If the egg was not fertilized or implantation does not occur, hormonal changes signal the uterus to prepare to shed its lining, and the egg breaks down and is shed along with lining. This phase of the menstrual cycle occurs from approximately day Day 1 is the first day of bright red bleeding, and the end of this phase is marked by ovulation.
While menstrual bleeding does happen in the early part of this phase, the ovaries are simultaneously preparing to ovulate again. The pituitary gland located at the base of the brain releases a hormone called FSH — follicle stimulating hormone.
Eventually, one of these follicle becomes dominant and within it develops a single mature egg; the other follicles shrink back. If more than one follicle reaches maturity, this can lead to twins or more. The maturing follicle produces the hormone estrogen, which increases over the follicular phase and peaks in the day or two prior to ovulation. The lining of the uterus endometrium becomes thicker and more enriched with blood in the second part of this phase after menstruation is over , in response to increasing levels of estrogen.
High levels of estrogen stimulate the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH , which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete luteinizing hormone LH. The surge in LH also causes a brief surge in testosterone, which increases sex drive, right at the most fertile time of the cycle. The release of the mature egg happens on about day 14 as a result of a surge in LH and FSH over the previous day. After release, the egg enters the fallopian tube where fertilization may take place, if sperm are present.
If the egg is not fertilized, it disintegrates after about 24 hours. Once the egg is released, the follicle seals over and this is called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces progesterone. If fertilization has occurred, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone which prevents the endometrial lining from being shed. If fertilization has not occurred, the corpus luteum disintegrates, which causes progesterone levels to drop and signals the endometrial lining to begin shedding.
There is a range of normal bleeding — some women have short, light periods and others have longer, heavy periods. Your period may also change over time. Simply tracking your cycle on a calendar, along with some details of your bleeding and symptoms can help you understand your cycle. Record when your period starts and ends, what the flow was like, and describe any pain or other symptoms bloating, breast pain etc.
Over several cycles you will be able to see patterns in your cycle, or identify irregularities that are occurring. There are also numerous apps available to help you track your period. If your periods come regularly every days, chances are excellent that you are ovulating. Beyond simple calendar tracking, there are a few ways to figure out the timing of your own personal menstrual cycle.
Separately or used together, these can be used to help determine when and whether you are ovulating. Three methods you can try are cervical mucus testing , basal body temperature monitoring, and ovulation prediction kits. The cells lining your cervical canal secrete mucus. The consistency of this mucus changes over your cycle. When you are most fertile it will be clear, abundant, and stretchy. To give you an idea of the consistency, this type of fertile mucus is sometimes abbreviated as EWCM — egg-white cervical mucus.
Some include features to track your PMS symptoms, energy and activity levels, and more. The average age for a girl in the United States to get her first period is A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and The first period normally starts about two years after breasts first start to develop and pubic hair begins to grow. Get more information for girls about getting their period at girlshealth. On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years.
During this time, your period may not come regularly. Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row. For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and The average age of menopause in the United States is Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular. The average woman loses about two to three tablespoons of blood during her period. What is normal for you may not be the same for someone else. Also, the flow may be lighter or heavier from month to month.
Your periods may also change as you get older. Some women have heavy bleeding during perimenopause, the transition to menopause. Symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding may include:.
Follow the instructions that came with your period product. Try to change or rinse your feminine hygiene product before it becomes soaked through or full.
Use a product appropriate in size and absorbency for your menstrual bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood usually changes during a period. Some women use different products on different days of their period, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is. Toxic shock syndrome TSS is a rare but sometimes deadly condition caused by bacteria that make toxins or poisons.
In , 63 women died from TSS. A certain brand of super absorbency tampons was said to be the cause. These tampons were taken off the market. Today, most cases of TSS are not caused by using tampons. But, you could be at risk for TSS if you use more absorbent tampons than you need for your bleeding or if you do not change your tampon often enough at least every four to eight hours.
Menstrual cups, cervical caps, sponges, or diaphragms anything inserted into your vagina may also increase your risk for TSS if they are left in place for too long usually 24 hours. Remove sponges within 30 hours and cervical caps within 48 hours.
If you have any symptoms of TSS, take out the tampon, menstrual cup, sponge, or diaphragm, and call or go to the hospital right away. The changing hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle can also affect other health problems:. Learn more about your menstrual cycle and your health. For more information about the menstrual cycle, call the OWH Helpline at or check out the following resources from other organizations:.
Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays. Breadcrumb Home Menstrual Cycle Your menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle Your menstrual cycle A menstrual cycle begins with the first day of your period, or menstruation [ MEN-stroo-AY-shuhn ] and starts over again when the next period begins.
What is menstruation? What is the menstrual cycle? How long is a typical menstrual cycle? What is ovulation? Women who are breastfeeding may or may not ovulate. Women who are breastfeeding should talk to their doctor about birth control methods if they do not want to get pregnant.
During perimenopause, the transition to menopause , you may not ovulate every month. After menopause you do not ovulate. How does my menstrual cycle change as I get older? For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common.
Bladder Leak Protection Leaks can't stop you now! What are Always FlexFoam pads made of? What are Always Liners made of? Use our period calculator. Period calculator. Previous 3 Months Next 3 Months. Period Days It's that time again. A better fit means better protection and comfort. Find your size for day and overnight protection. Post-Period Your bleeding has stopped - or at least lightened up a lot by now.
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