Get to Know the Many Phases of Your Period: A Complete Guide to Your Menstrual Cycle
Having a period is a fact for almost every person with a uterus. The reality is, you will spend about ten years or 3,500 days of your life bleeding!
And even though you will devote roughly 40 years of your life to managing "that time of the month," you still may not have a real understanding of the ins and outs of your menstrual cycle. Whether you're just starting your family, expanding your family, or heading toward menopause, becoming more familiar with the hormonal changes during your cycle can help you recognize what your body needs physically and emotionally all month long. So here is your complete guide to mastering your menstrual cycle.
Menstrual Cycle 101
Let's start with the basics. A menstrual cycle is a series of hormonal and physical changes that your body goes through to prepare for pregnancy. Every month, the hormones in your brain send a message to your ovary to release an egg. At the same time, the lining of your uterus thickens. If pregnancy does not happen, you shed the lining of your uterus through your vagina.
The three to five days of active bleeding usually gets most of your attention but, your cycle is a month-long process with four phases:
• The menstrual phase
• The follicular phase
• The ovulatory phase
• The luteal phase
The length of each phase is different for everyone and may even change over time.
Menstrual phase
Day one of your period is also the first day of the menstrual phase (and technically the first day of the follicular phase). When an egg from your previous cycle is not fertilized, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop. As a result, your thickened uterus lining (which is no longer needed to support a pregnancy) sheds.
The hormonal changes you experience during your period may cause physical symptoms like bloating, backaches, or cramps and may also affect your mood.
It is not unusual to experience:
• Mood swings
• Irritability or
• Have trouble sleeping
If you feel tired or have low energy, this is a good time to rest and spend time nurturing yourself.
Follicular phase
The first day of your period also marks the first day of the follicular phase. During this phase, your estrogen hormone stimulates your ovary to produce follicles. Most times, only one follicle matures into an egg.
Generally, the follicular phase lasts about 13 or 14 days. However, the length of this stage varies the most compared to the other phases of the menstrual cycle. In fact, your follicular phase may even shorten as you near menopause.
During the first two weeks of your cycle, you are more likely to feel more energized and motivated. So now is a good time to kick up your fitness routine, visit with your friends, or learn a new skill since a recent study suggests that your memory is sharper when your estrogen levels are high.
Ovulation marks the end of the follicular phase.
Ovulatory Phase
The sudden decrease of your estrogen hormone and a surge in your luteinizing hormone causes your ovary to release a mature egg (ovulation).
This is also the start of the ovulatory phase, which happens roughly at about day 14 of a 28-day cycle. Your ovulatory phase is short, only lasting 16 to 32 hours.
It is not unusual to feel a dull ache or twinge of pain on one side of your lower abdomen around the time you ovulate. This pain is totally normal and may last for a few minutes or a few hours.
Luteal phase
With the luteal phase, your progesterone and estrogen hormones work to thicken the lining of your uterus as your body again prepares for a possible pregnancy. Throughout the second half of your cycle – after ovulation, it's not uncommon to experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms.
Emotionally, you may feel:
• More irritable or depressed
• More anxious or moody
• More withdrawn
Physically, you may experience:
• Sluggishness or be more forgetful
• Crave more sugary and starchy foods
• Have more breast tenderness
• Experience weight gain or bloating
• Have headaches
Overcoming PMS
No one knows for sure what causes PMS, and there isn't a single treatment that will work for everyone. But there are several strategies you can use to "banish the bloat" or give your mood swings “the slip”. First, find ways to reduce your stress. Use relaxation therapies like deep breathing, meditation, massages, or yoga to help.
Next, establish a regular sleep routine- go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day (yes, even on the weekends). This may help lessen moodiness and fatigue.
Be sure to eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (whole wheat bread, pasta, beans, brown rice, etc.) to help curb your food cravings and improve your mood. Also, consider taking 1,200 milligrams of calcium. A recent study reports that calcium supplement helps to reduce anxiety, depression, and emotional changes that come with PMS.
Finally, engage in physical activity routinely. Thirty minutes a day of aerobic exercise, most days of the week may reduce symptoms of fatigue and depression. Consider activities like walking, running, cycling, or swimming.
And for cramps, headaches, backaches, or breast tenderness, use an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or naproxen to help.
Menstrual Cycle Understood
Understanding the natural rhythm of your hormones can give you better insight into how they affect your body, mood, and energy levels. Ultimately, this insight can help you be your best physically and emotionally all month long.
Janelle King is a Registered Nurse with a Master of Public Health. She has written articles for Sisters from AARP, The Body: The HIV/AIDS Resource, Modern Fertility, among many others, and featured in Women's Day Magazine. You can find her writing about reproductive health and wellness in her blog The Nurse Note in her spare time. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @thenursenote.