A period every girl’s best friend; okay, let’s be serious- menstruation – a monthly annoyance for females of reproductive age. Every month, after a girl reaches puberty, she menstruates. The uterus lining sheds and flows out of the vagina. Understanding menstrual flow and the parameters is beneficial knowledge and can help initiate conversation if any menstrual-related issues arise.
Basic Menstrual Flow
The menstrual cycle prepares the body for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, some hormones signal the uterus to shed its lining. The shedding of the uterus is commonly known as a period. Menstrual blood and tissue flow from your uterus through the small opening in your cervix and pass out of your body through your vagina.
Although the words period and menstrual cycle are often used interchangeably, a menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period. A period will last three to seven days, while the typical menstrual cycle is 28 days long.
Stages of the Menstrual Cycle
Typically a period starts around puberty. Girls start menstruating at the average age of twelve. However, menstruation can begin as early as eight years old or as late as sixteen years old. Every month menstruation will happen until a woman reaches menopause. Menopause is when a woman does not have a period for at least twelve months.
The menstrual cycle transitions through four stages: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
Menstruation
Menstruation is the first stage of the menstrual cycle. During menstruation, the uterus lining sheds and leaves the body through the vagina. The average woman loses about two to three tablespoons of blood during her period.
Follicular Phase
The follicular phase starts on the first day of your period and lasts 13 to 14 days, ending in ovulation. During this phase, your uterus lining thickens in preparation for pregnancy.
Ovulation
The third stage of the menstrual cycle is ovulation. Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from an ovary and moves along a fallopian tube toward your uterus. During ovulation, a female is most fertile; pregnancy has a higher chance of occurrence. However, ovulation has a short time duration of 16 to 32 hours. Therefore, the best time to conceive is during ovulation.
Luteal Phase
The luteal phase is the final stage of the menstrual cycle. If pregnancy does not occur – the female body prepares to repeat the menstrual cycle.
Period Symptoms
Furthermore, not only do girls and women have to deal with a period every month. There are symptoms of menstruating. Specifically, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) – clinically, PMS is a collection of emotional and/or physical symptoms. These symptoms can include:
- Headache
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Mood swings
- Increased appetite
- Fatigue
- Bowel changes
Somewhere between 5 days and 2 weeks before the period starts, one may experience symptoms that let you know it’s coming. Not every woman experiences PMS.
Aunt Flow’s Menstrual Flow
Overall, the female body goes through mind-blowing changes throughout a lifetime; menstruating is one example. All women would probably agree that a period is annoying and they rather not have one, but it’s something to celebrate.
In the words of Beyonce – “Who runs the world, girls.”
