What Are Regular Periods
Most girls get their first period between the ages of 10 and 15, but some get it earlier and some later. The first period is known as menarche .
A girl’s monthly cycle is the number of days from the start of her period to the start of the next time she gets her period. You often hear this is a 28-day cycle. But 28 is just an average figure that doctors use. Cycle lengths vary some are 24 days, some are 34 days. And a girl may notice that her cycles are different lengths each month especially for the few years after she first starts getting her period.
Early in a girl’s cycle, her ovaries start preparing one egg. At the same time, the lining of the uterus becomes thick to prepare a nesting place for a fertilized egg in the event that the girl becomes pregnant.
About 2 weeks before a girl gets her period, the egg is released from the ovary . The egg travels through the fallopian tube into the uterus. If the egg isn’t fertilized by sperm, it starts to fall apart. Then the lining and egg leave a girl’s body as her period and the whole thing starts all over again that’s why we use the word “cycle.” The first day a girl’s period comes is Day 1 of her cycle.
It’s also normal for the number of days a girl has her period to vary. Sometimes a girl may bleed for 2 days, sometimes it may last a week. That’s because the level of hormones the body makes can be different from one cycle to the next, and this affects the amount and length of bleeding.
What Is The Follicular Phase
The follicular phase is the phase that begins with the first day of menses . During the early part of this phase, the pituitary gland increases the release of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone . FSH stimulates the growth of numerous follicles in the ovary as well as the release of estrogen from the ovary. The estrogen causes the thickening of the endometrium. Generally, only one of the follicles matures and gets to release the ovum contained within. LH is secreted in a sudden burst mid-cycle and stimulates the release of the ovum from the mature follicle in the ovary.
Q How To Find The Safest Days To Have Sex Based On The Period Calculator To Avoid Pregnancy
Calculating the safe period days is very simple. You have to fill in the dates of your last period, duration of your period and the duration of the menstrual cycle. And your data is ready for the next months! The dates with white spaces in the calendar are the safe day. Generally, one to seven days of the menstrual period, and the days after ovulation are considered safe or infertile.However, remember that the calculator is purely based on the details you give, and can be inaccurate if the data is incorrect.
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How Do I Count The Days Of My Menstrual Cycle Do I Start Counting The Day I Start Bleeding Or When I Finish
Your cycle begins on the first day you have regular bleeding. Spotting doesnt count. For example, Cycle Day 1 is the first day of your period Cycle Day 2 is the second day of your period, Cycle Day 3 is the third day of your menstrual flow, and so forth.
As an example, create sample menstrual calendar for the month of January. Lets say you had spotting on January 3rd, but you didnt have regular bleeding until the next day. The first day of your menstrual period would be January 4th. The first day of your period is also called Cycle Day 1.
Now, create sample menstrual calendar for the month of February. Lets pretend your period started on the 2nd. In January, your period started on Jan. 4th and in February it started on the 2nd.
When your health care provider asks you: When was your last period? The answer is the date of the first day of your last period . Ex.= February 2nd.
To figure out how long your cycle is, start at cycle day 1 of your last menstrual cycle and begin counting . The length= the last cycle day before you started bleeding again. For example According to the January and February calendars, the cycle length would be 30 days, meaning your period comes on average, every 30 days. However, keep in mind that your cycle may vary in length.
Q How To Track Your Period Manually
- Note the first day of your last menstrual period as day One.
- Count the days in between before you start another period. Or you can just count 28 days.
- After a couple of months of marking likewise, you will be then able to figure out the actual menstrual cycle length, and you can calculate accordingly.
Another way is to keep track of the physical signs you experience in a period. Cramping, breast tenderness, white discharge are some of the common symptoms. The next time, when you start to experience such symptoms, you should be aware that your next period is going to start.
Emotional changes is another way to track your period manually. The fluctuating hormones alter your emotions such as feeling depressed, anxious or irritable for no apparent reason.
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What If My Period Is Irregular
Its really common to have irregular menstrual cycles at some point in your life especially when you first start getting your period.
Examples of irregular periods include:
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Missing a period altogether
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Heavier or lighter bleeding than usual
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Bleeding longer than usual
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Unpredictable timing of periods from month to month
Keeping track of your periods and symptoms on a menstrual cycle calendar or in an app is a good way to learn whats normal for your body, and help you know if anything changes.
Some peoples periods are irregular a lot. It may just be the way their body naturally works, or it can be caused by a health problem. If many of your periods are irregular, unpredictable, or abnormal, talk with a doctor to make sure everythings okay. They can also help you find a hormonal birth control method that may help make your period lighter and/or more regular.
What Is Menstrual Period Tracker Know Your Due Period
The menstrual period Tracker or calculator takes inputs from user like first day of your last period and the average length of your menstrual cycle to estimate your next due period, Fertile Days ,Ovulation day and Safe Days. MomJunction Period calculator predicts the future periods and ovulation phase for a year so that you may plan for a special event that is period-free.
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Menarche And The Teenage Menstrual Cycle
Menarche is a girl’s first menstrual period. A first period usually happens after breasts, pubic hair, and underarm hair have begun to grow. Menarche is a sign of growing up and becoming a woman. It can happen as early as about age 9 or up to age 15. The first few periods are usually light and irregular. About 2 out of 3 girls have a regular pattern of menstrual periods within 2 years of menarche.footnote 1 During the teen years, periods may become longer and heavier. For more information, see Menarche.
What If My Cycle Is Irregular
It can be more difficult to get pregnant if you have irregular periods because you may not ovulate regularly.
There are many possible causes of irregular periods, which may affect your fertility. For example:
- medical conditions such as thyroid problems or polycystic ovary syndrome.
Having irregular periods does not mean you wont get pregnant and there are things you can do to boost your chances of success.
See your GP if your periods have stopped, youre missing monthly periods or you have irregular periods and are struggling to get pregnant.
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How To Track Your Menstrual Cycle
There are multiple ways to track a menstrual cycle and different tools to help understand that information. Heres what to know:
Period
The most basic way to track your cycles is to note the beginning and ending date of each period and how heavy or light it is. Keeping up with that information can help you pinpoint any changes or irregularities in cycle length.
Mucus
A step beyond keeping track of the period is monitoring vaginal secretions, or cervical mucus, during a cycle.
A telltale sign of ovulation is mucus, Urrutia says. Before ovulation, estrogen levels are very high, and there are receptors in the cervix that bind to the estrogen and create a different type of mucus, very wet and slippery. This usually happens three to seven days leading up to ovulation.
After ovulation, progesterone levels rise, producing a thicker mucus, which may lead to women observing no mucus at all. About two weeks later, you should get your period.
Basal Body Temperature
Basal body temperature is the bodys lowest temperature during sleep. Its usually taken right after waking up in the morning, using a digital oral thermometer or one specially designed to measure basal body temperature.
Taking this temperature every day is used to track changes in progesterone, Urrutia says.
Basal body temperature can be affected by things like unusual sleep patterns or drinking too much alcohol the night before.
Hormones
Combined Hormonal Birth Control
Combined hormonal birth controlâlike the pill, the vaginal ring, or the patchârelease synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone into your body . When taken as directed, the hormones in these types of birth control prevent your ovaries from preparing and releasing eggs . This stops your bodyâs usual hormonal cycling rhythm, allowing the birth control to regulate the growth and shedding of your uterine lining .
The bleeding you experience on combined hormonal birth control is not a real period. It is called withdrawal bleeding because it is caused by the withdrawal of hormones during the placebo pills or during the week you donât use your pills, patch, or ring.
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Tracking Menstruation: How It Helps Your Reproductive Health
Knowing your cycle length is beneficial for a number of reasons. For women trying to conceive, understanding the timing of your cycle is valuable for determining the time you are most likely to get pregnant.
Women are considered fertile when an egg has been released from the ovaries and is able to be joined by a mans sperm. Because of how long both the egg and the sperm survive inside a womans fallopian tubes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology says you can become pregnant if you have sex anywhere from five days before ovulation until one day after.
Generally, ovulation is said to occur about 14 days before the start of your next menstrual period. But every woman and every cycle are different. Knowing when you might really be ovulating and having intercourse around that time can enhance your odds of getting pregnant.
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What Cycle Tracking Can Tell You About Your Health
Fertility, Gynecology, Women’s Health
Getting to know your menstrual cycle can help you learn about whats happening inside your body. Theres more to it than your period, and those additional aspects can provide a wealth of knowledge when it comes to health patterns, possible illnesses and your fertility.
We spoke about all things cyclical with Rachel Urrutia, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at UNC Medical Center and assistant professor at the UNC School of Medicine.
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When Should I See A Doctor About My Menstrual Cycle
Contact your doctor or your local Planned Parenthood health center if:
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Youre worried that you might be pregnant because youve had unprotected sex and missed your period.
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Your period is so heavy that you have to change maxi pads or super tampons every hour.
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Your period lasts much longer than usual, or longer than 7 days.
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You’re light-headed, dizzy, or your pulse is racing.
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Youre 16 years old and still havent gotten your period.
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You have severe pain before or during your period.
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You have unusual bleeding between periods.
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You suddenly feel sick or get a fever when using a tampon.
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Your periods or PMS keeps you from your normal day-to-day activities.
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Your periods stop or suddenly become irregular.
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Your period comes more often than every 21 days or less often than every 45 days.
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You get very anxious or depressed around the time you get your period.
Can I Get Pregnant At Any Time During My Cycle
Yes, but its unlikely youll get pregnant just before or just after your period. You are most fertile when you ovulate, so this is when youre most likely to get pregnant. Understanding your cycle and knowing more about what is happening month during the month, can help you learn the best days to get pregnant.
Find out more about ovulation and fertility, including top tips for finding your fertility window.
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When Are You Most Fertile
“Theoretically, there’s only a short time when women can get pregnant, and that is the time around ovulation,” says Belfield.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens but in most women, it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period.
“It’s not accurate to say that all women are fertile on day 14 of the menstrual cycle,” says Belfield. This might be true for women who have a regular, 28-day cycle, but it won’t apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer.
For more information on fertility awareness, see the FPA guide to natural family planning.
What Color Should Your Period Blood Be
When you get your period, the blood should be a bright red color . This is a sign that there is adequate blood flow to your pelvic region and that blood isn’t stagnating in the uterus.
If there is blood stagnation, I recommend a hot water bottle or castor oil packs applied directly to the abdomen to stimulate blood flow.
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How Can Women Take Care Of Bleeding And Symptoms
You can use pads, tampons, or menstrual cups to manage bleeding. Be sure to change tampons at least every 4 to 8 hours. Pads or menstrual cups may be best at night.
Many women can improve their symptoms by getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. It also may help to limit alcohol and caffeine. Try to reduce stress.
A heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath also can help with cramps. You can take an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen or naproxen before and during your period to reduce pain and bleeding.