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This is the second installment of our Period 101 series. You can read our first installment on healthy menstrual cycles here. Understanding the timeline of your menstrual cycle is important. We will try not to get too complex about the science behind it, but some of the details about the anatomy and physiology of the egg during the menstrual cycle may better help you to understand the changes in your vaginal mucosa and hormones during the different phases of your cycle.
The luteal phase has two very different landscapes. In the first half, your energy is usually high and sex drive is ramped up. Your cervical mucus is plentiful and slippery. Your hormones are in a healthy flow, sleep is usually good, focus is high, and you are generally feeling good. Here the possibility for fertilization and embryo implantation is higher, particularly around ovulation. In the second half of the luteal phase (the week before your period) progesterone and estrogen start to decline and your cervical mucus will lessen and get thicker. In this form, the mucus is more limiting to sperm, making it harder for sperm to move toward the uterus which is now past its peak for embryo implantation.
So, to recap, we have started to review the basics of your period. In the first post Period 101, we discussed some period basics and characteristics of what a healthy period should look like. In this second installment, we talked about what an average cycle looks like and how it’s broken down.
In the next post, we’ll discuss the characteristics of cervical mucus and how to track your cycle. Stay tuned.
If you would like to read more about this in more detail, this information was taken from Hormone Intelligence. The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body’s Natural Blueprint for Well-Being. (2021) by Dr. Aviva Romm, MD.
Written by Stephanie Muntzer, MPT, PYT, RYT200, CPI, SFMA, FMSc
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