Your cycle is more than just your period

Your menstrual cycle is controlled by many hormones, but the two most well-known are estrogen and progesterone. These are two important sex hormones in women. These hormones, along with others like Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH), are responsible for egg maturation, ovulation, and the development and maturation of the uterine lining, which is responsible for the implantation of a potentially fertilized egg.

Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and usually lasts 3 to 7 days.

The egg cell maturation

During your menstrual cycle, FSH stimulates 20-25 new eggs in both your ovaries to develop and grow. This creates a follicle around each of these eggs. The growing follicles are responsible for producing estrogen, which will continue to increase as ovulation approaches. This period, characterized by the maturing follicles and estrogen production, is called the follicular phase. A few days after your period, one dominant follicle is selected from the maturing follicles, the only one that will continue to grow and develop. About halfway through the cycle, the dominant follicle will have matured into a full-fledged follicle containing the mature egg. Estrogen levels have also peaked thanks to the dominant follicle.

The ovulation

During each cycle, an egg is released from one of the ovaries: this is called ovulation. Ovulation is triggered by LH, which peaks 24-36 hours before ovulation. Before LH peaks, estrogen levels in your body rise.

Estrogen is essential because it helps your body prepare for ovulation. It builds your uterine lining, and the quality and quantity of your cervical mucus also increase. The latter is essential for sperm survival.

An egg lives on average 12-24 hours, but thanks to the survival time of sperm cells in your fertile cervical mucus, you as a woman are fertile for longer.

Sperm cells can survive for three to five days in a fertile environment, meaning that as a woman you are fertile for about six days per cycle.

The more estrogen in your body, the closer you are to ovulation and can experience fertile cervical mucus.

If you are hoping to have children, it is best to have intercourse on days when you have fertile cervical mucus.

If you want to avoid pregnancy, it is best to use contraception or you can learn to reliably identify your fertile and infertile days using a sympto-thermal method.

Find out how to calculate your menstrual cycle here.

New chief in town

From the second half of your cycle (after ovulation), progesterone becomes dominant. Estrogen levels then decrease, and progesterone levels increase. Progesterone is produced by the remaining follicle in your ovary and is the hormone responsible for further maturing your already-built uterine lining, drying up your cervical mucus, and increasing your basal body temperature. The phase in which progesterone is dominant is called the luteal phase, and its purpose is to further prepare your uterus for the implantation of a potentially fertilized egg. If fertilization doesn't occur, progesterone production will drop 12-16 days after ovulation. This causes your basal body temperature to drop, your built-up uterine lining to be shed, and your body can start maturing new eggs. This is the start of your menstruation and, at the same time, the beginning of your next cycle.

Some women experience physical and emotional symptoms before or during menstruation. The severity of these symptoms varies from woman to woman.

Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) have an increased sensitivity to hormonal fluctuations between estrogen and progesterone.

PMS often involves an excess of estrogen and/or a deficiency of progesterone in the body. Typical symptoms include mood swings, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, cramps, acne, irritability, sleep disturbances, breast or nipple pain, bloating, and/or food cravings.

These symptoms are often labelled as part of 'being a woman', but this doesn't have to be the case.

The two female leads

Estrogen

Estrogen, also known as the "feel-good" hormone, is produced in your ovaries, but your fat cells also produce it. This hormone production only really kicks in during puberty.

Estrogen plays an important role in regulating the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and other bodily processes such as:

• Strong bones
• A radiant and healthy skin
• Emotional stability
• Good brain functions
• The production of serotonin in the brain increases: this influences your mood, sleep, libido and eating behavior.
• The production of endorphins: these primarily have a pain-relieving effect, but also provide a feeling of happiness or euphoria

A good balance in the production and breakdown of estrogen helps you feel good about yourself.

Progesterone

Progesterone is produced in your ovaries and adrenal glands. In the adrenal glands, it plays a role in the production of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Progesterone prepares your body for a possible pregnancy and ensures good blood flow to the uterus so that the egg can nest.

During pregnancy it ensures that your child can grow optimally and safely.

If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels decrease again so that eventually, at the end of the luteal phase, menstruation begins.

A good progesterone balance contributes to stable blood sugar levels and has a calming and stabilizing effect on your brain.

At the end of the luteal phase (read more about the different phases here), progesterone will suddenly drop, which may cause you to experience certain symptoms.

As pregnancy progresses, progesterone levels will continue to rise and this could be why you feel tired in early pregnancy.

Balance

An imbalance between estrogen and progesterone can disrupt your menstrual cycle. This can lead to irregular cycles or even a period that doesn't come at all.

Progesterone and estrogen balance is crucial for feeling good, having a regular cycle, and preparing for a healthy pregnancy.

This article was written by Rebecca from Women & Fertility

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