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The menstrual cycle is normal. Menstruation cycle. Phases of the menstrual cycle

Normal menstruation is a topic relevant to every woman reproductive age. The frequency of menstruation, duration, color of discharge are associated with the state of the female body and indicate the absence or presence of pathologies. How many days do menstruation last and how to count the cycle correctly? What are cycle disorders associated with, and what symptoms indicate malfunctions in the body? Knowing the answers to these questions, it is easier to understand if there are problems with women's health.

Knowing about the normal course monthly cycle, it is easier to notice problems with it

Menstruation cycle

The menstrual cycle is a monthly change in the female body, repeated at regular intervals and manifested by spotting.

Monthly discharge starts at adolescence, at the stage of puberty of girls, and end with menopause. The norm in gynecology is the onset of menopause at 45-55 years.

Duration

The duration of the cycle is taken into account from the first day of menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation. The result of calculations for each woman is individual, depends on physiological features her body.

How long is the ideal monthly cycle? 28 days. But there are women in whom its duration varies between 21-35 days.

How long should a period go? Normally - from 3 to 7 days. The process is accompanied by weakness, heaviness in the mammary glands, pain in the lower abdomen. For longer or shorter duration critical days it is recommended to consult a gynecologist. Abnormalities can be a symptom of inflammation or a hormonal imbalance in the body.

The average menstrual cycle is 28 days

First menstrual cycle

In the language of medicine, it is called "menarche." Usually menstruation in girls begins by the age of 12, but may appear at a different age - a period of 10-15 years will be the norm.

The cycle does not stabilize immediately: someone needs 2-4 months for this, for some girls it takes a year until it gets better. Before the stabilization of the cycle, it is difficult to talk about the frequency of menstruation, because some girls may not have them at all.

How long the first menstruation lasts, not all teenagers know. It usually lasts 3-5 days, it is characterized by meager brown discharge or a few blood drops. This is explained hormonal changes V teenage body and should not bother girls and parents.

The menstrual cycle stabilizes by the age of 14 - from that moment on, girls are recommended to control its frequency. If your period lasts 1-2 days or more than a week, see your doctor.

Menstruation in the postpartum period

How long should it take after childbirth or " caesarean section so that women can get their periods back? The average period is 6 months, subject to breastfeeding. If the child is artificial, then the body recovers faster - the first menstruation can begin in 2-3 months.

The first menstruation after childbirth is often accompanied by profuse spotting - many women are worried about this condition, because the symptoms are similar to bleeding. Abundant discharge in this situation is normal, but if they have an unnatural smell and color, it is better to consult a doctor.

The recovery period of the cycle after "caesarean section" is the same as after natural childbirth- closer to half a year. Sometimes the operation is complicated - then menstruation may begin later, because the uterus and ovaries take longer to recover, especially when suturing.

Menstruation after childbirth begins at about the 6th month

How to calculate cycle time?

You already know that a normal menstrual cycle is 28 days with allowable fluctuations up or down. It is determined from the first day of menstruation to the next first day. The calculation formula for women looks like this: the date of the start of menstruation in the current month - the date of the start of menstruation in the last month + 1 day = cycle duration.

What causes cycle fluctuations?

The menstrual period in women is interconnected with any changes that occur in the body. The duration of the cycle may decrease or increase against the background of:

  1. Stress.
  2. Increased workload.
  3. Viral and colds.
  4. Changes in region, country of residence and climate.
  5. Unfavorable environmental conditions.

The autumn-spring off-season, when chronic diseases are exacerbated, can also cause cycle fluctuations. 6-7-day deviations from the norm in the cases listed above are considered acceptable.

Bad ecology can disrupt the monthly cycle

What factors influence the number of critical days?

Menstrual flow can be twice a month or every two months, lasts longer than a week, due to:

  1. Genetics. If one of the women in your family had periods for 8 days, there is a high probability of a repetition of the situation with you. Genetic predisposition is not treated with medication, therefore health care not required.
  2. Individual characteristics. Critical days can be protracted with poor blood clotting. Features of the structure of the uterus also affect the duration of menstruation.
  3. Diets and other eating disorders, sudden weight loss are accompanied by hormonal changes. As a result, the menstrual cycle is disturbed - meager or copious discharge disturb women for more than a week, and sometimes stop altogether.
  4. Exhausting loads in the gym affect the duration of menstruation.
  5. Oral contraception shortens the duration of menstruation, leads to its complete cessation.
  6. Work failures endocrine systemcommon cause violations.

The cause of deviations from the norm must be established by doctors - treatment is prescribed only after an examination and an accurate diagnosis.

Sudden weight loss disrupts hormonal balance

Normal menstrual flow

Homogeneous bloody issues during menstruation are the norm, they may have small blood clots, which is also normal. After all, during critical days, along with the secret of the vagina, the torn off layer of the epidermis comes out.

At the beginning and towards the end of menstruation, the discharge may be brown - there is nothing wrong with a change in color. There is little blood at these stages, it has time to clot under the influence of oxygen and the microflora of the vagina.

During the same period, the discharge can be Pink colour. This is due to the fact that the process of cleansing the uterus from mucus and rejection of unnecessary epidermis has not yet begun or has already ended. Blood is released in a small amount - a few drops, so pink.

When should pink be alert?

Menstruation lasts for several days, but instead of the characteristic spotting on the pad pink slime bad smell and inhomogeneous consistency. What is the reason for this and how long can it last:

  1. Pink discharge may be the result hormonal disruptions, progesterone deficiency. This condition is treated with hormone therapy.
  2. IN postoperative period in women, pale pink mucus may appear instead of blood. As the body recovers, the cycle normalizes.
  3. This color of menstruation occurs with erosion of the cervix, cyst, lipoma, miscarriage. In such cases, you should immediately be examined by a gynecologist. The period of treatment and recovery of normal menstrual cycle individual.
  4. Pink discharge in women lasting more than 10 days is a symptom infectious diseases, violations in work thyroid gland, other pathologies.

Light discharge in the postoperative period is considered the norm

What colors should alert?

How many symptoms sexually transmitted diseases You know? One of them is purulent or orange discharge during menstruation, often in gonorrhea. Often they are accompanied by itching, sharp pain during urination, and have a specific fishy smell. Such menstrual flow is profuse, of a thick consistency. Vaginosis also causes orange discharge.

Black menstruation in women occurs with inflammation of the appendages or cervix, it is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, fever. No matter how much you delay visiting a gynecologist, but this will have to be done - it will not resolve itself.

Black color of blood sometimes occurs after an abortion, difficult childbirth, operations during the recovery period. The body recovers - the color of menstruation normalizes.

The green color of menstruation is an anomaly caused by an excess of white blood cells in the female body or a serious inflammation of the genital organs.

You can solve the problem yourself if its cause is climate change, nervous tension or changes in diet. In other cases, without qualified assistance a doctor is indispensable.

Menstruation accompanies a woman most her life. Regular monthly cycle is a guarantee women's health. For girls who have recently encountered this process, there is a lot of secret, hidden, unknown. What is a monthly cycle - how to calculate its duration, from which day to start, how long does each phase last?

Menstruation in girls begins on average between 14 and 16 years of age. Due to individual characteristics and in the presence of pathologies, menstruation appears in more early age- from the age of 9, and later - 17-18 years. Doctors call a woman's normal cycle a duration of 28 days. But under constant pressure adverse factors deviation up to 4 days is allowed. Therefore, a cycle of 32 days is also normal.

What does a woman's menstrual cycle mean? A sequence of events that constantly repeats itself. The hormonal background controls the process in the female body. The whole cycle is divided into 4 parts, but conventionally it is usually divided into 2.

Follicular phase

Under the direction of the brain - the pituitary gland and with the help of the central nervous system the ovaries produce sex hormones. In the first phase, estrogen predominates. He is responsible for the formation of follicles, the development of an egg in them. Initially, a large number of follicles appear in the ovaries. In a week, a dominant appears, an egg develops in it. In parallel with this process, the structure of the inner layer of the uterus - the endometrium - changes. How to count the follicular phase at home? To do this, there is a calendar method. The calculation is very simple. Add the number of days or look at the calendar. The calendar method is taken as the basis of the online calculator. You don’t even have to bother counting, just enter the start and end dates of the cycle. In 12-14 days, the development and preparation process is completed. The next phase begins in the body.

Ovulation

It is generally accepted that ovulation healthy body women occurs from the 12th to the 16th day of the cycle. The ideal option for a menstrual cycle of 28 days is 14 days. With a duration of 32 days - 16 days. At this point, hormonal changes occur in the woman's body. The level of estrogen decreases, the level of progesterone increases. Sudden jump leads to rupture of the follicle. The egg is released in search of the sperm. This phase in a woman lasts no more than 2 days.

luteal phase

Immediately after ovulation, progesterone remains in the vast majority. Under its influence, the egg continues to develop. The structure of the endometrial layer is changing. It becomes loose so that the fertilized egg can quickly gain a foothold in the uterine cavity. After fertilization, the egg develops autonomously. After 7-10 days, it begins to move through the tubes into the uterine cavity. Implantation takes place. From this moment, the pregnancy is considered to have taken place. If fertilization has not occurred, 10 days after ovulation, the body begins to prepare for menstruation. The uterus uses sedentary muscles. Makes a strenuous contraction, tries to reject the endometrium. A few more days later, the final phase of this cycle begins, and it is also the beginning of the next one.

Desquamation phase

Nothing but menstruation. Under the influence of hormones, blood circulation in the pelvic organs increases, blood vessels expand, and stagnant blood comes out through the uterus. At this time, the layer of the endometrium is rejected, in menstrual flow it looks like clots. Menstruation in women lasts from 3 to 5 days. All deviations up and down are deviations. The beginning of menstruation is the renewal phase. Restoration, transformation. The uterus is cleared of the previous layer of the endometrium, regurgitates an unfertilized egg and is already preparing for the second process again. This ends the current menstrual cycle, the next one begins.

The usual calculation of the cycle of the house

How to calculate the duration of your menstrual cycle The method is usually used by women who use natural method preventing unwanted pregnancy. How can a woman conduct a regular calculation at home using the calendar method?

From the beginning of menstruation, mother, sister, girlfriend, doctors recommend starting a regular calendar, marking the start and end date of menstruation there. They should be guided by the usual calculation of duration. The date of the beginning of the previous menstruation is considered the first day of the cycle. The date of the next menstruation is its end. For example, menstruation began on September 22, the next one began on October 24. Then the duration of the menstrual cycle is 32 days.

The usual calculation of a woman's menstrual cycle is complicated by an irregular cycle. Indeed, for many women, menstruation does not come on time. Then the gynecological count is averaged. Data will be required for at least 6 months, and better year. Then add up the duration of all cycles, divide by the number of months. For example, 28+32+27+33+28+40 = 188 days. The number is divided by 6 months, it turns out the duration of the menstrual cycle on average 31 days.

The calendar method allows you to get total duration the entire cycle of a woman. To find out how long each phase lasts, you should use another calculation method - measuring basal temperature. It is often used in gynecological practice.

Calculation of each phase of the cycle at home

By indicators of basal temperature, you can determine the phase of the cycle. For the most part, women are interested in the moment of ovulation. After all, only a week before it starts and 2 days after ovulation, the period is considered favorable for conception. The basal temperature is used for pregnancy to occur and to prevent it. You can determine when your period starts.


After ovulation, no more than 6 days pass before the start of the next menstruation. A change to this rule is considered a deviation.

Measurement of basal temperature is carried out by a woman in the morning, without getting out of bed. Used to measure mercury thermometer. Record the date of the onset of menstruation, mark the temperature on the graph every day, connect with a line. To get the most complete picture of the duration of each phase, the measurement should be carried out for at least 3 months, preferably half a year. It should be remembered that healthy woman 2 cycles a year without ovulation. This is how the body rests. After 35 years, there are about 6 such cycles.

  1. If the basal temperature chart is without much delay and temperature rise, then there was no ovulation in the cycle.
  2. If the changes are minor, ovulation is weak.
  3. If in the second phase there is again a decrease in temperature and again an increase. The basal temperature indicator is kept at 37 degrees - an egg implantation has occurred, a pregnancy test should be performed.

Measurement of basal temperature will allow you to determine the presence of pregnancy even before the test shows it. In addition, while the gynecological calculation gives only an average value. The basis is ovulation in the middle of the cycle. Although in fact it can occur on any day of the cycle, even when menstruation is on. Hence the deviation of the gynecological gestational age from the present by 1-2 weeks in one direction or the other. Exact date ovulation allows you to determine the actual date of birth.

Discharge in each phase of the menstrual cycle

It is possible to determine which phase lasts by the discharge from the vagina. We'll have to watch them for a few months. Then the woman will know for sure when what is happening in her body:

  1. In the first phase, the discharge is scarce, practically absent. Odorless, transparent or .
  2. During ovulation, there is a change in consistency and quantity. The secretions become more abundant. Transparent, viscous. Remind egg white. Sometimes blood particles are present. Allocations acquire a pink tint or smear with brown.
  3. In the second phase, they remain plentiful. Again there is a change. The color is white, the consistency is thick.
  4. Before menstruation, the discharge becomes a little less. A brown tint appears. When calculating the duration of the menstrual cycle, days with brown daub are not taken into account. If they are followed by full periods.
  5. During pregnancy, the discharge remains thick, the amount increases.

The normal monthly cycle proceeds every month in the same way. However, due to the fact that a woman’s body is affected by many internal and external factors, timelines change. For example, ovulation does not occur in the middle of the cycle, menstruation is late or starts earlier.

Factors affecting the length of the menstrual cycle

Gynecological diseases are not always to blame for the violation of the cycle. Failure occurs due to hormonal imbalance. Various factors can affect the level of hormones, including gynecological diseases. For example:

  • climate change;
  • physical exercise;
  • disorder of the nervous system;
  • diseases with fever;
  • viral disease;
  • thrush;
  • medicines;
  • uterine fibroids;
  • cervical erosion;
  • endometriosis;
  • endometritis;
  • change in woman's weight;
  • bad habits;
  • nutrition.

If the cycle is irregular, in order to calculate its average duration, all these factors should be taken into account. If a woman was undergoing treatment, there were serious psychological stresses, such a cycle should not be taken into account.

All methods for calculating the monthly cycle can be carried out at home. If desired, an online calculator on the Internet is used. Every woman should know the duration of the cycle. Well-being depends on its regularity future pregnancy. After all, sooner or later, every woman will think about the child. Constant Delay the menstrual cycle indicates the presence of problems in women's health. You should seek help from specialists. In some cases, you have to hormone therapy. An irregular menstrual cycle is allowed only at the beginning of its formation, 2 years after the start of the first menstruation.

Instruction

If you want to define estimated time, first determine length menstrual cycle. To do this, count seven to fourteen days from the beginning of the last critical days (), this will be the approximate period with the onset date.

Sources:

Duration- the length of a note, interval or chord in time. The combination of different durations creates the rhythm of the melody. The shape of the note mark allows you to determine the duration.

Instruction

The quarter note has a stem and is shaded. It counts as 1.

Twice shorter than the sixteenth thirty-second, even less than the sixty-fourth. Eight and sixteen pieces per account are counted, respectively.

Related videos

A woman needs to be aware of the changes taking place inside her body, so it is important to be able to calculate your menstrual cycle. In youth, this will help prevent unwanted pregnancy, and subsequently will make it possible to plan the desired conception.

Instruction

Get a notebook, a regular pocket calendar, and train yourself to carefully mark the days when your period starts and ends. Anyone can use a notebook for this purpose, because there is no need to carry it with you - it can be at home. Speaking of calendars. You should not throw them away after a year, since these data will be useful to you throughout the entire reproductive period, and even in the postmenstrual period, during menopause. The fact is that all changes in the female body obey a certain rhythm, purely individual, and calendars for several years can always show what changes and in what period occurred.

So, the first menstrual day has come - this is the beginning, mark it on the calendar. The duration of bleeding usually ranges from 3 days to a week. At this time, part of the functional layer (the mucous layer lining inner shell uterus) is brought out with blood and mucus. So the body prepares for the maturation of a new one.

Menstruation has stopped, mark the end of it on the calendar. Now the body, under the influence of pituitary hormones, will begin to grow follicles, so that later an egg can mature in one of them. At this time, it thickens and prepares for.

It is this ovulation period, in which only conception is possible, that you have to calculate based on the data of your individual rhythm calendar. What happens during ovulation? A mature egg is released from and travels to the uterus through fallopian tube. She is completely ready for fertilization.

This is where a notepad comes in handy. Write down in it the features of your condition during the ovulation period (discharge of whitish mucus from the vagina, increased rectal temperature etc.), in order to later know what the demonstration by the body of the fact that it is ready for conception is expressed in. On the eve of ovulation, the temperature drops, and the next day it rises by half a degree and lasts until the very menstruation. This is the second phase cycle which normally lasts two weeks.

The ovulation period gives rise to the formation phase of the corpus luteum, which, if the egg is fertilized, will become the corpus luteum, and if it does not occur, it will be removed from the body as unnecessary during menstruation. Under the influence (of the corpus luteum hormone), the endometrium is filled with secretions and thickens even more. At the same time, the mammary glands increase, become dense and painful, and this is normal phenomenon so don't let it scare you.

2-3 days before menstruation, so-called premenstrual periods may appear. They may or may not be - all these manifestations are very individual. Irritability, tearfulness, absent-mindedness and headaches, insomnia, heaviness and swelling - be sure to mark them. So you will know the reason feeling unwell or unmotivated behavior and you can be patient for a couple of days, realizing that soon everything will pass by itself.

Helpful advice

Manage your calendar carefully. Thanks to this, you, firstly, will not be taken by surprise by menstruation; secondly, you will immediately notice the deviations (significant increase or decrease) of the cycle. This will help the doctor in determining the cause and treatment. Thirdly, knowing in advance when a new cycle is expected, do not miss the delay and do not delay the pregnancy, especially if it is undesirable for you. Fourth, keeping a calendar will help determine fertile days when you decide to have a baby. Fifth, a stack of calendars and a notebook with notes will good service you and your doctor during menopause, although you hardly think about it now.

Sources:

  • how to calculate cycle time

There are several ways to determine the time most favorable for conception. Since ovulation occurs approximately in the middle of the cycle, this will help calculate its duration - the period from the beginning of one period to the beginning of the next.

Instruction

Take advantage calendar method. To calculate and find out on which days you are more likely to get pregnant, take data on the last three, and preferably six, for greater reliability. Determine the first favorable day by subtracting 18 from the number of days of the shortest cycle, and the last from the number of days of the longest 11. For example, if within six months the shortest cycle was 27 days, and the longest - 30 days, then the most best time for the possible there will be a period from the 9th to the 19th day of the menstrual cycle (27-18=9; 30-11=19).

Measure your basal temperature with conventional thermometer placed in oral cavity, vagina or rectum. Keep a small diary in which you write down the indicators for a month. On the day you will surely notice sharp rise basal temperature (usually at least 0.6 ° C). So, if you measured the temperature from the 1st to the 13th day of the cycle, and it ranged from 36 ° C to 36.6 ° C, and on the 14th - up to 37.2 ° C, then this day will be day of ovulation. Until the end of the cycle, these indicators will remain unchanged, then they will again decrease to 36-36.6 ° C. The reliability of the indicators will directly depend on whether the measurements were preceded by night sleep or not.

The duration of the menstrual cycle is considered from the first day of critical days to the first day of the next minus 1. For example, it began on January 1, the next on January 28. Thus, the length of the menstrual cycle is 27 days. Keeping such notes for several months, you can calculate the average duration of both the cycle and critical days.

The length of a healthy menstrual cycle ranges from 25-30 days, but this number can vary, for example, there are women whose cycle is thirty-two days. If the fluctuations are not more than five to six days, it is considered that the regular menstrual cycle. If it is more than eight days, the violation is a sign of a disease.

The duration of critical days varies between two and six days. If this period is much shorter or longer, you should consult a doctor. Perhaps this is a symptom of some disorder in the body, such as hormonal failure. However, this may be your individual feature.

Sources:

  • how to calculate your menstrual cycle

Menstruation is an important physiological process present in a woman's body. Monthly spotting is part of the menstrual cycle. The onset of the next menstruation signals that the fertilization of the egg has not occurred.

When does menses start?

Not always too short or too long a cycle indicates the presence of problems, this may be an individual feature of the woman, but it is recommended to do an examination.

The length of the menstrual cycle can change throughout a woman's life. With age, with a change in environment and lifestyle, due to diseases and other factors, the cycle can become shorter or longer, if it remains regular, this is not a cause for concern.

Deviations from the norm

During the first year or two after the onset of the first menstrual cycle is irregular, several months can pass between periods, this is normal. In some cases, the cycle, on the contrary, is too short. Over time, the cycle stabilizes, but if after a few years this has not happened, you need to consult a gynecologist.

The duration of the cycle may change and go beyond the norm or feeding. In breastfeeding women, menstruation occurs at the end of lactation, and the cycle is restored in a few months. When mixed 3-4 months after birth, but the cycle also does not immediately become regular.

The duration of the cycle also changes before menopause, first for several days, then for months. When menstruation is absent for more than a year, menopause occurs.

Deviations in the duration of menstruation from the norm can be associated with inflammation of the genital organs, tumors - fibroids, ovaries, endometritis. In some cases, congenital disorders in the reproductive system lead to too short or long menstrual periods. chronic diseases, not directly related to the genitals, can also affect menstruation: diabetes, disorders of the thyroid gland.

The menstrual cycle is a physiological process that repeats on average every 28 days. The first day of the cycle is spotting from the vagina.

The first step in the menstrual cycle is to grow the egg and soften the layers in the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized egg. When pregnancy occurs, the menstrual cycle stops for a while. But, if the egg was not fertilized, reverse changes occur in the woman's body, until the onset of the next cycle. The beginning of the cycle is bloody discharge from the uterus, which is formed from the separated layer of the uterine cavity prepared for the fertilized egg.

The menstrual cycle has three phases: follicular, ovular and luteal. Follicular phase starts at the moment when . In this phase, the uterus is cleansed of the previous menstrual cycle and the follicle develops in the ovary. The mucous membrane of the uterus, if pregnancy has not occurred, is rejected due to a drop in progesterone and estrogen. But, the hormone rises, which helps to stimulate the growth of the follicle. This hormone reaches its maximum on the 13th day after the onset of menstruation.

It is necessary to know the duration of menstruation in order to determine possible violations cycle, indicating diseases of the reproductive system, inflammatory processes female genital organs, hormonal disruptions and others serious problems requiring medical intervention. In addition, the duration of menstruation should be recorded to determine possible gynecological diseases that often prevent women from getting pregnant.

Menstruation is considered heavy if more than 80 ml of blood is lost per day and a large number of pads are used per day. In such cases, they are usually accompanied by the passage of clots - while it is recommended to monitor the level of hemoglobin and drink appropriate iron supplements to avoid the development of anemia. In the presence of intrauterine device menstruation departs more abundantly, but its duration should not exceed seven days.

The regularity of the normal menstrual cycle is stable. However, minor fluctuations from two to three days in one direction or another are allowed. Irregular periods usually indicate failures hormonal background or lack of ovulation. Also, the menstrual cycle can go astray due to stress, overwork, illness, weight loss or gain, as well as changes in weather and sexual life. Such failures are permissible once or twice a year with a deviation of ten days, but no more - and then, provided that they start on time and the cycle returns to normal. With an increase in the duration of menstruation, physical activity should be limited, move less and drink the drug prescribed by the doctor. the duration of menstruation is possible only a year after the arrival of the first menstruation.

The length of a woman's period depends on many factors. The most common are heredity, structural features of the uterus, the state of the central nervous system and blood clotting.

Moderate bleeding is considered normal, the duration of which is from 3 to 7 days. It is worth noting that normally, menstruation should not cause discomfort and discomfort to a woman. pain, prevent her from leading habitual image life and go about daily activities. If the duration of menstruation exceeds seven days or is less than two days, and bleeding from the vagina is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, severe pain in the lower abdomen and other unpleasant symptoms, a woman should sound the alarm and urgently go to the gynecologist. Such phenomena, unusual for the normal course of menstruation, may indicate a violation of the menstrual cycle, hormonal disruptions, or even serious illness reproductive organ systems.

A reduction or, conversely, an increase in the duration of menstruation may also be the result of a strict diet, taking certain oral contraceptives or the result of insomnia, stress, prolonged depression. In these cases, in addition to contacting a doctor, a woman should exclude from her life all factors that negatively affect menstruation - start eating well, consult a gynecologist about changing contraceptives, try to distract from problems and think about the state of your health.

Some women worry about prolonged periods that begin immediately after childbirth. In fact, this is not at all, and lochia is postpartum spotting that has nothing to do with menstruation. The fact is that after the birth of a child, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe uterus to which the placenta was attached bleeds. The discharge, taken by women for menstruation, does not stop until the wound is completely healed, and this process can last from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the woman in labor.

Has nothing to do with menstruation and bleeding that opens after an abortion, because it is also caused by damage inner surface uterus.

If you notice a significant reduction or increase in the duration of menstruation, be sure to contact a specialist to identify the causes of the changes. An untimely visit to a doctor can cause the development of irreversible consequences in the body and even the inability to conceive and bear a child normally.

The regular onset of critical days is one of the important indicators of the work of the reproductive, endocrine system. Every girl needs to know which cycle of menstruation is considered normal, why its duration may change.

Keep track of your menstrual cycle calendar

Phases of the menstrual cycle

All processes in a woman's body occur cyclically, monthly changes occur in reproductive system, this is called the menstrual cycle, it consists of several phases.

menstrual phase

The duration of the phase is 3–7 days, accompanied by bloody vaginal discharge, irritability, mood swings. There is pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, migraine, sometimes vomiting, diarrhea.

During this period, follicles in the ovaries mature, under the influence of follicle-stimulating hormone, their growth begins, each follicle contains 1 egg.

During the menstrual phase, the girl's mood worsens

Proliferative (follicular)

In the second phase, the woman's body begins to prepare for conception, the pituitary gland produces in large numbers follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), increases the level of estrogen, the endometrium is saturated with nutrients. On the background hormonal adjustment begins to stand out sparse sticky cervical mucus, at the woman working capacity, a sexual inclination increases.

During the proliferative phase, cervical mucus is secreted

One follicle becomes dominant, the remaining vesicles stop growing and return to a dormant state. The average duration of the second period is 14 days, by which time the size of the egg reaches 200-250 mm.

ovulatory

The shortest phase of the monthly cycle lasts 12-48 hours, it is during this period that conception occurs if the egg meets the sperm. The amount of estrogen, luteinizing hormone increases, the level of FSH decreases. The egg breaks the walls of the follicle, the villi of the epithelium help it move into the fallopian tube, if fertilization does not occur, it will die within 24 hours.

The ovulatory phase is characterized by the movement of the egg into the fallopian tube

Signs are abundant liquid discharge white, pink or yellow color, increases and hurts the chest, increases basal body temperature, the cervix rises high, becomes soft. During this period, there is an increase in appetite and sexual desire, the lower abdomen, lower back, and head may hurt.

Luteal (corpus luteum phase)

Lasts 14 days. When the egg leaves the follicle, a small yellow vesicle begins to grow at the rupture site, it produces estrogen, androgens, progesterone. This phase is accompanied by signs of PMS - migraine, pain in the abdomen, back, mammary glands, irritability and aggression. At the end of this period, you can find out whether conception has occurred or not. During pregnancy, they will be within 37.3 degrees, in addition, you can do a test, take hCG.

During the luteal phase, a yellow vesicle begins to grow at the site of the release of the egg from the follicle.

Despite the fact that the ovulatory phase lasts no more than 48 hours, the interval of 5 days before and after the release of the egg from the ovary is considered fertile. This is due to the fact that sperm in a favorable vaginal environment can remain viable for up to 7 days.

Adolescent breastfeeding women often have anovulatory cycles before menopause, but a healthy woman aged 30–35 years should have no more than 1–2 such cycles per year.

How to calculate the cycle of menstruation?

The countdown of the beginning of a new menstrual cycle begins from the first day of the appearance of spotting, ends before the appearance of the next spotting -.

To know for sure auspicious days for conception, it is better to mark the start and end dates of the cycle. To determine fertile days when there is a high probability of becoming pregnant, it is necessary to subtract 14 from the number of days of the cycle, the result obtained shows the beginning of the ovulatory period.

Calculator for calculating the cycle and day of conception

Length of the menstrual cycle: days

Set the start date and end date on the calendar last menstrual period: Menstruation Safe day
Possible ovulation Estimated day of ovulation

Normally, the maximum total menstrual blood, which is released in the first phase - about 80 ml. Painful and profuse periods with nausea, chills, severe headache - a sign high level prostaglandins in the first phase, the hormone provokes intense contraction of the uterus, which can prevent conception.

Normal menstruation cycle - how many days is it?

Ideal duration female cycle for girls under 30 years old - 28 days, but these values ​​\u200b\u200bare quite individual, therefore, normally, menstruation can occur in 23-36 days.

Age affects the duration of the cycle; in adolescents, during the first two years after the onset of menstruation, the cycle is irregular, it can be short, within 21-25 days, or very long - more than 45 days.

Up to 35 years, the cycle is regular, you can correctly determine the date of ovulation, but gradually the intervals between menstruation are lengthened, after 40 years there are changes in the amount of discharge, as menopause approaches physiological processes in the reproductive system become less and less regular.

The corpus luteum phase in women with any cycle length is 14 days.

Causes of deviations from the norm

Unnecessarily long or short cycle, early and late ovulation, scanty or profuse discharge, pronounced manifestation PMS - all these factors may indicate malfunctions in the body, which is reflected in the length of the cycle.

Why does the cycle fail:

  • natural aging of the body - the closer the menopause, the less regular the cycle becomes;
  • stress, nervous and physical overwork;
  • a sharp increase or decrease in weight by more than 10%;
  • reception oral agents contraception;
  • puberty;
  • climate change;
  • postpartum period, lactation;
  • recent abortion;
  • gynecological diseases of an inflammatory nature;
  • venereal diseases;
  • disturbances in the work of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands.

You should immediately consult a doctor in the absence of menstruation for more than 2 months, if this is not related to pregnancy, with a cycle duration of less than 21 days, if spotting continues for less than 3 or more than 7 days, appears in the middle of the cycle, or one year after the onset of menopause.

In diseases of the adrenal glands, the cycle fails

Normalization of the menstrual cycle

With a single failure of the cycle, there is no reason to panic, but if the situation is repeated regularly, there is no ovulation, it is necessary to undergo an examination to identify the cause of the deviations.

Diagnosis includes general, biochemical, hormonal analysis blood, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, smear, hysteroscopy. Treatment is carried out by conservative and surgical methods.

Oral contraceptives will help eliminate minor deviations in hormonal balance, reduce the intensity of manifestations of PMS. The most popular are Janine, Yarina.

After 45 years, women begin to show signs of menopause, the cycle becomes irregular. To improve well-being, hormonal drugs are prescribed - Gestrinon, Danazol, drugs contribute to the gradual death of the endometrium, suppress the hormone that is responsible for the maturation of the egg.

One of the popular and effective drugs to restore the cycle - Duphaston. The medicine is prescribed for irregular cycle, painful periods, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, endometriosis, low progesterone. The agent is included in the therapy in the treatment of infertility, which occurred against the background of failures in the luteal phase.

Duphaston helps to restore the menstrual cycle

Urozhestan - hormonal drug, helps with dysmenorrhea, the medicine is prescribed if there is benign neoplasms in the uterus, infertility, endometriosis, as a prophylactic against the threat of miscarriage and premature birth.

Non-hormonal drugs to normalize the cycle:

  1. Cyclodinone - vegetable non-hormonal agent, but normalizes the balance of female sex hormones, reduces the level of prolactin, helps eliminate pain in the mammary glands. The duration of the course is 3 months.
  2. Dysmenorm - homeopathic remedy, used in complex therapy with violations of the monthly cycle, the medicine eliminates well manifestations of PMS. The minimum course duration is 3 months.
  3. Cyclovita - a vitamin-mineral complex, helps to reduce the manifestations of PMS, normalize the cycle, eliminate the manifestations of stress, improve the condition skin. The course is designed for 3 months.
For serious pathologies, curettage of the uterine cavity, endometrial ablation, or complete removal uterus.

Alternative medicine recipes to normalize the cycle

Alternative methods will help to make the cycle regular, discharge less painful and get rid of PMS. But with serious hormonal disorders, severe inflammatory processes, they should be used as additional funds therapy.

Simple Recipes:

  1. If menstruation is irregular - 1 tsp. dried cornflower inflorescences brew 250 ml of boiling water, strain after an hour. Drink 70 ml three times a day for 21 days.
  2. If the discharge is plentiful, you need to pour the zest from 7 oranges with 1.5 liters of water, boil over low heat until the amount of liquid decreases by 3 times. Strain, cool, add 15 ml of honey. Drink 200 ml three times a day half an hour before meals.
  3. Parsley infusion will help eliminate amenorrhea - place 30 g of leaves in a thermos, pour 600 ml of boiling water, leave overnight. Drink in strained form, 100 ml 30 minutes before meals 3-4 times a day. You need to continue treatment for 3 weeks, repeated course you can start after a seven-day break.
  4. With a short interval between periods - 10 g shepherd's bag brew 300 ml of boiling water, strain after an hour. Infusion to drink during the day in 5 doses. The duration of therapy is 14 days, you can continue the course after 10 days, during menstruation it is contraindicated to take the medicine.

Shepherd's purse decoction helps restore the female cycle

If you need to somewhat speed up the onset of menstruation, you need to drink lemon balm tea several times a day - 1 tsp. herbs in 220 ml of boiling water.

Knowing your menstrual cycle, it is easier for a woman to plan a pregnancy and monitor her health. Normally, the cycle has a length of 28-30 days, the duration of menstruation is 3-5 days, the discharge should be moderate. Even significant deviations from the average parameters can be caused by individual features, stress, fatigue. But if there are others unpleasant symptoms, it is not possible to get pregnant, it is necessary to undergo an examination, start treatment.

  1. For hygienic purposes. So that abundant bleeding does not take you by surprise and put you in an awkward situation.
  2. To get pregnant. If you do the right calculations, you can easily determine the ovulation period. By increasing the intensity of sexual activity a few days before and after it, you will significantly increase the chances of conception.
  3. To NOT get pregnant. On the contrary, we exclude sexual intercourse in dangerous days. Knowing when they come is a good natural contraceptive, absolutely without any chemistry.
  4. By counting the regulation several times, you can track changes in their duration, which will allow notice possible problem and consult a gynecologist.

How to determine the monthly cycle

It's very easy. The beginning of the cycle is the first day of menstruation; the end is the last day before the next regulations.

Menstruation cycle: how many days?

The physiological cycle of a woman is called the menstrual cycle for a reason. Only refers to the lunar month, which is 28 days. By the way, that is why almost all the peoples of the world traditional culture associates the fairer sex with the moon.

But a woman is not a night star, her body is individual and does not always work in strict accordance with astronomical laws. A cycle duration of 21–35 days (28 plus or minus 7) is considered normal.

Cycle disorders

They are typical for girls whose body has not yet reached the final puberty, women after childbirth and in the premenopausal period, that is, in menopause (47–50 years).

Shorten or lengthen the menstrual cycle also stress, increased physical activity, unhealthy food, experiments with diets (abnormally fast weight loss or weight gain), climate change, taking strong medicines, diseases of the organs of the reproductive system.

So, too short or, on the contrary, abnormally long cycle, and even more so the irregularity of the cycle, should be a cause for concern and become a reason to visit the antenatal clinic.

Cycle phases

The monthly cycle is divided into three phases: Start(menstruation itself and a few days after it ends), middle(several days before and after ovulation) and end(short time before the next menstruation).

To understand what happens in each of these periods with female body Let's look at his physiology.

Physiological mechanism of menstruation

The whole cycle is associated with the transformations that occur with the egg. It matures in the ovary into a follicle, and then into a Graaffian vesicle and into corpus luteum- and begins to move to the uterus through the fallopian tubes.

If fertilization does not occur, it is destroyed and the body tries to get rid of it and the mucosa surrounding it. The uterus contracts and pushes out the unwanted egg. Here, in fact, is the whole mechanism.

The first phase - menstruation

It usually lasts three to six days.

It is important to determine from what moment to count the first day of regulation. It is no exception when they begin with slight brownish discharge, which only turns into bloody after a day.

Gynecologists advise starting the countdown of the cycle not from this “daub”, but just from the day when abundant blood appears.

Second phase, follicular

After the end of the discharge, when the remains of the “unused” egg leave the body, a new one begins to mature.

There are no rules here, the duration of the follicular stage, during which (as well as during menstruation) it is very problematic to get pregnant, many factors can affect.

Ovulation

But the “date” of the release of a mature egg into the fallopian tube can be called quite accurately. With a standard 28-day cycle, this is the 14th day. The maximum opportunity to conceive is at this time.

Ovulation lasts an average of two to three days.

Third phase - luteal

The luteal, also secretory, or corpus luteum phase, has a more stable duration - 13-14 days plus or minus two days. The former follicle, now called the corpus luteum (it is really yellow, which gives it a luteal pigment), secretes steroid hormones; The uterus is preparing for the implantation of the egg, which will be fertilized.

If conception does not occur, the corpus luteum stops “gushing” with hormones, shrinks and is expelled from the uterus. When this happens, the first day of a new menstrual cycle begins.

How to accurately calculate your monthly cycle

Let's try to solve a simple problem, how to calculate your menstrual cycle.

You need to track the duration of your physiological cycle at least for six months. Subtract the number 18 from the duration of the shortest one. This will be the day of the onset of the “dangerous” (or favorable, depending on the purpose of the calculations) period.

And from the number of days of the longest menstrual cycle, 11 is subtracted - and the day of the end of such a period is obtained.

The method works only under the condition of a relatively stable, normal cycle monthly. It won't work if it's broken. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor who will refer you for an examination and determine how to restore the cycle.

Signs of ovulation

You can also use this method for calculating the menstrual cycle: determine the middle of the regulation, that is, ovulation, and count in both directions for five days.

At medium duration at 28 days, the most dangerous / favorable days for conception are from the 9th to the 21st.

So, the most important thing is to determine the middle of the regulation, that is, ovulation. Since calendar standards rarely work here, this is difficult.

There are, however, certain sensitive natures who claim to feel how the egg rises into the uterus. But to be honest, this is hard to believe.

There are, however indirect signs, by which you can find out that ovulation has come.

  • The amount and consistency of discharge from the vagina change (they become plentiful, viscous, reminiscent of egg white).
  • Significantly increased sexual desire.
  • The basal body temperature rises - that is, the one that is measured when waking up in the morning, still not getting out of bed.

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome

You can guess that soon - in about a week - the beginning of the next physiological cycle will begin (and, therefore, the period of the possibility of conception has passed), you can use the following symptoms of the so-called premenstrual syndrome caused by changes in the hormonal background of the female body:

  • mammary glands swell and become sensitive up to painful sensations when touched;
  • tearfulness, irritability, sharp drops moods, violent to inadequacy emotional reactions to the most familiar things;
  • migraines, increased fatigue;
  • jumps in blood pressure;
  • the thyroid gland increases;
  • pimples and acne appear;
  • noticeable fluid retention in the body (small swelling, bloating).

Women's calendar online

Gynecologists have always recommended that women of childbearing age keep track of their cycle on a pocket calendar, circling the days of menstruation, emphasizing "safe" days. With the development of information technology, everything has become easier: the Internet is full of programs that allow you to calculate the cycle of menstruation.

The only thing that is required of you is to indicate the date of the last start of the regulation and the usual duration of your cycle. The ovulation calendar itself will calculate the days favorable for conception (or dangerous - as for anyone) and even tell you which of them more the probability of you getting pregnant with a boy, and in which one with a girl. Comfortable!

The computer calendar of the physiological cycle does not know failures and does not suffer from memory lapses. Among other things, calculating the cycle of menstruation, he will sound the alarm if he notices a danger to women's health, prompting: it's time to see a doctor!