Cycles 101: Back to the Basics
I vaguely remember that one time in 5th grade when all the girls in my class were separated from the boys and told by our female teacher what a period is. We received pads at the end of the discussion and my classmates all had different reactions.
My understanding at that time about periods was simply,
“Okay, so I bleed from time to time because I’m a girl-turning-into-a-woman and this bleeding thing is somehow connected to having babies.”
I didn’t feel particularly connected to the uterus diagram they gave us… it just felt like more classwork.
I also vaguely remember my high school health class talking about periods and the need to use protection during sex to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. By this time, I was a pro at using pads. Also at this time, I wasn’t really tracking my period. No one showed me how to actually do that and for what I can remember my period just appeared whenever she wanted to. Eventually I started using a period tracking app to mark whenever she made her grand entrance.
What did I understand about my cycle at this time? The only thing worth tracking when it comes to your cycle is when you get your periods (that, and maybe tracking when you take your birth control). I also internalized the idea that as a woman you might experience some cramps that are either mild or like someone is stabbing you from the inside. Apparently, this is “normal.” If you miss your period and are sexually active, you might be pregnant (time to panic!). Fun stuff.
I didn’t know much about “cycles,” or “having PMS-free periods.” I didn’t realize that paying attention to your menstrual health is about more than just planning (or avoiding) pregnancy. Heck, I thought having a period was ALL there was to know. Then I went to college and a lot changed for me. I grew out of my shell, I entered my first long-term relationship, and I started to care a lot more about my health.
Eventually I learned that there’s a lot more to our cycles than what I was previously told. I had to go back to the basics and re-learn (or perhaps learn for the first time) what makes up a menstrual cycle and how menstrual health is tied to our overall health. With that being said…
Welcome to Day 1 of a series called “Cycles 101”! This series will outline some important basic info about our cycles that everyone should know! This post in particular gives overview answers to questions 🤔 like: What is a menstrual cycle? How long are they? As we continue this series, we’ll unpack the different phases, hormones, and to-knows about our cycles.
Let’s begin.
🌺 What is a menstrual cycle? In short, a menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes that take place in a woman’s body (between the ages of puberty up until menopause) to prepare for the possibility of a pregnancy 🤰. Certain hormonal fluctuations influence this series of changes. Take note: these hormone fluctuations don’t just support a possible healthy pregnancy, but they affect different systems and parts of your body as well (e.g., your bones 🦴, your sleep, etc.).
🌺 How long are menstrual cycles? ⏰ The length of a menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of one period (the first day you bleed 🩸) until the first day of the next period 🩸. For many people who have consistent periods, this span of time is roughly one month (between 21-35 days). Getting your period is kinda like New Year’s Day 🥳, it indicates that a new cycle has begun.
If the first day of your last period was on October 1st for example, and then your next period showed up on October 30th, that cycle would be counted as a full 29 days.
*NOTE: menstrual cycle length isn’t always the same cycle to cycle, even if your period is consistent and regular. There are different factors that contribute to cycle length variations (stress being a big one). In fact, cycle lengths that vary up to 7 days are often considered regular. So if a previous cycle was 29 days and your cycle after that lasted 32 days, no need to panic. However, if a previous cycle was 29 days and your cycle after lasted 45 days, pay attention to this and see a medical professional if your cycles continue to be long and/or irregular.
*DOUBLE NOTE: just because your cycles are “regular” (e.g., they’re always ~28 days in length and your period shows up like clockwork) this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re experiencing healthy cycles. More on that later.
Now that we understand what a cycle is and how long one typically lasts stay tuned for a post later about the different “seasons” we go through each month and how your body functions as a conductor of an orchestra 🎻
Written by Valencia