Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Menstrual cycle calendar

If you want to learn more about your own body and be able to predict when you are most fertile, you can use a menstrual cycle calculator to do so. It will help you to either encourage or avoid pregnancy, whatever your aim is. Besides, knowing when your next period is expected can also be very useful for making many decisions – for example, for scheduling a vacation.

First of all, get some graph paper, which will carry your temperature diagram. Make the vertical axis the temperature reading by writing on it the numbers from 97.5 to 99.5, including each 1/10 of a degree. The horizontal axis, at the very bottom of the graph, will represent the days in your cycle, so you need to write the numbers from 1 to 28 or some more if your cycle continues longer than 28 days. The current day will be the top horizontal axis.

Start charting your menstrual cycle from the 1st day of your period. That first day will represent cycle day 1. In order to indicate that you are menstruating, put a letter “M” under the numbers on the horizontal axis. Keep doing this every day you have your period within the current cycle.

Start taking the oral temperature by day 2 of your cycle. This should be the first thing to do in the morning, after at least 6 hours of sleep, at the same time each day (even weekends!), just after you woke up and before you get out of bed – even before going to the bathroom! You will need to use a basal body temperature thermometer for measuring your basal temperature, because a regular thermometer for reading a fever may be not sensitive enough. You can get a special basal body temperature thermometer at almost any drug store or pharmacy.

After measuring your temperature, draw a dot next to the number on the vertical axis corresponding with your temperature result. Make sure this dot is also in line with the current cycle day number and date written on your horizontal axis. Repeat the procedure every day. As the days go by, connect your dots with a straight line to receive a graph.

Somewhere at the middle of the cycle you will determine your ovulation day. When you see a rise of about 0.4F in your body temperature which sustained itself for at least three days, it will mean that you had probably ovulated right before the 1st temperature rise. Now you need to go back in your chart and mark the day before the first temperature rise by brightly colored crosshairs.

After ovulation, you may expect your period to arrive in somewhere between 10 to 16 days. The phase of your cycle lasting from ovulation day to first menstruation day is called “luteal”. It is normally consistent each cycle for the same woman, which means that after you have drawn your basal temperature graph for a few months, it will show you how long your luteal phase will last each month.

The menstrual cycle is always counted from the 1st day of menstruation until the 1st day of the next bleeding period, making it the number of days in between menstrual periods. It lasts in average around 28 days, but only as much as 10 to 15% of women experience this perfect length of menstrual cycle. The length depends on each individual woman and ranges from 25 to 36 days. It can be difficult for many women to calculate their menstrual cycle, but there is a solution to this dilemma.

Most of women can find it hard to keep up with ever changing cycle patterns. However, it may be very useful to keep a calendar, as it may ease concerns of when is your next period is due. Remember that the first day of your menstrual period is the first day you see bleeding. Once it happened, mark that date on your personal calendar and consider it the 1st day of your menstrual cycle. Besides, also mark the last day before the next period starts.

Your menstrual cycle is considered the number of days counted from the 1st day of the menstrual period and the last day before the next one. But while you are calculating those days, don’t forget to include the 1st day of your period and the last day before it arrived again. The received number of days can be expected before your next period.

As it was indicated above, every woman is different, and just as much as 15% of them can boast the normal 28-day length of their menstrual cycle. However, if a woman tracks her menstrual cycle for 3 to 4 consecutive terms, it would undoubtedly help her gain her personal menstrual cycle pattern based on her own body’s rhythm. If a woman achieved consistency in the number of days of her cycle, the period should start when expected.

However, there’re many things able to affect your menstrual cycle. Young women, having their first menstrual period, may experience irregular periods for the first 2 years. This period of time is called “menarche”. Usually women receive their first menstrual period at the age from 9 to 15, and they may face either light or skipped periods during this phase. Besides, for the fist two years the length of their cycle can range from 21 to 45 days.

As for women who face menopause, they can also experience inconsistent patterns within their menstrual cycles. The phase called “menopause” starts later in age, leading to a shift in hormonal balance. Menopause changes the way the woman’s body responds her menstrual cycle, making her suffer from heavy bleeding, mid-cycle spotting, or skipped periods.

If you have personal concerns about your menstrual cycle, it is recommended to schedule an appointment with your personal OB/Gyn.

In recent years, abnormal menstrual cycle is considered to be one of the most common diseases in gynecology. And telling the truth, it’s not just scientists’ conclusions, it’s my own notice on my friends and my own body in particular. So, I decided to make my own research on this theme and post here, in order woman can read and know what happens with their organism while menses.

The cause of menstrual irregularities may serve avitaminosis, hormonal disorders, psychological trauma, communicable diseases, and gynecological intervention. Disorders of the menstrual cycle are also caused by liver disease and obesity. Important role in the development of menstrual disorders has a genetic predisposition.

So, if you notice any symptoms, evidence of violations of the menstrual cycle, you should turn to the gynecologist. Symptoms in this case are scarce or too abundant in front of menstruation, irregular menses after long delays, with severe menstrual pain.
All deviations from the normal menstrual cycle in women are considered in gynecology menstrual irregularities or abnormal menstrual cycle. There are usually two large groups of disorders: hypomenstrual or hypermenstrual syndrome.

Besides, one of the serious forms of the menstrual cycle violations in women is amenorrhea. Amenorrhea – the absence of menstruation is more than six months. There are also other violations of the menstrual cycle in the form of oligomenorrhea (rare or scanty menses, the interval between which is more than 35 days), dysmenorrhea (irregular menses), menorrhagia (irregular menses), menorrhagia (excessively heavy menstrual bleeding), polymenorrhea (frequent menses, with a short interval of less than 25 days).

Algomenorrhea – is one of the types of abnormal menstrual cycle, which manifests itself as cramping, aching pain at least in the lower abdomen, waist during menstruation and the accompanying deterioration of general well-being. This condition refers to the most frequent types of gynecological diseases, which observed in 35-57% of women aged 13-48 years.

Off course, the causes of abnormal menstrual cycle are rather individual, so, in order to avoid some further health problems, in any case, consult the doctor and if necessary, start treatment, as all this may lead to sad consequences, like infertility.

What should do a woman who wants to constantly keep in touch with her body, and spirit? On my own example, I may suggest: keeping clear records of your monthly cycle – it’s the best way to keep abreast of changes occurring within you. In addition, it is also a great way to know in advance the date of your period (even if your monthly cycles are irregular), and be well informed on the most appropriate time for impregnation.

Cervical mucus.

The presence of this mucus is very easy to detect, because it stands out in your daily activity. Cervical mucus occurs in the cervix for several days, when the egg matures and is ready for ovulation. Isolation of cervical mucus – a sure sign of your fertility, but above all, it is not only a kind of “indicator”, but also serves directly for impregnation. Thus, I strongly recommend that you closely monitor your secretions, as well as maintain appropriate records regarding discharge of cervical mucus.

Basal Body Temperature.

If you are not sure that you are ovulating, you can measure your temperature. Under the influence of progesterone produced when ovulation, the normal temperature of a relaxed body is increased by 0,2% Celsius. To test this feature, you must measure your temperature at the same time, early in the morning. (This is not as difficult as it seems. The procedure takes less than 2 minutes, but then again you can go to sleep, if you want). Measure your temperature every day, after waking up to 7:30. Rhythms of the body (circadian rhythms) are observed 24 hours a day. Your temperature is the lowest in the early morning and highest – during the day. After 7:30 rhythms are accelerated. If you go to bed until midnight and wake up before 7:30, you get the most accurate temperature readings. Many women found that digital thermometers require a very short time to measure the temperature, which facilitates the procedure for its measurement before the rise. Measure the temperature with the mouth. Armpit and ear temperature is not sufficiently accurate for purposes such as planning pregnancy.

And finally, if after 18 days from the last slimy discharge your menstrual period has not yet started, it probably means that you are pregnant.