...For Her ...The Menstrual Cycle ...3 Phases

The three phases
The menstrual cycle can be divided into three phases:

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) - oestrogen - Luteinising hormone (LH) - ovulation - progesterone

Follicular Phase

The first part of your cycle is menstruation. Day 1 of your cycle is the first full day of menstrual bleeding. Bleeding happens because following the last cycle the egg wasn't fertilised and the lining of the uterus needs to be shed ready for the new cycle. This usually lasts between 3 and 5 days, but can be more or less.

Following this your hormones begin to prepare your body for ovulation. The pituitary gland releases a hormone called FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), which stimulates an ovarian follicle to grow and an egg to mature.

The pituitary gland also releases LH (Luteinising Hormone) which stimulates the follicle to manufacture and secrete oestrogen. (back to top)

Ovulatory Phase

Oestrogen causes the lining of the uterus to grow and the cervical fluid to change (become fertile). If you are using the Ovusoft fertility planning software and the fertility awareness method you will have detected the change in cervical fluid. This usually happens between days 7 to 11.

When the Oestrogen level reaches a certain point it causes the pituitary gland to release a surge of LH. Our home ovulation kits are designed to detect this sharp increase.

24 to 36 hours after the surge, the follicle will burst, releasing the matured egg into the fallopian tube. The remainder of the burst follicle (called the corpus luteum) recedes back to the ovary and begins to release progesterone.

Progesterone causes an increase in blood vessels to the lining of the uterus, and stops other eggs from developing, and causes the Basal Body Temperature (BBT) to rise about half a degree, you will see this on your chart if you are using the Ovusoft Fertility Planning Software. It is preparing your uterus for a fertilised egg to live in for the following 9 months.(back to top)

The Luteal Phase

The luteal phase is the period of time following ovulation. The egg can be fertilised within 24 hours of release, while it is still in the fallopian tubes. If the egg is fertilised, the pituitary gland produces hCG (which pregnancy tests detect) which causes the increased production of progesterone.

The progesterone in turn causes the BBT to remain high throughout the luteal phase which you will again see on your charts.

Progesterone is important during this phase because if the egg is fertilised, and implanted in the uterus, progesterone keeps the uterus intact so that the pregnancy is maintained.

If the egg is not fertilised within 24 hours, the corpus luteum dies and slows its progesterone production.

The luteal phase is usually between 12 - 16 days.

After around 11-14 days, there is no longer enough progesterone to supply the uterine lining with blood, and so menstruation begins again.

The best way to discover your patterns is to keep a menstrual chart or use Ovusoft software. Even if you can't be bothered at least write down the first day of your period in your diary.

The last day of your cycle is when your period stops. Generally speaking a mature woman, ovulates once a month, releasing one egg each month, if it is not fertilised then a period will happen.(back to top)