Menstrual Cycle:
How does your Menstrual Cycle affect your health?
Menstrual
Breaking down the 4 phases:
The menstrual cycle significantly impacts a woman's reproductive health and overall well-being. It regulates fertility, influences hormonal balance, affects bone health, and can contribute to reproductive disorders. Symptoms like cramps, mood swings, and fatigue may occur during the cycle. Hormonal fluctuations can influence emotional well-being, and irregularities may indicate underlying conditions.
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Understanding the connections between our hormones, emotions, and physical sensations allows us to nurture ourselves through self-care practices, such as mindfulness, nourishing foods, gentle movement, and stress management.
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Day 1-5
This is the first phase of the menstrual cycle, where the uterus sheds its lining, resulting in menstrual bleeding. Also more commonly known are one's period, this phase will last between three to seven days.
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Follicular
Day 6-11
The follicular phase starts usually on your fisrt day of the cycle and lasts for 13-14 days.
During this phase, the pituitary gland in the brain releases a hormone that helps to stimulate the production of follicles on the surface of an ovary. Usually, only one follicle will mature into an egg. The uterus lining will thicken in preparation for ovulation. This happens once a month, before your next period. Although unlikely, it is possible to get pregnant up to five days before one's period, but more likely to occur in the 3 days before or including the ovulation phase.
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Ovulatory
Day 12-15
In the ovulation phase, the mature egg is released from the ovary and moves along the the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. Ovulation can last 16-32 hours and usually occurs about midway through the menstrual cycle. This is when pregnancy can occur.
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Luteal
Day 16-30
After ovulation occurs, cells in the ovary will release the hormone progesterone and small amounts of oestrogen. This causes the lining
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