Comment by Tara.

If you’re on hormonal birth control, or aren’t adverse to trying it, you can use it to skip your periods entirely. Just don’t take the placebo pills (or remove the ring or patch, etc.). My GYN recommended period skipping because I was suffering unbearably every month from cramps, premenstrual depression, and migraines.

I was a bit weirded out by the idea of messing with nature, but she convinced me there’s no medical reason women (who don’t want babies) need their periods at all. And it was the best decision ever — I can’t overstate how freeing it was not to suffer every month. Unfortunately I had to stop recently because the hormones were messing with some other health problems, but you can bet I’ll kiss Aunt Flo goodbye once again just as soon as I am able!

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Comment by Mirth.

I had my tubes tied and an ablation done at the same time about four years ago. Partly because I had such bad cycles, partly because I had had multiple miscarriages and didn’t want to get pregnant again. All I can say is that it was totally worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering it for either reason (heavy cycles or pregnancy prevention). I do not miss anything about my period. Not the god awful mess, not the cramps, not the excess money wasted on “products” and certainly not the generalized bitchiness factor. I’m fairly sure my husband doesn’t miss any of that either. I just can’t say anything bad about it.

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Comment by Muirgen.

At 39, menopause is not “just around the corner”. It could well be 10 years away. You might be pre-menopausal, you might have a hard time getting pregnant (though I sure didn’t), but you won’t see much difference in Aunt Flo for a while.

I’m about to do what Tara did. There’s evidence that every-single-month-periods (about 400 a lifetime) is part of the reason breast & uterine cancer are increasing, and that skipping periods will decrease that. And if you change your mind, reversable in the next day.

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Comment by Katie.

I also agree with Tara. Just make sure to talk to your doctor to get you on the right dosage (I was on triphasic and had to switch to monophasic). My doc suggested having a period once every 3 months just to get rid of whatever uterine lining had built up (and honestly, my period would start then whether I wanted it to or not). I would stop the pills for 3 days during this time, and then start back up again, and the period would stop! So much more flexible, and 3 days of periods (which weren’t so bad in comparison to what they had been) every 3 months is totally doable.

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Comment by Susan.

I am past menopause…the last few years of Aunt Flo were the most irratic and crazy making…On the other side it is very freeing…at least for me…no major mood swings…I feel pretty happy rather than drama at every turn…unless it is appropriate to be sad. Also, I lostmy sex drive which I lived strongly on the other side…but amazingly, I also don’t feel the emotion of caring that I lost it.

What got me thru the last years of my period was a book called In Search of Balance by John Robbins (heir to Baskin Robbins) and Ann Mortifee. The book is now sold under the name The Awakened Heart: Meditations on Finding Harmony in a Changing World. In the book they speak of our bodies cleaning themselves monthly and at the same time there is something in our consciousness (subconscious?) that is cleansing it self also. So I liked focusing on what Spiritual Awakening I was experiencing during my periods…How was I to live more fully the love that I am made of. It was helpful for me.

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Comment by Wendi.

I would also recommend a low-dose birth control pill if your doctor thinks you’re a good candidate. And yes, 39 is still about 10 years away from menopause from what I’ve heard, so that’s about 120 more periods to suffer through.

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Comment by StephanieG.

I had the ablation in March of 2008 after suffering from the same problems. After LittleG was born, my bathroom was like a murder scene eight days a month, non stop. Birth control pills weren’t working and I was desparate. Novasure has worked like a charm for me – I have not has a single spot, dribble, drop of blood in 19 months!

As a bonus, they tied my tubes, so I’m free to be loose with my affections without preparing in advance…..write your own joke here.

You’ve got to be finished having children because your uterus won’t be able to sustain a preganancy beyond about 20 weeks, so be sure before you talk to your doctor that you are ready for that life step.

For me, it’s some of the best money I ever spent, and I am thankful every 28th day that I did it.

Good luck to you!

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Comment by tornshoelace.

Getting the IUD stopped my periods entirely for 4 years (till I got it out to have a kiddo). I have always had an irregular period and SUPER heavy flow, for about 8 days a go. I got the 5 year option – the brand was Mirena. No cramping, no bleeding, no bloating and no b*tching.

Why not give this less new/risky option a go.
Worst case scenario, aunt flo keeps visiting and you can try the other route. May be a good option for the time being, while you wait out political decisions.

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Comment by The Good Cook.

39 and menopause just around the corner… I think not. 51 here and still regular.. going off to google Novasure now..

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Comment by Plano Mom.

I used to think my periods were heavy, and then I turned 40 and hit perimenopause. I wanted to do the procedure, then postponed it in favor of trying the pill. That helped for about a year, then it got bad again. Unfortunately for me, by that time I had developed a fibroid tumor so large that my only option was a hysterectomy. The doctor pointed out that the procedure most likely would not have prevented my needing the surgery, it most likely would have only minimized my period troubles instead of eliminating them altogether.

So I recommend that you get a sono to see if fibroids are your problem, and if so, talk with your doctor whether the procedure will help. But if you decide to do it, don’t wait – get it done while you still have a choice.

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Comment by Marinka,TMH.

Heather, this is so eerie. I’ve been postmenopausal, but today, the day that you answered this question, I got my period. This is almost as good as the Virgin Birth.

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Comment by melodyj.

I agree with Muirgen and Plano Mom. Perimenopause can last an eternity and if you think you’ve got crime scene now wait till you get them that last for a month or 2. That’s fun. I’m reading all this and thinking I’m checking into this ablation thing.

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Comment by HellTygr.

Another Mirena IUD fangirl here. Ablation seems so… final. With the IUD, I can delude myself there’s still time to convince my husband to have another (I’ll be 40 next year, I know I really won’t have another) but the hormonal IUD has been a true joy to me. About every third month or so I’ll get a ghost echo of what a cramp might have felt like, but no periods in over 5 1/2 years now. (I’m on my second).

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Comment by e.

Novasure had a longer recovery than I expected but man is it great!!!! Our mattress looks like a murder scene but those days are over!!! It did make me face the sad fact that there will be no 4th kid though.

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Comment by marymac.

Hey ladies! Thanks for coming over to Pajamas and Coffee to visit so that I could follow your link back over here and check out your rockin blog!!!
On this issue- I gotta say, after the birth of my 4th (AND FINAL) child a few years ago my doctor recommended a uterine ablasion where in he removed the lining of my uterus. As in SEEYAWOULDNTWANNABEYA Aunt Flo!!
It’s been fantastic. No more periods, no more babies, still ovulate so don’t have early menopause. I highly recommend.
(I still eat tons of chocolate very month, for tradition’s sake)
Hope you’ll visit me again soon- I’ll be back on like the day where you’re not still talking about periods cuzz eewwwwwww.

xoxo!

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