Menstruation Phases Made Simple

If you’re like me, your hormones are turning on and off so often, you feel like you’re going insane. I have three menstruation apps on my smartphone, yet still they don’t seem to line up with when my period is due and all of them are always off.

To make matters worse, I could be having a good week, and then suddenly get hit with brain fog and anxiety…I wonder where I’m at in my cycle. Who knows? I’m too busy feeling like a crazy person to keep track.

So, I head over to a search engine to find out which phase of my cycle I am battling, and also, to see which hormone is responsible for how I feel. Sadly, I am met with an onslaught of super technical explanations of what the menstruation cycle is, along with overly complicated scientific graphs.

Look, I’m not a stranger to science; it was my major in college. But for the love of simplicity, please just tell me which phase I’m in and what’s going on!!!!!!!

I researched and compiled this information so that together, we could have a moment of sanity in whatever hormone hell we are going through: Premenstrual Syndrome - PMS, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - PMDD, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - PCOS, Endometriosis, Perimenopause, etc..

I used bold lettering on the hormones and length of each cycle so you can easily see what the bleep is going on quickly. Please remember that these are averages so what you’re experiencing may be slightly different.

Luteal Phase

This lasts for somewhere between 11-17 days and is the time right before your period begins. This is actually the second phase of your cycle, but it’s a good place to start because it’s probably why you’re reading this right now. This is when premenstrual symptoms can become difficult to manage. So if you’re expecting your period and suddenly feel anxious, panicky, have other mood changes, feel bloated, have painful breasts, this is where you are.

For half of this phase, progesterone and a bit of estrogen are dominating the scene. So, during the first week, you’ll likely feel pretty good and sleep well. Because your body is hoping to get pregnant. However, if you don’t become pregnant, you get a major progesterone dump which sucks if you’re dealing with something like perimenopause or endometriosis because disorders like that already have you on a limited supply of the hormone.

Bioidentical micronized USP progesterone therapy (not synthetic Progestin) is your friend in times like these; not only do studies indicate that it’s safe for most people to try, it has been proven to help with symptoms of PMS, PMDD, PCOS, Endometriosis, and Perimenopause. In fact, it’s what got me through many painless years after being diagnosed with endometriosis.

Before the bioidentical progesterone was prescribed to me by my gynecologist (discuss this with your doctor before trying hormonal therapy), my periods lasted a week long and were heavy, and I was crampy, and had a ton of pelvic floor pain. Progesterone therapy “cured” me in the sense that it made my periods light, short, and manageable.

But I had to see five different doctors before one would agree to try the therapy; the other four wanted to try surgery and birth control instead. Unfortunately, most doctors are either unaware of the latest studies pertaining to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy BHRT, or they only do a quick glance of old studies that are based on synthetic progestin (ironically it’s what’s in birth control) which causes a lot of dangerous side effects.

Find a doctor who is up-to-date with the science, and who isn’t synthetic hormone obsessed. The only websites that seem to be against BHRT are the ones receiving money for their opinions. There are good doctors out there, you just have to find them.

Menstrual Phase

Yay! If you’re in this phase, you’re bleeding. Okay, maybe not exciting for everyone, but it lets me know that my body is going to reset once the bleeding is finished and give me a small window of normalcy. This phase lasts somewhere between 3-7 days and means your uterus is shedding its lining.

If you are here, your body did not become pregnant, and your progesterone and estrogen are nonexistent. The symptoms may include feeling grouchy, having painful cramps, bloating, mood swings, headaches, and a host of other things.

There are many reasons why you may experience a heavy period, so speak to your doctor to find out the cause. For me, it was an estrogen dominance due to endometriosis; this came with random heavy bleeding also known as, flooding, over ridiculously long, clot-filled periods.

I mean, it was like a horror movie. But apparently normal for what I was going through. If this happens to you, don’t panic! Just keep track of how many pads you’re soaking through and call your doctor; they will help you assess if you need more assistance.

Almost every blog you will read will tell you to eat right, exercise, meditate, etc., to make your period easier to deal with. I have the strictest vegan, gluten-free, low carb, low sugar, healthiest diet in the world. All that I drink is filtered water. I could use a little more exercise, but I do tai chi, yoga, stand up every 30 minutes, and walk every evening. I also do thirty minutes of meditation every day, and practice mindfulness.

Is any of it helping? It actually is, but I also started allowing myself to give into the cravings a tad by indulging in some vegan chocolate and vegan whipped cream when I’m bleeding. You must have balance in your life if you want to be happy.

Follicular Phase

If you feel good for a few days, you are here. This phase lasts somewhere between 11-16 days. Your body should be producing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This is the only part of the month where I feel like a normal human being, well, for a few days because somewhere in the middle of this phase, the estrogen starts surging. I don’t know if everyone feels their hormones turning on and off like a light switch, but I do.

I love the first half of this phase, and dread the last bit of it. If you have a disorder that creates an estrogen dominance in your body, the last part of this phase may have you experiencing awful insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, and symptoms similar to the luteal phase. In my experience, some of these symptoms fluctuate during this phase and sometimes I get lucky and have an easy time.

Ovulation Phase

And if you have a problem with estrogen dominance, this is where you will feel like you are losing your mind. Unfortunately, this phase lasts somewhere between 3-4 days, depending on whether or not your ovaries release an egg. Estrogen is the queen of your body here, and she is very angry.

To be clear, before I started exhibiting endometriosis symptoms, this part of my cycle was actually quite relaxed. But once my hormones started their game of hide and seek on a rollercoaster ride, this phase became my ultimate fear. Because it always came with high anxiety, panic attacks, little sleep, and a ton of heart palpitations.

Some of you may not have any reproductive disorders, and will go through this phase without incident. For those of you dreaming of getting pregnant, this is when you will want to try to make it happen. For those of us who are infertile, or not interested in pregnancy, we may be thinking “why the hell am I going through this?”

Remember, nothing is permanent - this too shall pass. We will not be ovulating forever! Yay! And this experience will make us stronger. I believe that illness can be one of our greatest gifts because it teaches us to reach out and help others.

If it wasn’t for all of my strange bodily functions, I never would have created this blog. So, let’s celebrate together in knowing that someday, our menstrual cycle will be no more. Then we can become wise owls.

Image by Natracare