you, that's an interesting website!
Cassie, I've read everything I can find on the topic, believe me. There are risks, and my husband and I are perfectly aware of them. But thank you for your concern :)
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There's information here which says that HRT will not harm the baby if stopped once pregnancy is confirmed. It's under HRT for younger women http://www.endocrineonline.org/page0/index.html which I realise doesn't apply to you fiorinda but at least says that there would be no harm caused to the baby should you fall pregnant when on HRT.
Taz x
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Thank you Taz2