I'm 52. Periods initially became heavier and more frequent about 7 years ago, and for the last 3 or 4 years have become progressively lighter, less regular and less frequent. They're kind of fading out, and now must of my 'periods' are light enough that I don't need to bother with pads - just a case of seeing a bit of blood when I wipe for a few days. I'm currently having another period, but this time is so light I'm not even sure whether I'm imagining it...
Have other women experienced a slow fade, and how did you decide you had actually reached menopause? In particular, at what point did you decide you no longer needed to use any contraception? I know the official advice is to wait a year from your last period, but I'm not sure I'll be able to identify that point in any meaningful way, and also think that if my periods are so light as to be virtually imperceptible, that is a pretty good indication that there isn't going to be enough of a uterine lining for an embryo to settle in...