Ask Our Expert - Getting Pregnant Accidentally at Older Ages

August 21, 2008

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Getting Pregnant Accidentally at Older Ages

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, My wife is out of her childbearing years (she will be 52 this August). She has not had a period in three years. What is the probability of her getting pregnant? We have sex at least once a week and her breasts are now sore, which is raising a concern. — Cotton33 in Louisiana

ANSWER	April 11, 2002


Dear Cotton33, This is a great question--one that worries a lot of couples. How can you be 100 percent certain that you can't accidentally get pregnant as you get older? Absence of periods after age 50 is almost always menopause. It is very rare to get pregnant spontaneously over age 45, even with regular menstruation, and your wife's years of absent periods make pregnancy even less likely. Sore breasts can come from many causes and are sometimes related to dietary changes or medications that contain hormones. If these symptoms are bothering her or if she is concerned, her gynecologist or family doctor can evaluate her symptoms and check for any problems. But pregnancy would be incredibly unlikely. I hope that this answered your questions. — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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