Menstrual Cycle PDF

MENSTRUAL CYCLE What is menstruation? Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the lining of your uterus. Menstruation is also known by the terms menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle or period. The menstrual cycle is a term to describe the sequence of events that occur in your body...

MENSTRUAL CYCLE What is menstruation? Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the lining of your uterus. Menstruation is also known by the terms menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle or period. The menstrual cycle is a term to describe the sequence of events that occur in your body as it prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. Your menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of your menstrual period until the first day of your next menstrual period. Every person’s cycle is slightly different, but the process is the same. How long is a normal menstrual cycle? The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days. However, a cycle can range in length from 21 days to about 35 days and still be normal. How many days between periods is normal? The days between periods is your menstrual cycle length. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. However, cycles lasting as little as 21 days or as long as 35 days can be normal. How long does a normal period last? Most people have their period (bleed) for between three and seven days. Is a three-day period normal? A period is normal if it’s anywhere between three and seven days. While on the shorter end of the range, some people have a menstrual period for three days. This is OK. What are the four phases of the menstrual cycle? Menses phase Follicular phase Ovulation Luteal phase Menses/ Menstruation This phase begins on the first day of your period. It's when the lining of your uterus sheds through your vagina if pregnancy hasn’t occurred. Most people bleed for three to five days, but a period lasting only three days to as many as seven days is usually not a cause for worry. Follicular Phase The follicular phase starts on the first day of menstruation and ends with ovulation, creating an overlap of phases. The follicle- stimulating hormone stimulates the ovary to produce around five to 20 follicles (tiny nodules or cysts), which bead on the surface. Each follicle houses an immature egg; most often, only one follicle will mature into an egg while the others die.  Ovulation Typically occurring between days 11 and 21 of the menstrual cycle, the ovulation stage is when someone is most likely to get pregnant. Ovulation begins when a mature egg is funneled into the fallopian tube and toward the uterus by waves of tiny, hair-like projections. The life span of the typical egg is only around 24 hours. Unless it meets a sperm during this time, it will die. Luteal Phase If an egg is fertilized, progesterone supports the early pregnancy. If no fertilization occurs, the corpus luteum will break down between 9 and 11 days after ovulation. This results in a drop in estrogen and progesterone levels, bringing us ALL the way back to the first stage of menstruation if no pregnancy has occurred. LUTEAL PHASE The luteal phase is the last phase of the ovarian cycle and it corresponds with the secretory phase of the uterine cycles. UTERINE CYCLE Endometrial cycle phases: Desquamation: shedding of the endometrial lining (menses) Proliferative phase: endometrial proliferation with straight, tubular glands Secretory phase: maturation of the spiral arteries and endometrial glands, preparing the endometrium for potential pregnancy  People start menstruating at the At what age does average age of 12. menstruation However, you can begin typically begin? menstruating as early as 8 years old or as late as 16 years old. Generally, most people menstruate within a few years of growing breasts and pubic hair.  What are symptoms of getting your period? Mood Trouble Food Headache. changes. sleeping. cravings. Breast Bloating. Acne tenderness. What is normal bleeding? Your period lasts for 3-8 days Your period comes again every 21-35 days (measured from the first day of one period to the first day of the next) The total blood loss over the course of the period is around 2-3 tablespoons but secretions of other fluids can make it seem more How much blood is lost during periods? the total amount of blood lost during one period is usually about 60 milliliters (around 2 ounces) 60-80 ml approx. What is considered an irregular period? Periods that occur Not having a period for Menstrual flow that’s less than 21 days or three months (or 90 much heavier or more than 35 days days). lighter than usual. apart. Periods that are Period bleeding that Bleeding or spotting accompanied by lasts longer than that happens between severe pain, cramping, seven days. periods. nausea or vomiting.  Your body is not a clock; there is variation in the menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle is not always perfectly predictable (1). The length of menstrual cycles may vary from cycle to cycle (2) Even in people with fairly predictable periods, ovulation may not happen on the exact same day every cycle (3). This can make it hard to predict