As women, we all know that we get our period once a month. But do we also know exactly how the menstrual cycle works? This is especially useful to know if you are not on birth control or if you want to get pregnant. It is also useful to know to understand the changes in your emotions and body. Let's see together how the 4 phases of your menstrual cycle go! But first things first.

What is the Menstrual Cycle?

Anyway, let's start at the beginning! Your menstrual cycle starts on the day you get your period and from then on it lasts between 21 and 35 days , with an average of 28 days. It ends one day before you menstruate again and it is perfectly normal if your cycle is irregular. Halfway through the cycle, an egg is released from one of the two ovaries and the wall of the uterus thickens. If the egg is fertilized, it rolls down a fallopian tube to the uterine cavity, after which it can implant itself in the thickened endometrium. And so a pregnancy ensues. If the egg remains unfertilized, the thickening disappears and the blood and mucous membrane of the uterine wall is drained through the vagina. This is your menstrual cycle or menstrual cycle.

The full cycle repeats throughout your fertile period, so from your first period until you go through menopause, also known as menopause .

If you use hormonal contraception , you do not ovulate and menstrual cycle. The blood that you lose every month is therefore actually an artificial period . Examples of hormonal contraception are: the pill, hormonal IUD, nuvaring and hormonal implant.

Now let's take a closer look at the details and different phases of your menstrual cycle.

The 4 phases of the menstrual cycle

Phase 1: Menstruation (day 1-6)

As mentioned earlier, your cycle starts on the day you get your period, which is why this first phase is called the menstrual phase . In this case, no sperm has come into contact with your egg and therefore no fertilization has taken place. Your estrogen levels are low at this time and you therefore feel less energetic than usual. You may also be less able to concentrate during this period and feel more inward-looking than usual. Did you know that this also makes you hungry for sweets? The drop in levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone cause your body to excrete the thickened uterine lining and unfertilized egg through the vagina as menstrual blood. You menstruate, this usually lasts about 4-7 days . During the first few days you may also experience menstrual pain and you may be a bit grumpy . This is usually caused by the contraction of the uterus to loosen the endometrium. You may also experience heavier blood loss during the first two days of your period. As the days go by and your hormone levels rise again, you will feel more energetic and cheerful again!

Tip for the menstrual phase:

Although menstrual cramps are completely normal, it is of course not pleasant. Exercise and yes, masturbating (having an orgasm) can help reduce the pain. There are also special painkillers such as Aleve Feminax that significantly reduce pain and discomfort. It can also be nice to take a nice warm bath or place a hot water bottle on the stomach. Be a little extra kind to yourself during these days. If you can't resist your sugar cravings , eat dark chocolate instead. Cocoa contains magnesium, which can reduce cramps and stimulate the production of serotonin. Yup, that one fabric that makes you happy.

Phase 2: Follicular phase - The egg matures (day 7-13)

Hehe, your period has come to an end and you feel more energetic and creative again. A new phase has also started, the follicular phase . This is the stage in which a new egg cell develops . Actually, phases 1 and 2 overlap a bit because this already starts during your period and lasts until ovulation.
During this phase, your brain produces a hormone called FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and signals the ovaries to prepare an egg for ovulation. The uterine lining (endometrial mucosa) also thickens again due to the increase in estrogen.
The time it takes for an egg to mature varies between 21 and 35 days in most adults. The follicular phase lasts about 14 days , depending on your cycle. You may also notice in this phase that your libido increases and you feel more like having sex.

Tips for during the follicular phase:

Now that you are more energetic and sharper, this is the time to take on new challenges and to be social. Now that the levels of your hormones are rising again and you feel comfortable in your body, it's the perfect time for a date or some hot lovemaking. By taking light food in this phase, you get even more energy!

Phase 3: The ovulation phase (day 14-21)

You may have guessed it from the name, but ovulation - ovulation takes place in this phase. During this phase, the mature egg separates from the ovary and you are most fertile .

Ovulation is triggered by rising estrogen levels, which stimulate the brain to produce another hormone, LH (luteinizing hormone). As the amount of LH increases, ovulation is triggered and the egg begins its journey through the ovaries to the uterus. As mentioned earlier, you are most fertile during this phase and you have the greatest chance of getting pregnant when you have sex without contraception. Ovulation lasts 1 to 2 days and on average takes place around the 14th day of the cycle.

At the end of this phase, you may notice that you are producing a thick white discharge and that you have a much higher sex drive . The heightened sense is your body's way of telling you that now is a good time to make a baby.

However, after ovulation if your ovaries release an egg and it is not fertilized, your hormones will change and you may suddenly have strong emotions. You feel your energy sinking again and your skin can also become a bit restless with pimples. You can therefore experience this phase as a rollercoaster because you experience different emotions throughout the period.

Tips for during the ovulation phase:

At the beginning of the phase where you still feel sexy and playful, it's a good time to network, go out with friends or go on dates. This is the time when you feel your best. This is also the perfect time to have sex with your sweetheart if you are trying to get pregnant. This may also be the time to be extra careful if you do not want to get pregnant. At the end of this phase you will feel more emotional and tired. You will become a bit calmer and turn inward more. Make sure you eat healthy, preferably less carbohydrates and more fiber. You can, however, exercise vigorously during this phase. Finally, it is important to give your skin some extra love and care.

Stage 4: The Luteal Phase (Day 22-29)

In this last phase , the uterus prepares to implant a possibly fertilized egg by creating extra mucous membrane. This is the phase from ovulation to your period.

During ovulation, the follicle turns into the corpeus luteum and then begins to release both progesterone and estrogen. Upon fertilization, these hormones support early pregnancy, but if the egg is not fertilized, the corpeus luteum breaks down and the drop in progesterone causes the uterine lining to detach and menstruation to stop.

You may notice some emotional and physical changes during this stage. This can make you feel a little bloated and nauseous. Your breasts may enlarge and begin to hurt. Your emotions can also go in all directions and you can get stimulated faster. These symptoms are common and are known as PMS (premenstrual syndrome) . In addition, your libido will also be somewhat lower.

Tips for during the luteal phase:

Because during this period your energy drops and you become irritable more quickly, it is normal to feel a greater need to be alone and take some time for yourself. Your body needs more vitamin B, magnesium and calcium during this phase. Give up intensive sports for a while and go for a lighter workout. It also doesn't hurt to give your skin some extra love again since it is now extra sensitive to pimples.

After the luteal phase and with the start of your new period, your whole cycle starts all over again. The process of the menstrual cycle is repeated about 450 times in a lifetime and a woman has an average period of 6.25 years in her lifetime (yes, really).

Why is it useful to understand your menstrual cycle?

Knowing what stage of your menstrual cycle you are in can help you better understand why you feel this way physically or mentally. You can also start living according to the seasons of your cycle and use all the skills that belong to each period. In each phase of your cycle, different hormones predominate, making you feel different all the time. As you probably notice yourself, all the hormonal fluctuations that come with it can turn your body upside down.

When in your cycle are you fertile?

The mature egg cell can be fertilized by a sperm cell up to 24 hours after ovulation. A woman is therefore fertile from ovulation until 24 hours later. But! Sperm cells can survive in your body for up to five days. So you can get pregnant if you had sex a few days before you ovulated. So, per cycle, the woman is fertile about 2 to 3 days before ovulation until 24 hours afterwards. If you want to get pregnant, it is therefore best to have sex a few times just before you ovulate. You can sometimes recognize this moment by symptoms such as: fuller breasts, ovulation pain, a higher body temperature and a high libido!

Don't want to get pregnant?

So if you don't want to get pregnant, you should use a form of contraception or not have sex on the day of ovulation and the days before!

Calculate menstrual cycle:

If you do not use contraception or want to become pregnant, it is useful to know your cycle. If you don't use contraception, you'll know better when your period is due again and when you're most likely to get pregnant.

It can therefore be useful to calculate your menstrual cycle through a menstrual calendar or a special tool such as a menstrual app such as Flo or tools on the internet such as Libresse .

An example to calculate your menstrual cycle:

Your period will start on June 1 and again on June 27. So June 1 is the start of your menstrual cycle and June 26 is the last day. Your cycle length in this case is therefore 26 days. With this information you can calculate approximately when your ovulation will take place. Ovulation occurs around the fourteenth day before your next period. With a cycle of 26 days, ovulation is approximately on day 12. These calculations are always an average because we can never know exactly.