The short answer

It depends which stage you're in. During perimenopause, yes — you can still get pregnant. Your ovaries are winding down, but they still release eggs unpredictably, so pregnancy is possible even when your periods are irregular. After menopause — defined as 12 months with no period — you cannot get pregnant naturally, because ovulation has stopped. So the whole answer hinges on whether you've actually reached menopause yet. (Not sure? See perimenopause vs. menopause.)

Fertility during perimenopause

Perimenopause lasts about four years on average, and throughout it you remain fertile — just less so. Ovulation becomes erratic: some cycles you release an egg, some you don't. That unpredictability makes conceiving harder but also means contraception is still necessary if you don't want to be pregnant. Natural fertility drops sharply through the 40s, yet unintended pregnancies still happen in this age group.

When can you stop using contraception?

General guidance is to keep using contraception until:

  • You've had no period for 12 months, if you're over 50, or
  • You've had no period for 24 months, if you're under 50 — because younger women are more likely to still ovulate occasionally.

Many clinicians suggest continuing some form of contraception until around age 55, by which point natural pregnancy is extremely unlikely. One catch: hormonal contraception can mask the signs of menopause, so ask your clinician how to tell when you've transitioned and which method fits you.

Getting pregnant after menopause

Once you're postmenopausal, natural conception isn't possible, because no more eggs are being released. Pregnancy after menopause is only possible through assisted reproduction — IVF using donor eggs (or your own previously frozen eggs), with hormones to prepare the uterus. It can be done, but later-life pregnancy carries higher risks such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, and is a decision to make with a fertility specialist.

One important caution: bleeding after menopause

If you have any vaginal bleeding after you've reached menopause, it is not a returning period and not a sign of renewed fertility — it always needs to be evaluated by a clinician, because it can occasionally signal a problem with the uterine lining.