The menstrual cycle is an incredibly important process that governs female fertility and can be a signifier of your overall health. The menstrual cycle is made up of two separate cycles that each run from bleed to bleed. Here’s everything you need to know, from your period to the proliferative phase.  Quick facts: The Menstrual Cycle: More Than Just Your Period When we talk about the menstrual cycle, periods often steal the spotlight. But did you know that your period is just one small part of a much bigger process? Cultural stigmas, taboos, and limited sex education have left many people with gaps in their knowledge about the menstrual cycle. However, understanding your cycle is essential—not just for fertility but also for overall health because it’s intimately linked to your overall health. It can easily be influenced by other factors such as stress, diet, weight fluctuations, exercise, sleep, illness and medications. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has now classified the menstrual cycle as a vital sign—putting it right up there with your heart rate and blood pressure. So yeah, your menstrual cycle is a big deal. Period. What is the menstrual cycle?  The menstrual cycle starts on the first day of your period and ends on the first day of your next period. It is broken down into 2 main cycles, the ovarian cycle (happens in the ovaries) and the uterine cycle (prepares the uterus for pregnancy). Both of these cycles happen in tandem and are carefully regulated by your incredible cycling hormones—oestrogen, progesterone, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). What happens during the ovarian cycle? During the ovarian cycle, one of your ovaries will develop an egg which will be released mid-cycle, during ovulation. The ovarian cycle includes three main phases, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. Let’s look at each phase in detail. The follicular phase Day 1 of your period is counted as day 1 of your menstrual cycle—it’s also when the follicular phase begins.  For most people, this phase lasts around 10-16 days, ending mid-cycle, around ovulation. (although this can vary from cycle to cycle and person to person). Changes to the length of your follicular phase are usually the main reason why your cycle length may vary from month to month.  During the follicular phase, a few immature eggs in one of your ovaries are selected and begin to mature. The follicular phase kicks off when gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is made from your brain, which promotes the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).  FSH stimulates your follicles—little sacs in your ovaries containing immature eggs, and a few selected follicles will begin to grow and mature. As these follicles grow, they make oestrogen—the main female sex hormone.  Thanks to the rise in oestrogen, generally, this time in your cycle you’ll likely be feeling your best, most confident, sexy and unstoppable. However, not all of the follicles make it. Only one follicle will be picked as the chosen one for that month and the others will stop maturing. This chosen one is called the dominant follicle and will be prepped for release during ovulation. Ovulation Oestrogen gradually increases during the follicular phase and peaks around the middle of the cycle. This triggers the brain to make a hormone called luteinising hormone (LH).  A sudden rise in LH levels triggers ovulation, which is when the now mature egg will be released from the ovary.  Ovulation takes place 12-36 hours after the onset of the LH surge. The released egg will travel through the fallopian tubes, where it will wait in hopes of being fertilised by a sperm.   Ovulation usually happens around the middle of your cycle, if you’re having regular periods. This is usually estimated to be around day 14 of your cycle, but this is based on the assumption that everyone has a 28-day cycle, which is not always the case. Menstrual cycles vary in length and ovulation usually happens 10 to 16 days before the start of your next menstrual cycle. Your fertile window is the 5 days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. This is when you’ll be most likely to conceive.  If you’re trying to conceive,, there are a few things you can use to track ovulation.  The luteal phase The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle lasts from the day after ovulation until the day before your next period. It lasts about 14 days. During this time, your progesterone levels rise, which causes the glands in the lining of your uterus to thicken. You might wonder why this is so crucial. If the egg released during ovulation was fertilised by a sperm, then it may travel down the Fallopian tubes and implant into the lining of the wall of your uterus. It helps if the lining of the walls of your uterus are thick and ready to provide nutrients so your fertilised egg can attach firmly and grow.  However, if you don’t conceive i does not happen, a drop in both progesterone and oestrogen levels triggering your period causes the lining of your uterus to break down, shed, and leave your body in the form of your period.  Your period marks the start of a new cycle, and your body goes through this whole process all over again.  This is also the point in your cycle when PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms start to appear. Everyones symptoms are different and can vary from month to month, but the most common symptoms of PMS include: What happens during the uterine cycle? The uterine cycle happens alongside the ovarian cycle and involves all of the changes happening in the endometrium as it prepares to welcome in a fertilised egg.  The menstrual phase  This is when you’re menstruating or having your period. Your endometrium builds up during your cycle. But if no pregnancy occurs, falling oestrogen and progesterone just before your period will trigger the breakdown of the endometrium, because it’s no longer needed to support a pregnancy.  Your endometrium is shed along […]