Understanding a Woman’s Menstrual Cycle Better ~ Becoming Her

A very important facet of a woman’s health is the understanding of her own menstrual cycle. Such a cycle is supposed to be a regular thing, although a lot of women will find theirs to be either too long or too short than how it’s supposed to be. And if that happens, that is indeed a reason for concern because a woman’s menstrual cycle affects her ability to rear children.

Every month, a woman’s uterus prepares for pregnancy. The uterus grows a lining called the endometrium in order to sustain the fertilized egg. If the uterus finds no impregnated egg, then it sheds the lining it makes. It comes out as the blood during menstruation. This occurs to a woman every month, from her puberty years until menopause.

A regular menstrual cycle runs for 28 days. That means that’s the usual interval between the first day of bleeding until the next. However, both teens and older women will encounter irregularities with their menstrual cycles for different reasons. Teens may experience longer cycles, only for it to get shorter the following month. This is because their bodies are still adjusting to the changes. But their cycle would get normal in time. For older women, the changes they experience can be attributed to the fact that they’re nearing menopause. As such, their menstrual cycle tends to get longer and longer until it stops.

A woman’s hormone determines the heaviness of her menstrual period. For some women, the bleeding may last for more than seven days. Pain in the pelvic area may also be felt. Estrogen and progesterone, the women’s two hormones, play a very crucial role during this stage. The estrogen is mainly responsible for building up the uterus lining while the progesterone keeps that lining thick and ready for the fertilized egg.

Any changes in a woman’s hormone affect her fertility level. And anything that influences the hormones in the body can directly influence the menstrual cycle. Birth control pills, being overweight, low body fat, and losing a lot of weight can all be a factor. If you feel anything wrong with your cycle, consult your doctor about it.