Is it still possible to have children after menopause?

When women reach a certain age, such as around 50 years old, their menstruation will stop. This is clinically known as menopause. When women reach this stage, in addition to the cessation of menstruation, their bodies will also experience many symptoms, such as becoming irritable, which is closely related to hormonal changes in the body. They are also prone to insomnia and anxiety, etc. Are women still able to reproduce after menopause?

Is it still possible to have children after menopause?

Is it still possible to have children after menopause? First, let’s understand how women get pregnant and understand the female reproductive organs and their reproductive functions.

1. Female reproductive organs are divided into internal reproductive organs and external reproductive organs. The internal reproductive organs include the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries, among which the fallopian tubes and ovaries are called uterine appendages. The uterus is the place where menstruation occurs and the fetus is nurtured; the ovaries are the female gonads, whose main functions are to produce eggs, ovulate and secrete female hormones. The fallopian tube is the tube through which sperm and egg combine for fertilization and transport the fertilized egg. The external genitalia are the exposed parts of the reproductive organs. Also called the vulva. Includes the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and vestibule of the vagina.

2. Function of the ovaries: From puberty to menopause, women's ovaries undergo periodic changes in morphology and function, which is called the ovarian cycle. During the ovarian cycle, follicle development and maturation depend on the stimulation of gonadotropins. A batch of follicles develop every month during the reproductive period. After recruitment and selection, only one dominant follicle can reach full maturity and ovulate. The remaining follicles develop to a certain extent and then degenerate and close through the mechanism of cell apoptosis. Women have about 300,000 follicles by the time they reach puberty, but only 400 to 500 of them mature and ovulate in their lifetime.

The sex hormones synthesized and secreted by the ovaries are mainly estrogen, progesterone and a small amount of androgen. Estrogen causes the endometrial stroma and glands to proliferate and repair. Progesterone transforms the proliferative endometrium into the secretory endometrium, preparing for implantation of the fertilized egg and subsequent embryonic development.

3. Menstruation is the periodic shedding and bleeding of the endometrium that occurs with the periodic changes of the ovaries. The establishment of regular menstruation is an important sign of reproductive maturity. Menopause is the permanent absence of menstruation, caused by the cessation of ovarian function.

4. The female ovaries produce eggs and have a strong ability to be fertilized within 12 hours after ovulation. The eggs released by the ovaries generally combine with sperm in the ampulla of the fallopian tube to form a fertilized egg. 30 hours after fertilization, the fertilized egg moves toward the uterus with the peristalsis of the fallopian tube and the cilia of the fallopian tube epithelium. At the same time, the egg begins to cleave. Four days after fertilization, the early blastocyst is formed. 11 to 12 days after fertilization, the late blastocyst is formed and implants into the endometrium, which is the implantation of the fertilized egg. After implantation, the blastocyst cells begin to obtain the nutrients necessary for growth and development from the mother's blood. The cell mass within the blastocyst gradually differentiates to form the embryo, and the trophoblast gradually forms the placental tissue. The embryonic body at 8 weeks of gestation is called an embryo, and after 9 weeks of gestation it is called a fetus. The fetus delivered through the birth canal after full-term pregnancy is called a newborn. This is where the kids come from.