The Four Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle
Even though we commonly think that our period is our cycle and that’s it, our cycle actually has four phases (and your period is just one!).
Whenever I talk to women about their period issues, one of the first things I ask is whether or not they track their cycle. And most often I hear things like, “Oh yeah! I know exactly when my period is going to show up or when it’s late because this app tells me what day it’s supposed to start.”
And I don’t blame you for thinking about your cycle this way, because I used to be exactly that way too! But…
An app cannot tell you when your period is going to start.
It can’t tell you when you’re going to ovulate, because an app is just following an algorithm. If you tell it when your last period was, it goes okay, typically your periods are 30 days apart so your next period will be 30 days from now.
But in reality, you want to be tracking your FULL cycle and understanding your unique body because no one’s cycle is exactly the same all the time.
So, let’s go over the four phases of your menstrual cycle and about how long each one should be so that you can begin to understand YOUR body.
1) Menses
So, the start of your cycle, Day 1, is the first day of your period. It’s not after your period ends, it’s literally the first day of your period.
Typically your period can last anywhere from 3 to 7 days. That’s a “typical cycle”. Yours may differ a little bit and that’s okay! We’ll get into that later.
2) Follicular
When your period ends, then you head into what is called your follicular phase, which is when the follicle is getting ready to release an egg.
This one is one of my favorite phases!
This is the phase on which the length of your cycle depends. Some people have shorter follicular phases and some people have a little bit longer follicular phases - it really doesn’t matter.
The myth that you always ovulate on day 14 is just that - it’s a myth!
During your follicular phase, your body is getting ready to release the egg. So, your body is also starting to create cervical mucus and this is what carries sperm to the egg. Basically, your body is always trying to get pregnant, even if you’re not!
Your follicular phase can be however long it is - for some people it can be 7 days, for some people it can be 10 days, and for some people it can be 15 days. It varies from person to person, so that’s why it’s really important to understand and be tracking this for yourself!
3) Ovulation
So, at this time, your estrogen is rising and your body has a surge of the LH (luteinizing hormone) which triggers that follicle to release the egg. Then, your follicle releases the egg and you ovulate.
Ovulation is the most important part of your cycle!
Once your follicle releases the egg, the follicle forms what’s called the corpus luteum. This is what produces your progesterone and that’s why ovulation is SO important.
4) Luteal
After you ovulate and you get that wonderful surge of progesterone, you head into what is called your luteal phase.
Now, this may not be everybody’s favorite phase, depending on how balanced your hormones are, because this is the time many women start developing painful PMS symptoms.
Your luteal phase should be at least 12 days, but anywhere from 12 to 16 days is pretty normal. However, if your luteal phase is less than 12 days, it’s called an “insufficient luteal phase”. That’s a little dramatic, but basically, when your luteal phase is too short, it means that you don’t have enough progesterone. Sadly, having a short luteal phase can also be a cause of miscarriage.
So that’s why it’s really important to make sure your luteal phase is at least 12 days long. And yes, this is important whether or not you’re trying to get pregnant! You still want to have a minimum of 12 days because it indicates that you have enough progesterone and that your reproductive health is on point.
That’s the breakdown of each phase of your cycle - menses, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal.
Remember how I said your ovulation was the main event of your cycle? You’re probably wondering why, because most women typically think of their period as the main event, right? Like, we track when our period is supposed to start and worry when it’s late and wonder why.
But in reality, if you have a late period, it actually means that your ovulation was late! When you ovulate, you have that corpus luteum which forms the progesterone. That’s what causes your period later on. So when you have that rise of progesterone from ovulation and then that progesterone drops, that signals your period to start!
You cannot have a period without ovulation.
What if I’m on birth control?
I know a lot of you now are like, “Um Leah, how come I have a period when I’m on birth control and not ovulating?”
And Leah is going to tell you that you are not. I know, you can pick your jaw off the floor now!
That is what’s called a pill bleed. It’s not a real period. Birth control shuts down the communication from your brain to your ovaries, so you are not ovulating and you are not having a real period. You are having a pharmaceutical pill bleed.
We won’t get into this rant right now, but there’s no scientific reason why you need to have that pill bleed, but they basically just do it because if you’re having a regular bleed every 28-30 days, you automatically assume everything is okay.
You can also sometimes have what is called a withdrawal bleed, even when you are not ovulating. I have had clients get withdrawal bleeds before and that’s why it’s really important to track your ovulation. If you’re having withdrawal bleeds, you’re probably going to have a lot of symptoms of low progesterone because you’re not ovulating and therefore your body is not getting that rush of progesterone from ovulation.
When you start to track your full cycle, not just rely on an app to tell you when your period is supposed to start, you’ll know exactly what’s going on during each phase of your cycle and can more accurately predict what’s happening in your body!
Learn more about supporting your hormones throughout your full menstrual cycle by downloading the free Painless Period Prep Guide!