From menstruation to ovulation and then back again, every woman of reproductive age spends their entire life within one of the four phases of the menstrual cycle, making it as important to their health as just about anything else.

That’s why I like to think of it as a woman’s “fifth vital sign.”

Tracking one’s cycle is about far more than knowing when to expect your period. Throughout the course of the 28 days, your body is preparing itself for a possible pregnancy with massive hormone fluctuations that can affect all aspects of your wellbeing.

By knowing which phase of the menstrual cycle you are in, it is possible to make diet, exercise, and lifestyle adjustments that can lessen negative symptoms and improve hormonal balance overall.

The Four Phases of Your Cycle

Menstrual Phase (Day 1-7)

The most obvious phase of your cycle, the menstrual phase is often referred to as your “period.” It marks the first day of your cycle and can last between three to seven days, overlapping with the beginning of the follicular phase . Estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest, often resulting in mild symptoms of cramping and fatigue.

Follicular Phase (Days 1-14)

Making up the first half of your cycle, the follicular phase begins with menstruation and continues up through the beginning of ovulation. During these two weeks, estrogen levels rise steadily to help stimulate follicle growth in the ovaries. Each of these follicles contains an immature egg, only one of which will fully develop.

Ovulation Phase (~Days 12-16)

The shortest phase of your cycle, the ovulation phase begins when the mature egg is released into the fallopian tube in preparation for potential fertilization. It then continues for a brief 16-32 hours. It is at this point that estrogen levels reach an all-time high, marking the peak of a woman’s fertility.

Luteal Phase (Days 15-28)

The final stage of the menstrual cycle, the luteal phase brings about a significant rise in progesterone as your body prepares for a possible pregnancy by thickening its uterine lining. At the same time, estrogen levels fall. This swing of hormones can result in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), bringing about symptoms such as breast tenderness, bloating, and mood swings. If pregnancy does not occur, progesterone levels will fall and the uterine lining will shed, leading to menstruation and the start of a new cycle.

Why It’s Important to Track

1. Understanding Hormonal Fluctuation

Hormones play a vital role in your body’s ability to function affectively. This is especially true when it comes to your reproductive system and menstrual cycle.

As discussed, estrogen and progesterone levels (as well as several other key hormones) rise and fall over the course of 28 days to help your body prepare for ovulation, pregnancy, and then menstruation. But these fluctuations can also bring along unpleasant side effects such as bloating, cramping, fatigue, and mood swings.

Tracking your cycle allows you to anticipate these changes and sync your cycle to more affective diet, exercise, and lifestyle routines.

2. Predicting Fertility

Whether you’re looking to get pregnant or to avoid pregnancy, it’s important to know exactly where you are within your menstrual cycle. Many women may not realize that their peak fertility only lasts between 16 and 32 hours every month.

That means that timing is everything!

By tracking and accurately predicting when you are entering the ovulation phase of your cycle, you can either increase the chances of pregnancy or use that knowledge as a form of natural contraception.

3. Detecting Irregularities

While most women have a general sense of their cycle’s larger patterns, it’s important to know when irregularities do arise as quickly as possible. This is easier if you’ve been tracking your phases consistently.

Missed periods, unusually long cycles, or erratic bleeding patterns might be symptoms of underlying health issues such as a hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or ovarian cysts.

The more you know, the more prepared you will be to respond to a potential health issue.

How To Track

The Calendar Method

If you’ve ever tracked your cycle before, there’s a good chance you’ve used the calendar method. While it may not provide the same levels of nuanced insight as the other options, it gets the big things done.

And it’s easy.

Simply record the start and end dates of your period on the calendar each month and track over time for consistency. From there, you can expect that ovulation will occur around the halfway point of your cycle.

Menstrual Tracking Apps

Powerful new apps have come out in recent years that allow you far more analysis than the “old fashioned” calendar method. Most will allow you to input symptoms, mood shifts, and other relevant signals that will make it easier to predict upcoming periods and fertility windows.

Some of the more popular apps include Flo and Clue, but there are more coming out all the time.

Temperature Tracking

While tracking symptoms is an effective way to predict your menstrual phases, it’s not nearly as accurate as tracking your body’s temperature — specifically, your basal body temperature.

Products like Daysy give you the ability to track fertility and ovulation like never before. All you have to do is take your temperature as soon as you wake up, and it will tell you whether you are fertile (red light) or not fertile (green light).

Many women have found this to be a great alternative to hormonal birth control.

Ready For The Next Step?

Tracking your menstrual cycle is step one of cycle syncing, the process of lining up your diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits to better optimize your wellbeing and balance your hormones.

If you’d like to learn more, keep an eye out for more of my blogs or consider reaching out for a free 20-minute consultation. We can discuss your goals and health history to determine a holistic health plan that will work for you!

A Guide to Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle