A woman’s body undergoes a variety of changes each month to prepare for a potential pregnancy during the years between puberty and menopause. The menstrual cycle is a sequence of hormonally induced events. Now, the question is, how to count menstrual cycle? How long does a regular menstrual cycle last?
Menstrual cycle
How long does a regular menstrual cycle last?
The lining of your uterus sheds each month during menstruation. According to NHS UK, although each woman’s menstrual cycle is different in duration, most women get periods every 28 days on average. It is usual to have regular cycles that range in length from 23 to 35 days.
The interval between a woman’s first day of menstruation and the day before her subsequent period is known as the menstrual cycle.
An egg develops and is discharged from the ovaries once per menstrual cycle. The uterus’ lining thickens throughout time. The uterine lining sheds during a menstrual cycle if there is no pregnancy happen. Then the cycle resumes.
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How to count your menstrual cycle?
How to count menstrual cycle calculator
There are ways how to count your menstrual cycle. Get your calculator now and get to know how to count your menstrual cycle. There are free menstruation calculators that you can find online. You can try using those to count your menstrual cycle.
Tracking your menstrual cycle may help you determine when you are most fertile. If you are trying to conceive, knowing when you are most fertile will help you to become pregnant.
Menstrual cycle calendar: How to count your menstrual cycle?
According to Laiv Clinic, the majority of women have irregular monthly periods. You might go 28 days without a period in one month, then 24 or 32 the following.
This is completely normal, which is why you need to monitor your cycle for a few months to determine the ideal fertilization window or the ideal time to get pregnant. You can estimate your most fertile days by tracking for a few cycles to learn the typical length of your cycle.
Starting on the first day of your current period, count the days until your next period, which is day one of your subsequent cycle. Add the total number of days throughout the course of three months. That number can be calculated by dividing it by three.
You can use a menstrual cycle calendar to track your period. Get a calendar and start noting your menstrual period. To determine how regularly your periods occur, start by noting your start date on a monthly basis for several months in a row.
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How to count menstrual cycle: Phases of the menstrual cycle
It is also important to know the phases of the menstrual cycle, for you to determine your fertile window and when you are most likely to get pregnant.
The phases of the menstrual cycle are divided into four stages. First is the menstrual phase, second is the follicular phase, third is the ovulation phase, and fourth is what we call the luteal phase.
Menstruation phase
The first phase of the menstrual cycle is known as the menstrual phase. You get your menstruation or period at that time.
When an egg from the previous cycle is not fertilized, this phase begins. Estrogen and progesterone levels fall since pregnancy has not yet occurred.
Your uterus’ thicker lining, which would normally support a pregnancy, no longer serves a purpose and sheds via your vagina. Blood, mucus, and tissue are all expelled from the uterus during your period.
Women often spend 3 to 7 days during the menstrual phase of their cycle. But it is also important to note that some women’s periods are longer than others.
Follicular phase
The follicular phase overlaps slightly with the menstrual phase and begins on the first day of your period and ends when you ovulate.
When your hypothalamus instructs your pituitary gland to release a follicle-stimulating hormone, the follicular phase begins (FSH). Your ovaries are stimulated by this hormone to create 5 to 20 little sacs known as follicles. Undeveloped eggs are found inside each follicle. Eventually, only the healthiest egg will mature.
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Ovulation phase
During the follicular phase, increasing estrogen levels cause your pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone (LH). This is what triggers the ovulation process.
Your ovary produces a mature egg during ovulation. The fallopian tube directs the egg toward the uterus, where the sperm will fertilize it.
If you have a 28-day cycle, ovulation takes place around day 14 — smack in the middle of your menstrual cycle. It is roughly 24 hours long. If the egg is not fertilized within a day, it will die or dissolve.
You can only become pregnant during the ovulation phase of your menstrual cycle.
Luteal phase
The follicle transforms into the corpus luteum after releasing its egg. Progesterone and possibly estrogen are the major hormones released by this structure. The increase in hormones keeps your uterine lining thick and prepared for the implantation of a fertilized egg.
Your body will generate human chorionic gonadotropin if you become pregnant. It keeps the uterine lining thick and aids in maintaining the corpus luteum.
The corpus luteum will shrink and resorb if you are not able to conceive. This results in lower estrogen and progesterone levels, which trigger the start of your menstruation.
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