WhAT DOES YOUR PERIOD LOOK LIKE?

Does it come regular every month?

Is your cycle less than 25 or more than 35 days?

or maybe it doesn’t come atall?

Is it heavy ?

Is it painful ?

Maybe it’s both heavy AND painful 😣

Do your breasts feel tender and sore before your period?

Do you feel miserable, moody, or maybe have acne flare ups right before they start?

Do you know if you ovulate every month? (Spoiler alert - period health is all about ovulation!)

Are you coming off the pill or thinking about doing this soon?

No matter your age or your situation there is no better time than now to get to know your flow..

WHY?..

Periods are much more than an inconvenience that happens every month, believe it or not they actually offer so much more - they can be a window for not just your hormone health but also to the foundations of your overall health and well-being too.

Your period is like your body’s own GPS- it gives you all the information you need to know, plus the opportunity to be your very own detective when things aren’t quite right. You know your body better than anyone else and your cycle will tell its own story, so by starting to track and understand your cycle better means you can paint a picture of not just your period health but your overall health too.

WHAT does A SMOOTH flow look like?

Follicular phase (7-21 days)

Your flow is a long term project, it takes around 3 months for your follicles (these contain your eggs) in the ovaries to mature, that means the race towards ovulation actually begins months before the grand event. Within this time there are many factors (such as nutrition and stress) that can effect not just follicular development but also egg quality too in the months before your period actually arrives.

When your follicles move closer towards ovulation, the pituitary gland kicks in and begins to release FSH (a hormone) to whip the follicles to move faster and grow even more as they near the finishing line. FSH also encourages the follicles to start producing oestrogen to stimulate the uterine lining to grow and thicken to help prepare for any implantation - the thicker the lining grows the heavier the period will be if there is no conception.

Ovulation (between days 10-20)

As the follicular race comes to an end.. only one (or maybe two) of your follicles will actually ever make it past the finishing line, this chosen follicle swells and is triggered by LH (lutenising hormone) to burst open and release the egg. This is an all or nothing event - either you do or don’t ovulate. The lucky egg that has just won the race is swept up by one of the fallopian tubes and then fertilised if any sperm are hanging about, while the other follicles that didn’t make it are all reabsorbed by the ovaries..

Ovulation is the secret to period health, this is because it means the body can transition through into the next phase of the cycle - the luteal phase, and more importantly it means that the body can switch to start making progesterone..

Luteal phase (for 12-14 days)

The empty follicle that once housed the egg at ovulation now transforms into a progesterone secreting powerhouse called the Corpus Luteum. The primary role of progesterone is to nourish and hold any embryo to support conception, but it actually does much more. Progesterone works to also counteract the effects of all the oestrogen produced in the follicular phase - so it thins the uterine lining, plus it boosts thyroid hormone, raises body temperature, reduces inflammation, promotes sleep, and calms the nervous system..

The Grand finale - your period (3-7 days flow)

At last, the long anticipated event - your period arrives. Ideally a healthy cycle will be regular, arrive smoothly and without symptoms. Regular can mean anytime between 25-35 days - 28 is the average but definately not the rule..

WHEN YOUR FLOW has gone off track..

If your cycle is not quite like this, then it’s time to investigate and look for the clues as to why not…

If you have heavy bleeding could it be down to too much oestrogen, a long follicular phase or no ovulation so your progesterone hasn’t been able to counteract the effects of oestrogen building up the uterine lining?

Whereas if you tend to have a shorter cycle (less 25 days) could it be down to an anovulatory cycle (no ovulation), or even a short follicular or short luteal phase, or maybe could stress or low progesterone have had a part to play with the cycle?

This is why knowing IF and WHEN you OVULATED is crucial because it will tell you if and when your body has started to switch over to making progesterone..

HOW to tell if YOU HAVE OVULATED?

The million dollar question!

How do you know when you have actually ovulated?

Track your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) - your temperature will spike and rise after ovulation (progesterone increases your temperature).
A blood test on day 21 (if you have a 28 day cycle and ovulated on day 14) or else 7 days after your ovulation date, will confirm actual ovulation.

Other strong ovulation signs can be-

Using ovulation predictor kits (OPK) as a guide - (sometimes not always 100% accurate)..
Tracking your cervical mucus (it should be clear and like egg white around ovulation).

FEELING LOST AND NEED HELP?

Reach out - I am fertility support trained which means I have been taught to dig deep and can help you piece together your hormone puzzle. If you would like to work with me and look at ways I can support you to get your cycle back on track and your flow smoother get in touch..

Know your Flow…