Understanding Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle of a woman might be lengthy, short, highly predictable or completely unpredictable. It may either change every month and over the course of years, or it may remain almost the same throughout life. However, each woman has a different pattern of cycle.

What might be normal for your friend or mother might not necessarily be normal for you. So, if your mom had regular periods whole life, it doesn't mean you will "inherit" the same regularity. However, there are some chief changes in each woman's menstrual cycle that helps her to find out what is normal and what is abnormal for her. Instead of simply tolerating the cramps and other symptoms every month, and getting used to seeing the blood, why not dig into this phenomenon deeper and know what's exactly happening inside you during your menstrual cycle? It's intriguing!

Sign Of Menstrual Cycle

Right from the age of 10-14, periods become an integral part of a woman's life. It continues to be so till the age of 50. After that, a woman attains menopause. The most obvious sign of periods is a regular (or maybe not so regular) bleeding every month. However, this is not the only sign. There are many other symptoms that indicate that your period is about to start. These include tender or swollen breasts, lower abdominal pain, and mood swings (better known as PMS). Some women also experience headaches. All this happens due to the fluctuations in the level of hormones progesterone and estrogen during the start of your cycle.

Knowing the less visible signs of menstrual cycle assists you in getting familiar with your shifting level of fertility. Some women use this as a tool for their sexual life. They plan their sexual intercourse on the basis of their cycle. However, this is more reliable for women with regular cycles.

The Length Of Menstrual Cycle

Do you know that the length of your menstrual cycle is determined by the number of days remaining between one period and the next one?

Your menstrual cycle starts on the very first day of bleeding. It continues up to the first day of your next period. (This first day is not included in the cycle.) Usually, the length of a woman's cycle varies from 21-40 days, in some cases even more. The average length of the cycle is 28 days. The length of your cycle may get altered a bit or too much from month to month. You should not expect your period to start on exactly the same date every month. It happens for some women, but not in majority. Even if you get regular periods for several months, it's going to change the next month.

The bleeding of your period, which is known as menstruation, continues up to 7-8 days. The average duration of bleeding is 4-5 days. The quantity of blood you lose during your period usually remains the same every month; however, it may change over time in some women.

To know more about your menstrual cycle, read articles on websites.