Does pregnancy delay menopause?

Question

If the number of eggs women have is finite, and you drop 1 egg per month during the standard cycle, do you delay menopause by 9 months every time you get pregnant (assuming full term pregnancies)?

In: Biology

Answer 1

No. One follicle is matured and released as an egg, but other follicles die in the thousands every month regardless of ovulation. Same idea works for using birth control – just because it prevents ovulation, it doesn’t mean it will delay menopause/prolong fertility.