Learn How to Calculate Menstrual Cycle

What Happens in Each Menstrual Cycle?

Why should you care about how to calculate menstrual cycle? It matters for many reasons. Some women just want to know when to expect the monthly flow. Others are trying to get pregnant and want to be able to track their ovulation times­—this begins by learning to track periods. Others just want to make sure everything is okay each month.

A menstrual cycle is much more than just a period. There are actually three very distinct phases throughout the month that create the full cycle.

                      

Day 1 to 12: The Follicular Phase

This begins on the day you begin to bleed and continues until the day you ovulate. Certain hormones course through the body and prepare the ovaries to release follicles. One of those follicles will grow rapidly and turn into the ovum – or the egg that is released during the ovulatory phase. The follicle secretes estrogen, and that helps build up the lining of the uterus.

Day 13 to 15: The Ovulatory Phase

In this phase, the egg is released into the fallopian tube. Once it is released, there is a 24-48 hour window during which it could be fertilized by male sperm. Cervical mucus increases during this time, to help the sperm swim up to the egg. If the egg is not fertilized, the lining begins to break down and the next phase begins.

Day 16 to 28: The Luteal Phase

During this phase, the body is still preparing to get pregnant at first, releasing the proper hormones and waiting for fertilization. When it doesn’t happen, the body begins to break down the uterine lining. This leads to having your period – your period is actually your body shedding the uterine lining that was prepared for pregnancy but never used.