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Why should you track your menstrual cycle?
It’s coming anyway, so why track your menstrual cycle?
Aside from just being prepared for your next period, there are a few really good reasons you should be tracking your menses.
What are the menstrual cycle phases?
Our menstrual cycle is all month long and has four major phases. Let’s look at the phases of our menstrual cycle:
- Follicular Phase
- Ovulation Phase
- Luteal Phase
- Menstruation Phase (Period)
This is the phase of our menstrual cycle that we are all most familiar with: the Menstruation phase.
But did you know that your Menstrual Cycle is actually the entire month, not just when your bleeding?
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This chart shows all four of our phases within the menstrual cycle, and what happens during those phases.
Our Hormones during the different phases
We have dips and peaks of different hormones during each phase.
Starting at the Follicular phase, in preparation for Ovulation, our bodies have increases of Follicle Stimulating Hormone.
Right before our Ovulatory phase, Estrogen and Luteinizing Hormones peak, and right afterward they dip significantly.
Our Luteal phase then starts, and we have an increase in Progesterone and Estrogen.
During the Luteal phase, our bodies either prepare to support pregnancy or start preparing for the Menstrual phase if an egg was not fertilized.
How to easily track your cycle
There are a few different ways to track your cycle, no matter what kind of planner you are!If you like using an actual, physical planner, you can track it through your calendar in your planner.
If you’re more of an app person, there are some really great apps out there to help!
Below, I am going to go over the different ways you can easily track your menstrual cycle.
Use a Calendar (or planner)
This is the most basic, hands-on way to track your cycle.
If you’re a creative type, like myself, you may like this method! You can see your own notes about how you were feeling, draw pictures, use stickers or markers.
It’s all up to you.
But that being said, it’s all up to you. You have to do research about what the phases are (listed above!) and how they affect your body.
Use a Period Tracking app
Using a period tracker app is a great, easy way to track your cycle. But it IS important to use a good one.
MyFlo
This is my favorite because it is a holistic menstrual cycle tracker that guides you through improving your cycle naturally.
And who doesn’t want a better menstrual phase?
It gives you tips on what to eat during your menstrual cycle to help regulate hormone balance, and
The downside is that it got a lot of bad reviews on Google Play, mostly for poor functionality after switching phones.
Cost: One-time purchase of $1.99
Natural Cycles
This is a very new and very interesting product.
I will never recommend hormonal birth control because (in my opinion) it can wreck your body and your hormones.
I wrote a whole article on the 7 worst side effects of hormonal birth control, and it is definitely worth a read if you are considering switching to a healthier option.
Flo
This app has had AMAZING feedback, and 4.6 stars out of over 2 million reviews.
Once you have it set up, it can help you predict your fertility window, which is especially nice if you are trying to get pregnant.
The downside to these is that they are not always accurate. I have had a watch similar to a fit bit that had a menstrual cycle tracker, and it was almost never accurate.
It’s still important to use some form of non-hormonal birth control if you do not want to get pregnant.
Keep a Menstrual Cycle Journal
This is really helpful because you can track how you were feeling during parts of your cycle.
It can be helpful to know how heavy or light your period was, or if you had bad cramping, bloating, or acne at certain parts of your cycle.
That way, you know if anything changes month to month.
Things to track:
- Length of period
- How heavy your flow was
- Cramping (throughout the month, you can have ovulation cramps too!)
- Your mood (PMS symptoms)
- Bloating
- Acne (Where was your acne and how bad was it?)
Health Benefits of Tracking your Menstrual Cycle
Knowing what your body is doing and when can be important.
Tracking ovulation cramps (and which side they are on) can be helpful if you are trying to conceive.
Don’t get taken by surprise by PMS
Using a hormone balancing supplement is one of the most important things I do for myself mentally and physically.
That is because when I am taking one that works, I don’t have PMS.
No bloating, no raging emotions, no acne. And best of all, little to no cramping during my period.
Balance your Hormones for a better Menstrual Cycle
My favorite hormone balancing supplements are
PreMense-T by LifeSeasons
For the longest time now, I have adored LifeSeasons.
This is a brand I will trust with any supplement I need I have because they work every single time.
Flo Gummy Vitamins
You’ve probably heard of Flo vitamins either through Instagram or Facebook ads, and while I initially thought they might just be a trendy vitamin, I wanted to see for myself.
After using these for two months, I really noticed improved period and menstrual cycle symptoms.
My hormonal acne vanished, my mood was a million times better, and I had no cramps before or during my periods.
I stopped taking them for a little while to see if there was a significant difference when I wasn’t taking them, and the next couple of periods were miserable, just like before.
Another thing about Flo is that these PMS-reducing vitamins are available as gummies!
I don’t know about you, but I personally love when I can take my vitamins in gummy form.
These little pink circle-shaped gummies taste really good and have a nice texture to them as well.
I now have a monthly subscription to Flo, and look forward to my next bottle.
7 Reasons you SHOULD track your Menstrual Cycle
Tracking your cycle is a helpful way to know when to expect your period, but there are other reasons you should track it as well.
- Tracking your Cycle will show you how balance your hormones are
- It helps you keep a record of how healthy your body is, and your body’s natural tendencies during your cycle phases.
- Keeping a record of how you feel during your cycle can help you recognize when you are ovulating.
- Tracking your cycle can help you achieve your fitness goals as well as mental health goals.
- Tracking your menstrual cycle can help you to better understand your own sex drive.
- It can help with mood management, and sleep management.
- If you have an irregular cycle, PCOS, or Endometriosis, tracking can help you become more familiar with your own patterns.