Period Health: Menstrual Cycle

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Let’s Talk Period Health.

Why is it important to know about our menstrual cycles for female health?

Our periods are a reflection of our overall health, they can be affected by not only big life events, but little ones too. Periods are the only source of blood that is not caused by trauma, however, after years of women having them we still seem to hide, manage, and minimize them. It is a bit ironic, since they are signs of a healthy reproductive system. A fun fact I learned recently is, menstrual blood is actually highly valued by the medical community- it is a rich source of stem cells. Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop into ANY other cell in the body. Can we just take a moment to realize how awesome we are as women? 

We have 2 Phases; Follicular and Luteal. Follicular is from menstruation to ovulation, while the luteal phase is from ovulation to menstruation. We have four cycles of our period, in order it is; Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, and Luteal. In this blog I will be going over the menstrual cycle. Teaching on why it is important to learn what goes on in our body each month and each cycle, and how we can use that to our advantage. Let’s get empowered and look at our cycles as a way to help us out, not something to dread each month.

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Cycle 1- Menstrual Cycle

When we are bleeding, this is a time to let go. While this is a time to be assessing the health of our cycle and period since it has arrived, it is also a time to check in with ourselves. It is time to focus on our needs and consider what is necessary for our upcoming cycles (follicular, ovulatory, and luteal) and think about what we want more of in our lives. 

Note: How we care for ourselves during our menstrual phase will set the tone for the rest of our cycle. 

Day 1 of our cycle is when we experience our period in allllll of its glory. Our hormones collapse to their lowest levels the days around the start of our period; estrogen levels fall and progesterone levels fall. We can thank period poops to prostaglandins, which are released to smooth muscle to stimulate contractions to help our bodies get rid of the blood (hello cramps!)

Our endometrium, which is the lining of our womb, begins remodeling within 48 hours of day 1. By day 3 of our menstrual cycle, hormone receptors estrogen and progesterone form, and by day 6, remodeling is already complete. Isn’t it amazing what our bodies can do in a span of a few days??

Some things to know during this time; overwhelming fatigue, emotional vulnerability, and anxiety, as well as an unsettled spirit can show up. A lot of times we don’t realize why it is happening until we start our period, then we think ohh okay, this is why I have been feeling a little bit more emotional. 

Note: If you are someone who gets migraines during your period, it is most likely due to the hormonal withdrawal in the days before your period, which can trigger migraines or headaches.

If you also have an imbalance between your estrogen and progesterone levels during this time, they can be pretty gnarly. 45% of women who get migraines during their period have been found to be deficient in magnesium. Think this could be you? I encourage you to eat things that have magnesium in them. This could be spinach, avocado, almonds, cashews, black beans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, bananas and dark chocolate! 

If you want to determine when you ovulate for reasons such as not taking Birth Control, wanting to get pregnant, not wanting to get pregnant, or wanting to track your health, you can do this by tracking what is called your basal body temp. Use a thermometer to take your temperature orally first thing in the morning. It must be taken after at least 3 hours of consecutive sleep, as well as before we eat, drink, or get out of bed. Why before those things? Our basal body temperature is going to be the lowest during sleep and we want the most accurate assessment. 

Prior to ovulation, which happens in our third cycle each month, our temperature is lower (96.8- 97.7 degrees.) After ovulation, it rises due to the heating effects of the hormone progesterone. It is important to know that progesterone is produced after ovulation. Why is that important to know? That is going to help us know when ovulation has taken place which is something you want to know if you are trying or not trying to get pregnant. 

Basically, basal body temperature tracking is an accurate way of assessing when ovulation takes place. The cool thing is after a few months of charting and getting to know our personal cycles, we can establish when we are capable of conceiving which again, is why it is so important.

As our hormones estrogen and progesterone begin to decline, we will notice our basal body temperature dropping a day or so before our period starts, so if you are constantly keeping track of your temperature, we can have an idea when shark week is coming. Rawr. If you are with someone, it can be good to know these things about ourselves so we can not only be aware of when we might be feeling certain ways, it also gives them an understanding of what to expect. Some weeks we might just need a little more tender care than others. And that is OKAY!! It is one of the beauties that comes with being a woman. :)

NOTE: The fertile window only lasts for 6 days. Why only 6 days? An egg is only viable for 12- 16 hours after ovulation. Ovulation can be delayed, hence why some women get pregnant even while being on their period. 

NOTE: Temperatures that are below 96.8 are suggestive of hypothyroidism as well as post ovulation temps that take a while to get back up in temperatures. Temperatures could also dip during our luteal phase (the last phase, the week before your period), and this indicates possible deficiency in the hormone progesterone.