Menstrual Cycle: Understanding Your Monthly Hormonal Rhythm

Your menstrual cycle is far more than just your period – it’s a sophisticated monthly pattern of hormonal rises and falls that affects your energy, mood, appetite, sleep, skin, and more. Understanding this rhythm gives you powerful insight into your body and helps you recognize when something might be off.

Menstrual Cycle breaks down each phase in detail: the follicular phase when estrogen rises and you might feel energized, ovulation when hormones peak, the luteal phase when progesterone dominates and PMS symptoms can emerge, and menstruation itself when both hormones drop. We explain what’s happening in your ovaries, uterus, and brain during each phase, and why you might feel completely different from week to week.

Learn what constitutes a “normal” cycle (hint: it’s more variable than you think), what irregular periods might indicate, how to track your cycle effectively, why symptoms like cramping and mood changes occur, and what factors can disrupt your rhythm – from stress and sleep to underlying conditions like PCOS or thyroid issues.

Your cycle is a monthly report card on your hormonal health. Learn to read it.