Let’s Make Sure We’re On The Same Page

I wanted to write up the Menstrual Cycle Basics so we are all on the same page and can talk about all the things. Because there is such a lack of education around the cycle, and I love getting into the more subtle aspects, I thought I’d put it down in all the places so we have the foundation all set from which to go deeper into the other areas of this big topic. You can also find all this information in the free Cycle Tracking Ebook.

The Basics

• The menstrual cycle comprises the whole month.

• The length of the cycle is measured by the number of days between periods.

This is measured from the first day of your period, aka the first day you bleed, to the next first day you bleed. Menstruation, or the time of bleeding, is only one part of the cycle. The phases of the cycle are determined and created by hormonal fluctuations throughout the month. There are general guidelines for how long the phases are, but everyone is slightly different. Your natural constitution, your history, your current state of physical, emotional, and mental health and hormone balance all factor into how the phases show up for you.

Phase 1 = Menstruation: this is the time of bleeding when the uterine lining is shedding. That’s what the blood is. Hormone level drop to their lowest point which signals the onset of menstruation, and remain low for the for the first few days of bleeding, which can account for symptoms of imbalance being more pronounced here. This phase lasts anywhere from 3-7 days depending on the individual. It is a time of cleansing and is very natural and normal to feel more tires, sensitive, and internal or less social. Following those feelings actually helps us have a healthier period.

Phase 2 = Follicular: follicles are building in the ovaries to become an egg. Hormone levels are rising. The fertile window begins here meaning the time of cycle when someone is fertile opens here as cervical mucus comes back. This phase along with fertility, flows and increases as estrogen, luteinizing hormone and FHS (follicle stimulating hormone) rise as you move into the time of ovulation. The number of days really varies based on the individual. It’s natural to feel more energy, brain power, and “like yourself again”, especially if you have difficult periods.

Phase 3 = Ovulation. Hormone levels are peaking, resulting in the release of an egg. In a balanced cycle, ovulation happens 12-14 days before your next period. Ovulation is an event that occurs over a 2-3 day window. At the peak of the above mentioned hormones, estrogen, LH, & FSH, an egg is released from one ovary through a fallopian tube into the uterus. This is a time of peak fertility. It corresponds with changes in cervical mucus, which we’ll get into later once we have these basics covered, changes in basal body temperature, and secondary signs in the body and psyche.

Phase 4 = Luteal: 24-48 hours after ovulation LH, FSH, and estrogen drop and progesterone rises. This signals the uterine lining to start building in preparation for the fertilization of the egg that was just released. With progesterone rising a nesting feeling is created and it’s natural to once again feel more internal, tired, and have more appetite as we need more calories to build the uterine lining. The Luteal phase lasts 12-14 days in a balanced cycle.

If no conception has occurred, hormone levels drop and the cycle begins again. If conception has occurred, that uterine lining becomes the placenta throughout pregnancy.

It’s really important to understand that menstruation exists within the context of the whole cycle.

It is one very obvious part of it, and it's only one phase. The health of the rest of the cycle is apparent in how our period shows up.

The menstrual cycle is also connected to all the other systems of the body, and is a sign of your overall health. Digestion, the liver, the endocrine system and even the brain all connect to our hormone and cycle health.

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are what secrete hormones that then communicate with the ovaries, telling them what to do, at what time throughout the cycle.

Liver health or increased stagnation is one of the principle factors in PMS and pre-menstrual symptoms (two different things). Liver health plays a huge role in the health of periods and the whole cycle as it processes all of our hormones, as well as everything we put in our bodies.

Our endocrine system, stress adaptation and adrenal and thyroid health are intimately linked to our reproductive system and sex hormones as well. It’s a whole web that works in concert with all the other parts. It’s impossible to separate the cycle from the rest of the body, just like it’s impossible to separate it from how we feel about ourself, our body, and living in the world as a woman or someone who menstruates

I see many women energetically place that whole process outside of the body, separating themselves from it. Not only does this lead to menstrual issues, but it can lead to issues with sex, intimacy, and relationships. It’s not possible to turn our body on and off like a light switch.

Women, but all people, mainly do something like this with a part of themselves or their body due to beliefs and emotions around it that stem from a lack of quality education, support, and validation that it’s a positive aspect of who they are. In some people with this energetic makeup, it is a very legitimate survival response to trauma, abuse, and/or sexual assault or experiences that fell into the grey area of what is consensual. Bringing it back into ourselves and connecting with it is fundamental in healing it, along with healing our relationship with ourselves as women and/or menstruating people in the world.