Four phases of Menstrual cycle every woman should take note of

Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the lining of a woman’s uterus (more commonly known as the womb). Menstruation is also known by the terms menses, menstrual period, cycle or period, The menstrual blood which is partly blood and partly tissue from the inside of the uterus—flows from the uterus through the cervix and out of the body through the vagina

The menstrual cycle is a term used to describe the sequence of events that occur within a woman’s body as she prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. A menstrual cycle is considered to begin on the first day of a period

However, there are different phases during the menstrual cycle, which are

1. The menses phase:

This phase, which typically lasts from day one to day five, is the time when the lining of the uterus is actually shed out through the vagina if pregnancy has not occurred,

However, some women observed their menstrual period just for 5 days which is considered normal and during this phase, the woman may experience certain symptoms which are

Tenderness in the breasts
cramps
mood changes
bloating
headaches
irritability
low back pain
tiredness

2. The Follicular Phase

This phase typically takes place from days six to 14. During this time, the level of the hormone estrogen rises, which causes the lining of the uterus (called the endometrium) to grow and thicken

Though at the start of the cycle, a brain region called the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). One of the developing follicles will form a fully mature egg between days 10-14 and as the follicle matures, the body releases extra estrogen which stimulates the uterine lining to thicken. The thickened lining can provide the necessary nutrients to a fertilized egg

3. The Ovulation Phases

Ovulation is the sudden increase in another hormone luteinizing hormone that causes the ovary to release its egg. During ovulation

In this phase, the mature egg travels from the ovary, down the fallopian tube, and into the uterus. At any time during the egg’s journey, sperm can fertilize it, and it takes 14-28 days of the menstrual cycle

Also, in this third phase of the menstrual cycle, the egg can take like 24hrs before it fertilized.

4. The luteal phase

This is the last phase of the menstrual cycle, this is the stage where a woman gets pregnant. This happens after the egg is released from the ovary it begins to travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus

However, a woman can only be pregnant in this stage if the egg becomes fertilized by a sperm and attaches itself to the uterine wall, but if pregnancy does not occur, that means the estrogen and progesterone levels drop and the thickened lining of the uterus is shed during the menstrual period, and it last from 15-28 days

During the luteal phase, a person may experience symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). These may include:

headaches
mood changes
bloating
pain, tenderness, or swelling of the breasts
changes in sex drive
weight gain
difficulty sleeping
food cravings