Tracking your cycle is not only for those looking to become pregnant or prevent pregnancy. It is also helpful to understand what your hormones are up to throughout your cycle. To learn about what your hormones should be doing in a healthy cycle, click here. To learn about symptoms of unregulated hormones, click here. If you have any abnormal cycle changes as described below, you are likely to be experiencing other symptoms of hormonal dysregulation that are described in these other articles.
Let’s start with the basics what should be tracked throughout your cycle:
CYCLE LENGTH
The cycle length is the number of days between the first day of your menses (day 1) and the day before your next menses start. The exact number varies from person to person, but the average cycle is 28 days. A cycle should not be shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days to still be classified as a regular and healthy cycle length. If you cycle is irregular, it may indicate a hormonal concern or underlying medical condition that should be evaluated.
MENSES LENGTH
The menses length is the number of days you bleed during your period. The average menses length is 4-8 days, similar to your cycle length, if your menses last less than 4 days or more than 8 days, you are likely to be experiencing additional symptoms of hormonal changes and seeking support can help to identify underlying hormonal dysregulation.
PMS SYMPTOMS
Because PMS symptoms are so common, many women believe that they are normal to experience. Although some discomfort during your cycle is normal, symptoms that impact your life are often a sign of underlying hormonal changes or conditions that are being exacerbated during the pre-menstrual period. Keeping track of these symptom and when they occur can help your naturopath identify if your symptoms are hormonally caused or if they are caused by another source. PMS symptoms that can indicate hormonal health concerns include irritability, anxiety, low mood, cramping, heavy flow, vaginal dryness or irritation, bloating, fluid retention, poor concentration, mental fogginess, headaches, migraines, acne, food cravings, insomnia or sleep pattern changes. Click here to learn more about what symptoms appear when hormones fluctuate outside of their normal range.
OVULATION
Tracking ovulation is especially important for knowing when you are most fertile and have an increased chance of becoming pregnant. Please note that individuals using hormonal contraception do not ovulate, and so will not be experiencing these symptoms of ovulation. Ovulation occurs when hormonal changes trigger the release of a mature egg from the ovaries that travels to the uterus in preparation for fertilization by sperm. This means ovulation is the most fertile time in a woman’s cycle! Here are a few ways for us to track ovulation:
- Ovulation typically occurs around day 14 of your cycle, but it varies from person to person. Tracking your cycle can be helpful!
- Cervical mucus changes are often the most reliable indicator of when ovulation is taking place. Discharge released from the vagina increases in quantity and becomes an raw egg white like consistency. This change in cervical mucus plays a role in fertility, it creates an environment that protects sperm, makes sex more comfortable and promotes fertility overall.
- Basal body temperature tracking is another great way to track ovulation. Your temperature will raise just slightly (0.2-0.5℃) 1-2 days after ovulation has taken place. So although basal body temperature cannot help you identify when you are ovulating in advance, tracking it over several cycles can help you predict when you are most fertile in future cycles. To track your basal body temperature, you must take your temperature everyday as soon as you wake up, before even getting out of bed. Keep your thermometer beside your bed and measure first thing when you wake up.
- LH test strips can be used in your home to identify when you are about to ovulate. As explained in this article, a spike in LH (luteinizing hormone) triggers ovulation. LH test strips identify when the level of LH in urine has research the threshold necessary for ovulation to occur, which peaks 36 hours prior to the egg being ovulated from the ovaries.
- Body Awareness is another tool that can be used to identify ovulation. Some women can feel when an egg is ovulated, this often feels like a dull sensation on one side of your lower abdomen. Although some women can feel this occur, it is not a reliable indicator of ovulation.
APPS FOR TRACKING YOUR CYCLE
Of course you can go straight to pen and paper to begin tracking your cycle. There are many printable cycle tracking methods available online, but my favourite way to track the menstrual cycle is using apps.
My favourite apps for cycle tracking are Flo and Kindara, which allow you to track your menses, cycle length, symptoms that occur throughout your cycle and basal body temperature to help you predict ovulation, understand when you are most fertile in your cycle and understand how your hormones are functioning throughout your cycle. Of course these apps can be used for family planning to avoid pregnancy or to increase chances of becoming pregnant by knowing when you are most fertile. They can also be used to understand the health of your hormone levels during different phases and events of your cycle, which can be used by your naturopathic doctor to guide your treatment and better understand the potential need for hormonal testing. To learn about symptoms of high vs low estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, click here.
