Hello Steemians,
Hello Internet, Dani Dogg of Ev Dogg For Mayor here. Today, we’re going to take a closer look under the hood of the female menstrual cycle. It’s a pretty complicated series of events, but on the surface is actually kind of beautiful in its simplicity. Each month, our bodies hope and pray that we find the right fella and make a baby. Without even knowing it, we’re going through a tremendous amount of work, releasing certain hormones at certain times, building up the perfect home in hopes that a fertilized egg to grow into future Little Junior. If that doesn’t happen, our body wipes the slate clean, disposes of the uterine lining, and immediately starts building from scratch to try again next month. This repeats over and over until we reach menopause, at which time, our body says, “fuck it”.
Although this cycle is an integral part of our bodies, I would bet good money that many of you don’t honestly know a whole lot about the details of what is happening inside of you each month. That’s not intended to belittle anybody, or make anybody feel like a dum-dum, for not having an understanding of their body’s hormones. I say that because I believe it to be true for many women in today’s society. I too used to have little-to-no knowledge of my own body, and had to do some extra research to create this video.
In my own personal experience, as I related in my first video, I had no interest in learning about my woman parts, our nation’s compulsory education system didn’t teach me any useful information about my menstrual cycle, I blindly trusted my county health department’s OB-GYN, took free birth control pills containing synthetic hormones for fourteen years, and threw my body way out of whack. I’m sure your story is different, but it probably comes to the same conclusion: a complete disconnection from ourselves.
So, that’s a bummer. But what can we do about it? We can do our own research, learn, better ourselves, and in turn, pass on our newfound knowledge to others. That’s why I’m making this video series.
Ok ladies, let’s begin.
In a perfect scenario, each menstrual cycle would last 28 days. It includes Follicular Phase, Ovulation, and the Luteal Phase. The first 14 days are called the Follicular Phase, during which time our bodies build up our uterine lining in preparation of a potential baby, culminating in ovulation. The second 14 days are called the Luteal Phase, beginning immediately following ovulation with the formation of the corpus luteum, culminating in either pregnancy or menstruation. Don’t worry, I had no idea what a corpus luteum was either… but I’ll get to that!
The five main hormones governing the cycle are as follows: FSH and LH, produced in the pituitary gland of our brain, Estrogen and Progesterone, produced in the ovaries, and Testosterone. These hormones go through a monthly dance of raising and lowering, surging and falling. I’ve made a delightful graph for you.
Day One. The Follicular Phase begins with the release of FSH, or, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, which causes a few dozen follicles to develop in the ovary. These are cells that contain immature eggs, called ova. One of these follicles will develop into our bright and shining hope: our single egg for the month. The follicles produce Estrogen, which causes our bodies to start building the uterus lining in preparation for the golden egg to get fertilized.
The Follicular Phase continues as the egg develops and matures in our ovaries, in preparation of its single solitary flight out out into our fallopian tubes. The rise in Estrogen triggers a small chain reaction of hormones that causes our LH, or Luteinising Hormone, to rise suddenly. The abrupt rise in LH, known as the LH surge, triggers ovulation. You can see the sudden spike of LH just prior to ovulation in our hormone graph. It’s interesting to note that this is how you can test if you are ovulating, for determining fertility, by using an LH test strip.
Just prior to ovulation, our bodies are laying out the red carpet to prepare for the perfectly harmonious meeting of sperm and egg. Our cervical mucus becomes clear and slippery, what is known as “fertile mucus”. This watery goodness sings a siren song and lends a helping hand to all the potential little swimmers as they travel up the vagina into the cervix, where our egg waits in anticipation. Also, testosterone is increased, which raises our libido. Basically, it makes us want to bang right at our most fertile window. You can see the little rise of Testosterone around ovulation in our hormone graph.
Day 14. Ovulation occurs, and our golden egg is gloriously released into our fallopian tubes. It has a short lifespan, so it has prepared accordingly, and really dolled itself up. An egg’s lifespan can reach 24 hours, but is usually only 6-12 hours. Sperm, on the other hand, usually live for around three days, but can live inside us for up to five days if the “fertile mucus” has created a welcoming environment.
By my calculations, a woman whose cycle is very regular has a fertile window which is, at maximum five days, generally three days, and optimally one day. If you’re using your cycle to avoid pregnancy, just don’t let any swimmers into your soiree for five days prior to ovulation. Evan and I use my cycle as our only form of birth control, and I give us a little bit longer of a buffer than five days, which we call the Danger Zone. More on cycle tracking in the next video.
Now, let’s take a look at the Luteal Phase. Remember the egg-releasing follicle from the Follicular Phase? The Luteal Phase begins after ovulation, when the remnants of that little follicle (now called the corpus luteum) releases large amounts of Progesterone and some Estrogen, which help continue the growth of the uterine lining.
After a short time, If our body realizes that our golden egg was not in fact fertilized this month, and therefore our uterus is empty, the corpus luteum begins to decay. As it decays, it stops producing the hormones that make our uterine lining grow, causing the lining to atrophy and begin to disintegrate in preparation for menstruation. You can see the rise and fall of Progesterone and Estrogen during the Luteal Phase.
It’s during this time that we most often experience PMS symptoms. Common physical side-effects include sore or tender titties, water retention, bloating, headaches, or reduced energy levels. Common emotional side-effects include mood swings, irritability, strong cravings for certain foods, or anxiety.
Finally, approximately Day Twenty-Three, menstruation arrives. We already know what happens during this part. Our uterus is put in a blender, and the resulting lovely mess of uterine lining pours out of our vaginas. Menstruation ends on Day Twenty-Eight. Then, the cycle begins all over again with the Follicular Phase.
First side note: When you are fully in-tune with your body’s cyclical rhythm, you may be able to notice some really awesome little details. You might notice very light bleeding or spotting at the time of ovulation, or you might feel your ovulation. I’ve experienced both of those, and it’s pretty cool. You and your lover might be able to feel your cervix change position and change shape, or notice when your cervical mucus turns into “fertile mucus” and becomes both slippery and elastic. You might notice changes in your energy levels, or your ability to handle stress and emotion. You will most definitely learn a lot about yourself, become more self-aware, take more responsibility, and in turn, become more honest with yourself and your loved ones.
Second side note: Our menstrual cycles may be closely tied to the waxing and waning of the moon cycle, which is also 28 days. There are debates about whether a woman should ovulate or menstruate with the new moon or the full moon, and some believe it has to do with one’s personality type or desires. This was widely believed in earlier times, and probably much more common, when we were more in-tune with our bodies, before the introduction of artificial light, synthetic hormones, rigid life schedules, hormones and artificial ingredients in foods, and other environmental and societal factors that disrupt our natural flow. I’ll cover a little more on this topic in my video about seed cycling, which involves using certain seeds to nutritionally aid our bodies during the Follicular and Luteal Phases. If the link between the menstrual cycle and the moon cycle is something that interests you, let me know, and I’ll spend some time researching it to cover it in greater detail!
That concludes my brief summary of the menstrual cycle. This has been Dani Mouser of Ev Dogg for Mayor. Until next time, calm your titties.
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