explaining the menstrual cycle
You are a cyclical being. Your “period” is not just the shedding of blood, but is part of a much larger cycle- your ovulation cycle (aka menstrual cycle)! When you begin charting and applying the Fertility Awareness method to your life, you begin to read the signs that point to health, and as an added bonus, are able to pinpoint your fertile days so you can either avoid or achieve pregnancy. This is the best natural birth control you could ever find!
So what is the ovulation/ menstrual cycle? The first thing you should know is there are different phases during the cycle.
What phases does your cycle consist of?
BLEED - aka your period. This is the shedding of the uterine lining because no egg implanted (making you pregnant).
FOLLICULAR PHASE (or pre-ovulation phase) - the build up to ovulation! Estrogen is at its highest and your body is preparing to release an egg.
OVULATION - the release of an egg from your fallopian tubes. Now is when the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) peaks.
LUTEAL PHASE (or post-ovulation phase) - the egg has passed and you are no longer fertile. Your temperature rises due to increased progesterone.
The menstrual cycle consists of specific factors that will tell you if it is a healthy cycle, or if you need some help. Biomarkers like how heavy or light your bleed is, how long each phase is, and other things give you this information.
You may have an extended follicular phase and delayed ovulation if you have been sick, stressed, or a number of other outside factors. That is why you can not base your fertility on past cycles but must always chart in the present with the markers you are currently seeing (temp, cervical mucus, and LH testing). Your Luteal phase should always be close to the same number of days.
If you are coming off of Hormonal Birth Control (HBC), your body is expelling the hormones and re-discovering itself. It will take time, months to a year for some, for your menstrual cycle to become regular again. And you know what? That is OKAY! Your body needs time to reset- and if you find after a year it still hasn’t, then you can take your past year of charting to a medical provider and work together to heal your cycle.
