Believe it or not this is a very common question that is asked of fertility doctors, fertility medications companies, and those who are involved in reproductive endocrinology. The answer is not a simple one because, in general, it depends on the reason that the period (menses) have ceased. For that, there must be a series of questions you have to ask yourself.
Menopause Doesn’t Have to Mean the End for IVF
Those who are still interested in having a baby, but whose body has become infertile due to a cessation of ovulation, can still have a baby and carry it to term. However, the techniques and IVF medications, as well as procedures will be different. An egg donor will need to be located, and the eggs harvested. These will be fertilized outside of the woman’s body with sperm from either a partner, or a sperm donor. Then, the embryos are transferred into your uterus. At this point, IVF medications come into play and will help to maintain the environment for the embryo to increase the chances of successful implantation.

Irregular Ovulation Can Cause Infertility
For many women, periods happen, but don’t happen regularly, which makes predicting the chance of getting pregnant difficult. Women who are very overweight, or who have other physical issues will commonly experience these irregular menses. Luckily, there are many fertility medications that either jumpstart a woman’s body into producing viable eggs, or returns the hormonal balance to the woman’s body so that the normal levels of estrogen and progesterone are present at the right times and in the right amounts. Often, this is all that is necessary for a woman, who previously had irregular periods, to become pregnant.

For others, this will just be a first step, and IVF treatments will be the next step.

Follicle Stimulation Hormones and IVF
Many women have normal and healthy ovaries, but for one reason or another ( one of the largest reasons is advanced age of the woman) the ovaries don’t produce enough eggs, or the eggs that are produced don’t mature as they should. There are a number of IVF drugs on the market today that allow for normal ovarian production and health. These IVF meds usually have either the LH (luteinizing hormone) or the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) in them. These fertility medications have a very good track record in assisting a woman in becoming pregnant and carrying the pregnancy to term.

In the end, the first step is to see your doctor to find out what the underlying cause for the cessation of menses might be. Once that has been determined, then it is simply a matter of combining the right types of fertility medications with the proper procedure and treatment.