Fertility 101

Fertility, and in particular how it relates to the female menstrual cycle, can be a mysterious thing. It seems some folks have it all figured out, while others are still struggling to keep up. Whether you’re curious on how things work ‘down there’, actively trying to conceive by natural means or through medical interventions, I believe understanding the female body gives us power in our everyday choices as well as our long term goals. So welcome to fertility 101, I’ll be your guide today. Let’s start at the very beginning and unpack the 3 phases menstrual cycle.

Day 1 -7 ( the beginning of the follicular phase)

This is also known as your menstrual phase, period or bleeding phase. Bleeding can last 3-7 days, and it is at this time your body is shedding the thickened lining of the uterus, the cells from an unfertilized egg and mucus. At this time estrogen and progesterone are quite low, which can cause energy levels to plummet and can also cause the cramping sensations and the mild headaches during a period. Take it easy on yourself, get to bed a little earlier and maybe bring a magic bag to work or on the commute. If you’re avid gym goer, maybe switch up the routine a little and take a few restorative yoga classes or enjoy a walk in nature.

Day 7-13ish (Follicular phase is in full swing)

In a reproductively active female body, day 7 usually marks the end of the end of bleeding and the rise of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone is released from the pituitary gland in the brain and allows the follicle to start maturing. During each follicular phase of the menstrual cycle the ovary will produce anywhere between 3-30 follicles and each follicle contains an egg. It is important to note here that even though that seems like a lot of eggs to mature, there is typically only 1 that is healthy and mature enough to become fertilized. If you ask me, that can make baby making whether the natural way or the medical way a bit trickier. As the healthiest follicle matures, estrogen and testosterone kick in, which helps decrease the amount FSH, therefore causing the less mature follicles to die off. This is typically when the female body performs at its best, mentally, physically and emotionally. You might have noticed that for this particular phase I decided to put about 13 days. In many articles I have read, it appears that this phase is the one that is most subject to change from person to person and even from cycle to cycle especially as we age.

Day 14ish-15 (Ovulatory Phase)

The ovulatory phase is the shortest phase lasting anywhere between 16 - 32 hours, but packs in the power. The surging hormones now happens to the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones work together to cause the follicle to swell and burst, which in turn pushing the mature egg out of the ovary and into the Fallopian tube. While FSH and LH have the moment in the sun, estrogen and testosterone begin to decline. The ovulatory phase can cause tenderness for some women and it is medically referred to as mittleschmerz. If you’re actively trying to get pregnant it’s recommended to have sex at least a few days before and obviously during ovulation. An egg has a 12 hour window to be fertilized after it’s released. A good thing is with your sex drive is most likely higher during ovulation than at any other phase of your cycle and sperm can live up to 5 days.

Day 16-28ish (Luteal Phase)

This is the final phase of the menstrual cycle and with it comes the rise of progesterone via the corpus luteum (the follicle that released the egg sort of transforms in this cellular structure). The progesterone released by the corpus luteum is extremely important if you’re hoping for implantation as it prepares the uterus and cervix for pregnancy. After about 14 days the corpus luteum dissolves and progesterone declines. As this happens estrogen rises and may cause breast tenderness, mood fluctuations, sleep issues including night sweats and the dreaded PMS symptoms . If implantation happened, progesterone and estrogen will remain elevated causing those PMS symptoms to feel more intense, breast swelling and tenderness tends to increase as well and to round things off it may be accompanied by nausea. The luteal phase is the longest part of the menstrual cycle and is just as important as the other phases as its main job is to make sure the womb is ready, willing and able to grow a new life. Again, the length of this phase differs from person to person and can change from month to month. The length of a healthy menstrual cycle will vary from 21 - 36 days.

Period Tidbits

Although having a ‘clockwork’ like cycle would make it easier to know when you’re ovulating, it’s pretty uncommon to have a cycle that’s right on schedule every month of every year. In fact, only 10-15% of women have a 28 day cycle and about 20% of women have cycle lengths that fall outside the normal timeframe (that is their periods are either shorter or longer than average). Personally, I’ve never had a period that consistently came every 28 days and have always had to watch my cycle. Here are some of tips I’ve used when tracking my cycle.

Track your cycle:

Use the old calendar method as I did in junior high or you can track it on your Fitbit or try an app (like Flo ). And don’t just track when your period starts, track things like vaginal discharge, mood and sleep, pms symptoms, period pains. You’ll start to know your cycle really well regardless of whether its always to the letter. You’ll start to get a feel for what phase your in and become more in tune with your body.

Cervical checks:

As you move through your follicular phase, try checking your cervical changes. As you get closer to your ovulatory phase you’ll start seeing changes in the mucus. The thinner and more elastic the mucus appears the fertile you are. Check out more information on cervical checks here. 

Check hormones:

If you’re experiencing irregular periods (remember that means that your periods coming either before 21 days or after 36 days), you may want to talk to your healthcare provider and request a hormone panel. By doing bloodwork, sometimes an imbalance can be found and course corrected quickly with the right medication.