How your period works

                Periods are a pain. Pretty much everyone agrees with that. But they’re slightly more of a pain if you don’t know how they work, how to keep track of them, or what purpose they serve. So I’m going to teach you a bit more about how your whole menstrual cycle works, not just your actual period.

            The first thing to know is that the whole reason your cycle exists is to prepare you for getting pregnant. The whole process centers on an egg dropping into your uterus from your ovaries. That’ll normally happen about two weeks before your period, and you can tell that’s it’s happening because you’ll start to have clear, goopy discharge. This part is kind of gross, and you might want to wear a pad while it’s happening if it makes you uncomfortable. The reason this happens is because there’s a layer of protective stuff around your eggs before they drop, so they can’t be fertilized before they’re ready. So the whole layer of stuff has to come out before your egg can be fertilized. After that, your egg is fertile for about 2 days. However, if you don’t get pregnant, your body will have to clear out the layer of protective tissue that it’s been building up to support your potential baby. That’s when the bleeding starts; it’s from the layer of tissue being scraped away. That’s why you get cramps.

            Keep in mind that the precise timing of your period is different for every woman, but here’s a rough breakdown of what you can expect each day of your monthly cycle.

Day 1/2: Your period begins. You’ll probably have the heaviest flow and the most cramps at this point.

Day 3/4: The thickest layers of tissue will start to come out. You’ll probably have several dark clumps of blood instead of a constant flow.

Day 5/6/7: The worst of your period is over. You may still have a bit of blood but it will be darker and dry easily, and you probably won’t get cramps.

Day 8/9/10/11/12: Your period is still over and not much is going on.

Day 13/14: This is when the egg drops. Some women get mild cramps during this time, but you probably won’t feel anything.

Day 15/16: Hormone levels start to rise to keep your body strong if you get pregnant, which normally occurs around this time.

Day 17/18/19/20: Your hormone levels are still rising. Your breasts will probably feel a bit sore during this time, and you might have mood swings.

Day 21/22: If you’re not pregnant, your hormone levels will drop suddenly. This will probably make you tired and a bit moody.

Day 23/24/25/26: Your body is starting to get ready for your period. You may start to have mood swings or be really tired and sensitive.

Day 27/28: You will start to feel some cramps. This is your body preparing for your period and you’ll be able to tell that it’s coming soon.

Remember that your period may be irregular if any of the following apply to you:

You are pregnant.

It’s within a year of your first period.

You exercise a lot.

You’re small or underweight.

It’s probably a good idea to keep a notebook or calendar where you can write down how your cycle is going every day, so you will start to detect patterns, and hopefully if you know what’s coming, you’ll be able to avoid any awkward or embarrassing situations. I hope this helps you guys!

-Julia