The Menstrual Cycle - The Basics

Your period, your time of the month, aunt flow, code red, the crimson curse, whatever you call it… The menstrual cycle is an intricate process that doesn’t get the kind of attention it deserves.

Your cycle is not only for baby making

The menstrual cycle is in fact the best monthly indicator of your health. It keeps you in tune with your body and is crucial to understand so you can live life to the fullest. For decades the menstrual cycle has been so under-appreciated and, quite frankly, something women would rather not deal with! For some reason the menstrual cycle, how it works, what happens when it’s out of balance, and how to fix it is not really spoken about. As a result, so many of us have A) no idea about what actually happens (except for an annoying monthly bleed), and B) have a bad relationship with our cycle.

First things first – What is a menstrual cycle?

Our first period (called menarche) arrives during puberty. This is when we start day 1 of our very first cycle. From then on, we bleed for the first 3-7 days of every 21-35 day cycle, until we reach menopause where our hormones naturally shift and the menstrual cycle comes to an end.

From menarche onward, our ovaries (on either side of the uterus) work really hard. Every month, they diligently send out chemical messengers (hormones) to the body which help to thicken the endometrial lining in preparation for a potential pregnancy.

They also have the job of developing and maturing follicles into eggs (called oocytes), for the main event; ovulation. Ovulation is a process where the highest-quality egg of that cycle BURSTS out of the ovary (with jazz hands, I imagine). Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are some of the important hormones involved, which all fluctuate in a harmonious dance to make ovulation happen, again and again, until we reach menopause. Kind of magical, really. After ovulation, the egg travels down the fallopian tube and nestles in the, now thickened, lining of the uterus. There, it waits patiently to be fertilised by sperm and grow an embryo, otherwise, it admits defeat, the uterine lining breaks down, and together they flow through the vagina in a wonderful week we call our period.

Menstrual cycle concerns can start to develop when that internal dance becomes a little out of time and our hormones go out of balance.

Concerns like:

• PMS

• Painful period

• Heavy period

• Disappearing period

• Irregular periods

• Lumpy breasts

• Headaches

• Bloating

• Crazy bowel movements

• Sugar cravings

• Acne

• Low energy

• Hair loss

• Weight gain

• Weight loss

• Difficulty falling pregnant

Any of these symptoms could lead you to have a negative or even toxic relationship with your cycle.

If you struggle with any kind of hormonal imbalance – I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way, nor does it have to be a problem it feels like only ice cream can fix.

Look – period problems have been taboo for way too long. It’s about time to challenge that. If you have a negative relationship with your period- you can change it, naturally! If this sounds like a journey you need to embark on, then stay tuned for more information or better yet, book your initial appointment ASAP!