Female Menstrual Cycle Before, During and After Period
We’ve already talked about how female hormones don’t just influence the menstrual cycle; in fact, they’re an important factor in overall health. In this post, we will be seeing the female menstrual cycle steps, before, during and after the period.
But how much do our hormones fluctuate during our menstrual cycle and what impact do they have on us? It’s pretty fascinating to see how powerful they are.
What is the Menstrual Cycle’s Mission?
All the changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle have only one goal and it is reproduction. Every month, without exception or almost, the body prepares for pregnancy, even for those who will never have children in their lives.
Understanding your cycle better means learning more about yourself. It is only to be better able to prevent pregnancy, or even to promote it.
First Phase of the Menstrual Cycle: Menstruation
When your period starts (on the first day of your cycle), the two main female hormones are at their lowest.
This is what causes bleeding and other related symptoms (cramping, headaches, etc.). The sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone levels in the blood.
During menstruation, the uterus sheds the thick lining it had built up in the previous cycle in preparation for pregnancy.
And while the body is bleeding, the next ovulation is already in progress! The ovaries and pituitary gland will release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This allows one follicle (a tiny pocket of fluid that contains the immature version of an egg) to grow more than the others.
Slowly, after a few days, the ovaries begin to produce estrogen again.
Second Phase of The Menstrual Cycle: Preparation
During the days following menstruation, estrogen continues to rise gradually and then reaches a peak.
When this peak occurs, a few days before ovulation, another hormone suddenly comes into play: luteinizing hormone. This appears in a rapid and brief surge; in about a day, it will have disappeared. However, it is very important: it tells the growing follicle to release the egg. It is, therefore, the hormone that predicts ovulation.
While the body is preparing to ovulate, this is the only period of the cycle when testosterone increases. Many people believe that testosterone is reserved for men, but women also produce it, in smaller quantities.
Why is it higher just before ovulation? Simply because it is associated with libido! We remember that our body is focused on reproduction at all times, so it is full of meaning. So just when we are fertile, hormones make us want to make love.
Other physical and psychological changes, subtle but still present, occur during this period: women often report feeling more confident, more sensual, more decisive, more sociable, more impulsive, their skin becomes rosier, their hair is shinier, etc. Incredible, isn’t it?
In general, a high estrogen level, as is the case during this phase, allows women to feel more optimistic, less stressed and have more energy.
The Third Phase of The Menstrual Cycle: Ovulation
Ovulation occurs when the body decides that it is time to release the egg. It detaches itself from the follicle and waits to be fertilized. The follicle, for its part, begins to produce another hormone that has not been present in the cycle until now, and which will dominate its second part: progesterone.
What is progesterone for? If the egg is fertilized, it helps support this pregnancy by preventing menstruation from occurring. Progesterone therefore helps create a cozy little nest for a future baby: the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) thickens and becomes very comfortable.
Estrogen, for its part, remains present throughout the cycle, even if its level has dropped at the time of ovulation. In some women, this is associated with anxiety and/or emotional instability for a few days.
The Fourth Phase of the Menstrual Cycle: Waiting
Once ovulation has passed, the body prepares to welcome pregnancy. Progesterone continues to rise while estrogen remains fairly stable; the two work together to prepare an environment conducive to pregnancy. Their combination causes some women to experience tender breasts as their period approaches.
A few days before the expected start of menstruation, if the egg has not been fertilized, the body “decides” that pregnancy will not occur. So, it will begin to reduce estrogen and progesterone levels.
This is when the famous premenstrual syndrome can occur, for a more or less long time and more or less pronounced depending on the woman. The symptoms of PMS can be very varied: lower abdominal pain, depression, digestive problems, fatigue, etc.
Hormone Levels:
In general, during this period when hormone levels are dropping, it is the time of the cycle when we are more vulnerable to pain. It is, therefore, a good idea to postpone appointments for hair removal, tattoos, visits to the dentist, etc.
Moreover, if at this time you have cravings for sugar or carbohydrates (bread, chips, pasta, pastries, etc.), it is completely normal! When estrogen levels return to their lowest, it also affects the serotonin level. Which brings to depression and sleep, among other things. If your body wants to eat these foods, it is because they can help you produce a little more serotonin!
So, listen to your body and eat a little more now. Your metabolism is faster and more efficient in the days leading up to menstruation.
Unlike high estrogen levels, which have rather positive effects, higher progesterone levels are associated with rather unpleasant effects such as acne, constipation, fatigue, etc.
Finally, when hormones drop to a certain level, periods start and the cycle resumes.
If, on the other hand, pregnancy occurs, menstruation does not occur and instead of dropping, estrogen and especially progesterone levels will continue to rise like never before.
The Role of Contraception
Some methods of contraception change the role of hormones in the cycle. If you take the pill, for example, it will not happen exactly like that for you.
The pill, but also the contraceptive ring and patch, will prevent the pituitary gland from releasing HSF, which means that the follicles will not develop and therefore there will be no ovulation.
However, there are other methods, such as the intrauterine contraceptive (commonly people call an IUD, with or without hormones) which do not contain estrogen. It therefore does not prevent ovulation.
When it does not contain hormones, it only acts locally, at the level of the uterus, to acidify it and prevent a pregnancy from implanting and developing.
When it contains hormones, it is progesterone only (in a smaller quantity than that of the pill). This type of contraceptive will prevent the uterus from becoming an ideal “nest” for pregnancy and will thicken the mucus, making the task of spermatozoa much more difficult.
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