Have you stopped the monthly business...

I just went to MD on Weds for this. I do have kids, 41, my cycle was getting worse. I wanted the ablation but was told there was a 50% chance it would only work for five years. Since menopause runs late in my family that wasn't a good option.
I did not want the Mirena, but after talking to my MD I got it. It will/should have same results. Will last five years. Then I can get the ablation. By then I will be 51 and hopefully into menopause! I may just get the Mirena again since it is less evasive.
All people are different, what works for one may not work for another.

I chose to have a hysterectomy a number of years ago because my periods were like crime scenes and the cramping was off the charts    

LOVE not having a period   

Why are you against that solution?

I know that taking the pill consecutively (no placebo pills) is also a healthy option for many women ... talk to your doctor   

No, I thought I was getting close, but that was just false hope    I don't have much family history to go by, my mom had a hysterectomy when she was young and her siblings are all half and her mom has passed but also had a hysterectomy. And I'm the oldest child at 53   

Progestogen only pill stopped it for me. Not a permanent solution of course.

I've been taking BCPs continuously for almost 20 years now, minus 1 year getting/being pregnant and 1 year BFing. It's been fantastic to have only maybe 1 period a year and being able to control when that is. I'm 44 and asked last time I was at the OBGYN if I should be looking at doing anything different, as I'm noticing signs of peri/menopause starting, and she said there wasn't really any reason to - and that pregnancy/birth at my age was much more risky than taking the pill, even though I'm overweight. DH has offered to get snipped, but I told him I wouldn't quit taking the pills anyway, so there was no real need!

My teen takes bc continuously. She'll purposely go off it to have 1-2 periods a year.

I am 50 and just for the first time missed two periods in a row. No other menopause symptoms yet.

Your mom's age of menopause might give you a clue, but it is by no means engraved in stone. My mom was 56 or 57. I am 50. Ovulate and menstruate regularly. No hot flashes or obvious symptoms except that my periods have gotten crime scene heavy for more days and they go longer.

46 this summer and while my cycles have gotten shorter (about 22-24 days now), they aren't showing any signs of disappearing. My mum says she doesn't remember when she reached menopause which makes me think it might been around the time my dad passed - if so she was about 53-54.

It would be lovely to be done with it since it's just a reminder every month that we didn't manage to have as many children as we had wanted (secondary IF and m/c) and at almost 46, that's really unlikely to change (although we're not and haven't been doing anything to prevent it). On the other hand, I'm just not sure I want an ablation.

a big of history, I'm on a blood thinner due to having a mechanical valve in my heart. being on blood thinner and having periods does not mix well and well, my uterus given that much encouragement meant that I would have these nearly never ending periods and would lose so much blood I'd have to go get blood transfusions and my iron levels would be bottomed out.my periods were lasting 25+days with only 2-3 between with no bleeding and I was going through 2 super plus tampons and a pad in 20mins.. yes no joke.

soooo we tried an Mirena IUD... my uterus rejected it landing me in the hospital and the IUD discovered to be gone, likely flushed in one of the many huge clots I was passing.. Also tried the ablation, things were good the first 2 months where I had what most would consider a normal cycle, the 3rd month I was back to my normal hell.

Ever since then I have been on continuous birth control pills,I never take the fake week. Ive done this since 2008 and have had no problems. now given my situation its not ideal for me to be on BC pills(typically bc pills are frowned upon if on a blood thinner) but its really the only option I can pursue, I need a hysterectomy but with no insurance and no ability to fork out the $$ its not going to happen. and so far its been working out ok. I do have break through spotting sometimes,but its managable and likely more related to my being on blood thinner and having a super persistent uters than anything.

and its been discovered as not necessary for women to have a period monthly and that stopping it with bc pills is ok. so talk to your dr if you are interested in this, none of my drs have flinched over it in this whole time.

I had the ablation last week at 40. I think Dr. would have preferred I had the hysterectomy. I have a 50/50 belief it will help me but as someone else said I didn't want to go extreme if I didn't have to. I bleed constantly on BCPs and honestly, they make me a raging bitch. I tried Depo but again, bled right through for months. When you are anemic bleeding for months isn't a good thing. With my history on Depo and BCPs I wasn't willing to do Mirena. The Dr.s have all told me it is normal to "spot" while on those but I didn't spot. I bled... So frustrating. I hope I can get a few years out of the ablation but if not, that uterus is a goner!

This is what I am doing. A very low dose all the time. It's really straightened me out. I was having long heavy periods, cramps, ovarian cysts, anemic, and having problems with my iron and platelets. I am finally feeling better, and like myself. I am early 50s, and NO where near menopause unfortunately my Dr told me. I am hoping when I get closer I can just go off the progesterone and transition naturally.

I had an ablation at 40 and never had another period. I'm 51. So glad I did it.