*In this article, the term womxn refers to women and those who have a cervix.
The menstrual cycle, contrary to popular belief, is not just one week of bloodshed and cramps. The menstrual cycle is a monthly cycle that explains why womxn experience bouts of energy, pain, or complex emotions that we ourselves may not be able to justify. This page is here to describe how the menstrual cycle affects our bodies daily and to debunk common myths about menstruation.
When explaining the menstrual cycle, four phases can describe general trends of hormone changes: The menses phase, follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
What is the menses phase?
The menses phase, otherwise known as menstruation, is the period of time in which you are bleeding. If not pregnant, the lining of the uterus will shed through the cervix and vagina, leading to bleeding. This phase often varies in length: periods can last on average for 3-7 days, but can last longer. Especially when young or nearing menopause, menstruation can be incredibly inconsistent and unexpected.
What should you expect during the menses phase?
You can prepare yourself during menstruation with proper period products that can help contain blood so it doesn’t get on clothes. There are a variety of period products to choose from: whether it’s tampons, pads, cups, or underwear, each product serves different needs for each person. Do not feel pressured to pick one product over another based on what others tell you; instead, prioritize picking products that fit your personal needs during menstruation. You can also see [insert page here] for an analysis of different period products, including pros and cons.
Emotionally, menstruation catalyzes an influx of unexpected feelings. We can experience many mood swings, ranging from anger and irritability to sadness and guilt. Menstruation often amplifies emotions due to hormonal changes. If you feel abrupt mood swings during menstruation, recognize that this is normal. Additionally, feel free to consult friends and family on how these emotions affect them and discuss methods to create understanding environments that make menstruation feel more comfortable.
Physically, you may have cravings for certain foods. Many womxn typically experience period cramps, where pain is experienced in the abdomen. A great way to relieve the pain is through painkiller medication (IBprofien, naproxen, ect), and by applying heat to the lower stomach area (hot water bottle, rice inside of a sock, ect). You might also feel more fatigued and tired, experiencing a lack of energy, or bloating. It’s also essential during this period to stay hydrated and replenish your body with electrolytes and energy. This is all normal and part of the menstrual cycle.
Hormonally, your estrogen and progesterone levels will typically plummet just before menses phase. This means that you’ll typically feel more fatigued, which is why many womxn see such physical effects materialize during their period. Make sure to treat your body well and listen to signs as to when you feel tired.
What is the follicular phase?
The follicular phase includes the menses phase and is essentially the time period from where you begin to menstruate to the time you begin to ovulate. The follicular phase typically lasts for around 14 days.
What should you expect during the follicular phase?
During the first week of the follicular phase, or during your period, you should experience the same hormonal, physical, and emotional changes as described above. Be prepared for menstruation with period products and emotional support.
After your period ends to the period where you ovulate, many physical, emotional, and hormonal changes with your body will occur.
Emotionally, you may feel a shift in your energy or emotional levels, or no shift at all. For me, when I’m in my follicular phase, I tend to feel more productive, motivated, and social. I usually have more energy to complete daily tasks, and stick with commitments. Yet, everyone’s period is different. I also know people who don’t feel the same way I do during this phase, and that’s okay.. Everyone’s period and hormones are different: yours will be too. Many people experience a variety of emotions during the menstrual cycle, and not everyone’s cycle will align with these expectations.
Hormonally, levels of estrogen and testosterone may increase. As estrogen rises and the follicular phase transitions into ovulation, estrogen will peak. This typically happens at the end of the follicular phase, and marks the period of time in which you are most fertile.
What is ovulation?
Ovulation marks the process where an egg is released from the ovaries and begins to head towards the vagina. It tends to happen around two weeks after the start of the period; in other words, in a 28 day cycle, ovulation will happen, lasing for around 16 to 32 hours. Ovulation happens once every month, and marks the period in which a person is most fertile.
What should you expect during ovulation?
During ovulation, you will be most fertile and have the highest chances of getting pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, it will travel to your vagina and your uterus will shed its inner lining in approximately two weeks, explaining why you have periods. Thus, if your period does not come when expected to, there is a chance you may be pregnant. That’s why it’s important to track your period and understand the menstrual cycle.
Hormonally, many changes will occur. Your estrogen levels will plummet, meaning you will feel much less energized than any other phase of the menstrual cycle. These drastic hormonal changes may lead to many mood swings and more drastic emotional dynamics. Testosterone and progesterone levels will also increase.
Physically, because of said hormonal changes, you may experience and increase in breakouts and sensitive skin because your skin begins to produce more oil. The higher levels of progesterone may also lead to bloating and discomfort.
The emotions that you will experience when ovulating will always range depending on the person. For me, personally, I typically feel more down or tired than usual, and have relatively low levels of energy. I don’t feel like socializing with friends, and I like to take some time to myself during this period. However, I also know that many of my friends feel differently when ovulating, such as experiencing no change in energy or more energy than usual. These phases affect our bodies all differently, so there’s no need to feel a certain way throughout the phases of your menstrual cycle.
What is the luteal phase?
The luteal phase is the period when, if an egg is not fertilized, will travel to the vagina while the uterus will shed its inner lining, marking the start to the period again. If the egg is fertilized, the uterus’s inner lining will maintain its inner lining and the body will begin to prepare for pregnancy. This phase happens after ovulation and before menstruation, and typically lasts for 12-14 days.
What should you expect during the luteal phase?
During the mid-luteal phase, you will experience a rise in estrogen, meaning you will feel less tired and instead, more energetic. The cells in your ovaries will also release more progesterone while the lining of your uterus thickens; however, if the egg is not fertilized your progesterone levels will drop, leading to menses.
During the period of time when progesterone levels rise, you may experience PMS, or pre-menstruation-syndrome. This can lead to many emotional changes, such as mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. Physically, PMS can lead to bloating, fatigue, breakouts, and headaches. For some people, their PMS symptoms can be especially severe, or others may have PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), which may need to be treated with medication. You can help comfort your body during PMS by exercising, cutting down on caffeine, and generally giving yourself a mental break. Remember that this is all normal and part of the menstrual cycle– you don’t need to overwork yourself!
After the luteal phase ends, your period will start and everything cycles back to the beginning.
* A lot of the information given in this article is an oversimplification of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is incredibly nuanced and requires lengthy explanation to fully encapsulate the scope of how menstruation affects womxn’s bodies. While this article is still factual, it skips over many complicated details of the menstrual cycle.
Citations:
The Menstrual Cycle
*In this article, the term womxn refers to women and those who have a cervix.
The menstrual cycle, contrary to popular belief, is not just one week of bloodshed and cramps. The menstrual cycle is a monthly cycle that explains why womxn experience bouts of energy, pain, or complex emotions that we ourselves may not be able to justify. This page is here to describe how the menstrual cycle affects our bodies daily and to debunk common myths about menstruation.
When explaining the menstrual cycle, four phases can describe general trends of hormone changes: The menses phase, follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
What is the menses phase?
The menses phase, otherwise known as menstruation, is the period of time in which you are bleeding. If not pregnant, the lining of the uterus will shed through the cervix and vagina, leading to bleeding. This phase often varies in length: periods can last on average for 3-7 days, but can last longer. Especially when young or nearing menopause, menstruation can be incredibly inconsistent and unexpected.
What should you expect during the menses phase?
You can prepare yourself during menstruation with proper period products that can help contain blood so it doesn’t get on clothes. There are a variety of period products to choose from: whether it’s tampons, pads, cups, or underwear, each product serves different needs for each person. Do not feel pressured to pick one product over another based on what others tell you; instead, prioritize picking products that fit your personal needs during menstruation. You can also see [insert page here] for an analysis of different period products, including pros and cons.
Emotionally, menstruation catalyzes an influx of unexpected feelings. We can experience many mood swings, ranging from anger and irritability to sadness and guilt. Menstruation often amplifies emotions due to hormonal changes. If you feel abrupt mood swings during menstruation, recognize that this is normal. Additionally, feel free to consult friends and family on how these emotions affect them and discuss methods to create understanding environments that make menstruation feel more comfortable.
Physically, you may have cravings for certain foods. Many womxn typically experience period cramps, where pain is experienced in the abdomen. A great way to relieve the pain is through painkiller medication (IBprofien, naproxen, ect), and by applying heat to the lower stomach area (hot water bottle, rice inside of a sock, ect). You might also feel more fatigued and tired, experiencing a lack of energy, or bloating. It’s also essential during this period to stay hydrated and replenish your body with electrolytes and energy. This is all normal and part of the menstrual cycle.
Hormonally, your estrogen and progesterone levels will typically plummet just before menses phase. This means that you’ll typically feel more fatigued, which is why many womxn see such physical effects materialize during their period. Make sure to treat your body well and listen to signs as to when you feel tired.
What is the follicular phase?
The follicular phase includes the menses phase and is essentially the time period from where you begin to menstruate to the time you begin to ovulate. The follicular phase typically lasts for around 14 days.
What should you expect during the follicular phase?
During the first week of the follicular phase, or during your period, you should experience the same hormonal, physical, and emotional changes as described above. Be prepared for menstruation with period products and emotional support.
After your period ends to the period where you ovulate, many physical, emotional, and hormonal changes with your body will occur.
Emotionally, you may feel a shift in your energy or emotional levels, or no shift at all. For me, when I’m in my follicular phase, I tend to feel more productive, motivated, and social. I usually have more energy to complete daily tasks, and stick with commitments. Yet, everyone’s period is different. I also know people who don’t feel the same way I do during this phase, and that’s okay.. Everyone’s period and hormones are different: yours will be too. Many people experience a variety of emotions during the menstrual cycle, and not everyone’s cycle will align with these expectations.
Hormonally, levels of estrogen and testosterone may increase. As estrogen rises and the follicular phase transitions into ovulation, estrogen will peak. This typically happens at the end of the follicular phase, and marks the period of time in which you are most fertile.
What is ovulation?
Ovulation marks the process where an egg is released from the ovaries and begins to head towards the vagina. It tends to happen around two weeks after the start of the period; in other words, in a 28 day cycle, ovulation will happen, lasing for around 16 to 32 hours. Ovulation happens once every month, and marks the period in which a person is most fertile.
What should you expect during ovulation?
During ovulation, you will be most fertile and have the highest chances of getting pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, it will travel to your vagina and your uterus will shed its inner lining in approximately two weeks, explaining why you have periods. Thus, if your period does not come when expected to, there is a chance you may be pregnant. That’s why it’s important to track your period and understand the menstrual cycle.
Hormonally, many changes will occur. Your estrogen levels will plummet, meaning you will feel much less energized than any other phase of the menstrual cycle. These drastic hormonal changes may lead to many mood swings and more drastic emotional dynamics. Testosterone and progesterone levels will also increase.
Physically, because of said hormonal changes, you may experience and increase in breakouts and sensitive skin because your skin begins to produce more oil. The higher levels of progesterone may also lead to bloating and discomfort.
The emotions that you will experience when ovulating will always range depending on the person. For me, personally, I typically feel more down or tired than usual, and have relatively low levels of energy. I don’t feel like socializing with friends, and I like to take some time to myself during this period. However, I also know that many of my friends feel differently when ovulating, such as experiencing no change in energy or more energy than usual. These phases affect our bodies all differently, so there’s no need to feel a certain way throughout the phases of your menstrual cycle.
What is the luteal phase?
The luteal phase is the period when, if an egg is not fertilized, will travel to the vagina while the uterus will shed its inner lining, marking the start to the period again. If the egg is fertilized, the uterus’s inner lining will maintain its inner lining and the body will begin to prepare for pregnancy. This phase happens after ovulation and before menstruation, and typically lasts for 12-14 days.
What should you expect during the luteal phase?
During the mid-luteal phase, you will experience a rise in estrogen, meaning you will feel less tired and instead, more energetic. The cells in your ovaries will also release more progesterone while the lining of your uterus thickens; however, if the egg is not fertilized your progesterone levels will drop, leading to menses.
During the period of time when progesterone levels rise, you may experience PMS, or pre-menstruation-syndrome. This can lead to many emotional changes, such as mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. Physically, PMS can lead to bloating, fatigue, breakouts, and headaches. For some people, their PMS symptoms can be especially severe, or others may have PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), which may need to be treated with medication. You can help comfort your body during PMS by exercising, cutting down on caffeine, and generally giving yourself a mental break. Remember that this is all normal and part of the menstrual cycle– you don’t need to overwork yourself!
After the luteal phase ends, your period will start and everything cycles back to the beginning.
* A lot of the information given in this article is an oversimplification of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is incredibly nuanced and requires lengthy explanation to fully encapsulate the scope of how menstruation affects womxn’s bodies. While this article is still factual, it skips over many complicated details of the menstrual cycle.
Citations:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10132-menstrual-cycle
Dr. Sarah Prager, U.W.
The Red Poppy Initiative 
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