Learn How to Calculate the Menstrual Cycle
If you still don't know how to count your menstrual cycle, now is the time to learn! Our calculator makes this even easier
Menstruation is the start of a woman's fertile life, so it is important to know that this time when you're bleeding is one of the phases of your menstrual cycle. The cycle actually lasts the whole month until you next bleed. So how do you calculate your menstrual cycle? Keep reading, the first step is to learn how to calculate and understand the process that the cycle has on your body.
The menstrual cycle usually lasts 28 days, but this varies from woman to woman. So don't freak out if you notice that your cycle is 26 or 30 days - it's super normal! Your cycle has 3 phases that correspond to the phases that your body goes through from maturing an egg, through to the fertile period (when you can get pregnant) and then discarding the egg during menstruation. It is important to understand these stages so that you can calculate your cycle, because it will happen every month.
Step 1: The day when your cycle starts.
It all starts on day 1 of your period. If you're going to start counting your cycle now, keep an eye out for when you start your period. That day, when you see a little blood in your panties, even if it's not totally red most of the time (it might be more like a brownish color), this is the first day of your cycle! The first day begins the follicular phase. Make a note of this and also on your menstrual calendar. It will be from that day on that we will count the other phases of your cycle.
Step 2: How many days the period lasts
Your period can last 5-10 days, but as always, this may vary. Each body is unique, and that is precisely why you are learning to count your menstrual cycle: to know yourself. Mark on the calendar the number of days your period lasts. The follicular phase lasts a little longer than the period itself, so an average of 12-14 days, from the day you got your period. This means that the blood will stop coming, but your body continues to work in the follicular phase. And it will work to release next month's egg during its fertile phase, hoping, in theory, for a fertilization (pregnancy).
Step 3: When does the fertile period start?
Around the 14th day of the cycle, your body will start releasing hormones to mature a new egg, beginning the ovulatory phase. The egg will be released from one of your two ovaries and begin to descend through one of the fallopian tubes. There are women who can even feel a little twinge on one side of their abdomen at the time of ovulation - but if you don't feel anything, it's okay, not everyone will feel it. In this phase you will start being attentive to the signs of your fertility. Pay attention: how is the natural smell of your vagina? Are your breasts swollen or sore? How about your mood? Usually during this phase of the menstrual cycle we are in a great mood with high self-esteem. Now is the time to risk that lip gloss you thought was too attention-grabbing. 😉 It's also the best time to do aerobic or high-impact exercise, your body will be ready to keep up! It's also the time when you're most likely to get pregnant if you're having sex. The egg is released for 24 hours, but the fertile phase can last up to 5 days between it being released and beginning to descend through the fallopian tube toward the uterus to be discarded.
Step 4: Your period is on its way.
After the fertile period comes the luteal phase. This is the phase in which your uterus does not yet know whether you have become pregnant or not. It believes that the egg has been fertilized (that it has received a sperm) and begins to strengthen the walls of the uterus to prepare to receive the embryo (which would create the baby). These walls will shed afterwards, and it is this shedding that is the major part of your period. This is the phase of the famous PMT or Pre-Menstrual Tension. It can get worse the closer you get to day 28 of your cycle - or rather your next menstruation. The closer you get to menstruation, the more tired you may feel, so it is also interesting to use the menstrual calculator and understand on which days you want to just rest more. This is the time to stay cool on the couch watching a series you love, with your pet or your best friend as company 🤗 Your skin might even feel a bit oily, and your body swollen and painful, and with emotions running high. Respect this moment and relax, as all women go through the same thing. The luteal phase lasts until the next first day of menstruation. And then you start counting all over again.
Yes! It's called a cycle because every month you have #ANewCycle. And now you know how to count the days of your menstrual cycle. You'll see that after two or three cycles, you'll be an expert in predicting your phases. Knowing your menstrual cycle is empowering!
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