THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WOMAN’S MENSTURAL CYCLE
What is a menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is the series of changes a woman’s body goes through to prepare for a pregnancy. About once a month, the uterus grows a new lining (endometrium) to get ready for a fertilized egg. When there is no fertilized egg to start a pregnancy, the uterus sheds its lining. This is the monthly menstrual bleeding (also called menstrual period) that women have from their early teen years until menopause, around age 50.
The menstrual cycle is from Day 1 of bleeding to Day 1 of the next time of bleeding. Although the average cycle is 28 days, it is normal to have a cycle that is shorter or longer.
Girls usually start having menstrual periods between the ages of 11 and 14. Women usually start to have fewer periods between ages 39 and 51. Women in their 40s and teens may have cycles that are longer or change a lot. If you are a teen, your cycles should even out with time. If you are nearing menopause, your cycles will probably get longer and then will stop.
Talk to your doctor if you notice any big change in your cycle. It’s especially important to check with your doctor if you have three or more menstrual periods that last longer than 7 days or are very heavy. Also call if you have bleeding between your periods or pelvic pain that is not from your period.
What controls the menstrual cycle?
Your hormones control your menstrual cycle. During each cycle, your brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary gland send hormone signals back and forth with your ovaries. These signals get the ovaries and uterus ready for a pregnancy.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone play the biggest roles in how the uterus changes during each cycle.
- Estrogen builds up the lining of the uterus.
- Progesterone increases after an ovary releases an egg (ovulation) at the middle of the cycle. This helps the estrogen keep the lining thick and ready for a fertilized egg.
- A drop in progesterone (along with estrogen) causes the lining to break down. This is when your period starts.
A change in hormone levels can affect your cycle or fertility. For example, teens tend to have low or changing progesterone levels. This is also true for women close to menopause. That is why teens and women in their 40s may have heavy menstrual bleeding and cycles that change in length.
Other things can change your cycle. They include birth control pills, low body fat, losing a lot of weight, or being overweight. Stress or very hard exercise also can change your cycle. Pregnancy is the most common cause of a missed period.
What common symptoms are linked to the menstrual cycle?
Some women have no pain or other problems. But other women have symptoms before and during their periods.
For about a week before a period, many women have some premenstrual symptoms. You may feel more tense or angry. You may gain water weight and feel bloated. Your breasts may feel tender. You may get acne. You also may have less energy than usual. A day or two before your period, you may start having pain (cramps) in your belly, back, or legs. These symptoms go away during the first days of a period.
When your ovary releases an egg in the middle of your cycle, you may have pain in your lower belly. You also might have red spotting for less than a day. Both are normal.
How can women take care of bleeding and symptoms?
You can use pads or tampons to manage bleeding. Whichever you use, be sure to change the pad or tampon at least every 4 to 6 hours during the day. Pads may be best at night.
Many women can improve their symptoms by getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. It also may help to limit alcohol and caffeine. Try to reduce stress.
A heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath also can help with cramps. You can take an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen or naproxen before and during your period to reduce pain and bleeding.
Further Reading:
- Slideshow: Answers to Your Top Period Questions
- Are Periods Just an ‘Option’ for Those on the Pill?
- Birth Control Pills That Reduce Monthly Menstruation and Periods
- The 411 on Your Period
- Take the WebMD Check Your Period Quiz
- Missed or Irregular Periods-Preparing For Your Appointment
- Missed or Irregular Periods-Prevention
- See All Menstruation Topics
When Is My First Period Coming?
When will my first period come???? Since you first heard the word “period,” you’ve probably been wondering what it is and when you’d get your first period. Although most girls get their first period between 11–14 years old, you could start your period anywhere from 8–17 years old.
Dreading the first period talk? It’s not as bad as you think!
Dreading the first period talk? Don’t know how to talk to Mom? It’s not as bad as you think! Check out our tips on getting the conversation started!
Good to Know: Facts About Menstruation
Period facts…interesting girl info
The word “menstruation” comes from menses, the Latin word for “month.” That gives you a big clue to what it’s all about. Or if you’ve heard friends talk about “that time of the month,” you can probably guess that women go through menstruation about every month.
The Period Diaries: Fun videos to help you understand your period
So you just got your period OR you’re waiting for it to show up. And you’ve probably got a bazillion questions. The Period Diaries are a great video series that’ll help you figure out just how to handle that time of the month. Things like how to hide a pad, what PMS is, which products are right for you—you’ll get all the info right here!
Tampax Training Camp: The series with the 411 on all-things-tampons
Turn your tampon fears & doubts into total confidence! Watch Tampax Training Camp & meet Sophie and Olivia, two in-the-know Tampax pros who’ve got all-things-tampons totally covered and are ready to share all their Tampax-smarts – like how to insert a tampons, when to change it, which one is right for you and more.
Exercise Cramps
If you exercise all month, you will help your body keep from having cramps. Light exercise during your period will help to ease the heavy, bloated (puffy) feeling. Workouts that stretch your body are best.
This is the truth about the women’s menstural cycle. Everything the Christwire morons say is retarded.
My Source: http://women.webmd.com/tc/normal-menstrual-cycle-topic-overview?page=2
- Sinful
- Suspicious
- Scared
- Sad
- Amused
- Laughing Out Loud
Author: XxBVB_Rebel_GirlxX
Ladies and Gentlemen, I must implore you listen to my words. I am not here to preach, I am not here to lie, nor am I here to "tempt you to sin" or whatever they have been saying I am. I have been insulted on this site, mocked, made fun of, but that only fuels my fire and proves my point when I say this:
These people are more than likely not who they say they are. I have been called XxEmo_Homo_PaganxX before for one reason only. That reason is that I was proving wrong everything they were saying. These people believe that lying, taking words out of context, and even photo-shopping pictures will lead them to get what they want. What they want is Sheeple. Sheeple- people who follow without question just for the sake of following.
2:57 pm
This poster is not qualified to give medical advice. This is irresponsible.
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3:52 pm
No kidding! How did this get through the Holy Chain Links?
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1:06 pm
Holy Chain Links? Really? Wow, makes TONS of sense. Really. *cough cough*
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6:44 pm
we learn that in biological class in mid school/high school
Not to hard to udnerstand
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8:09 pm
Neither are you, Adam (he’s not really a doctor), Donkey Boy, Abe, Tyson, Mike Watson, or the rest of your ilk.
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10:44 pm
You know what you stupid Woman i think that you need to go back to school and learn somethings about the human body perferably the womans MENSTURAL CYCLE. are you sure your even a woman???
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3:18 pm
I’m pretty sure God makes women bleed when they sin…not any of this nonsense.
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10:11 am
Really? Want me to prove you wrong? Blanche Beecham, please don’t take this as rude, but How old are you? Scientifically speaking, menopause can begin from ages 42 to 58. The menstural Cycle begins from ages 10 to 15. It’s a completely natural cycle. Blanche, if she is “saved” and has not sinned, and is between these age sets, then she should not be having her period, according to you. But if she does, then it proves my point.
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3:29 am
uhm the bible never says that. it’s something EVERY single women goes through EVERY SING MONTH! then they get prego and it stops. sooo… explainnn? it doesn’t just stop for bitches that are married XD wow you dumb hicks are funny. not knowing the basics of biology.
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9:09 am
LOL Bisexual, you are awesome!!
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3:31 pm
You are retarded it has nothing to do with sin
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4:37 pm
Ignore her story. I’m surprised CW even posted it.
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10:47 pm
I FUCKING THINKL THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A LESSON IN A LITTLE BIOLOGY AND THE WOMANS BODY YOU STUPID FUCK!!!
1. We bleed on certain times of the month because we don’t have sex and get pregnant.
2. YOUR STATEMENT IS IRRELEVANT!!!!!!!!!!!
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7:43 pm
An emosexual pagan reporting on menstruation…
Expect a follow up article on how to use your period blood to form transmutation symbols on your body in order to summon Belphegor.
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11:13 am
Do you have more that 2 braincells.
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10:14 am
Fuck you, I’ve told you once and I will tell you again. I’m not that kind of Witch. I don’t do that kind of magick. Who the hell is Belphegor anyway?
One more thing, a woman who handles her period blood like that is a very disgusting woman. I don’t do that. I don’t do “transmutations,” plus that’s alchemy anyway. I don’t do alchemy. I don’t summon demons. Get your fucking facts straight.
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3:57 pm
There is only one way you can become a witch, and that’s by forming a contract with the devil.
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5:04 pm
False. Stop lying to people already, and pick up a book that is solid facts (not the bible cos it really has no true facts or evidence supporting the claims made in it. Also the simple fact that it’s been translated and edited so many times that I highly doubt half the stuff is even plausible).
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12:37 am
I had to stop because I almost vomited when I read the first few paragraphs of this. It’s offensive that someone would dare come on this site and spew garbage about a woman’s fish hole.
It’s smut, plain and simple.
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12:41 am
You never learned about the woman’s body in Biology did you?
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5:06 pm
If you want smut I can give you smut. I’m a writer for that sort of thing anyways. This article isn’t smut, what I write in stories is smut.
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12:57 am
so we are calling copy and pasted wikipedia entries articles now?
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12:31 pm
Ahem:
http://christwire.org/2011/12/was-america-right-to-nuke-japan-during-wwii/
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5:00 pm
Satan Susan you are one to talk. You copy and pate wikipedia all the time. If you were a “woman” as you claim to be you’d know for a FACT that this is true.
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10:15 am
Actually, I wrote this myself. This is not copy and paste. I did post my sources I’m sure. If you want, check them out.
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10:36 am
I’m a little surprised that the Witchling didn’t recomend bats and cobwebs as a viable sanitary product.
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12:44 pm
Very funny!! Bats might have rabies which, without a cure, can kill a human being. I would never seggest such a thing. Cobwebs are just old spider webs. And if you really knew something, a spiderweb can actually be used as a replacement for a bandage in a worst case scenareo situation. Maybe you should do some more research before accusing me of doing something horrid. I’m actually the type of person that, should you need something and I have it, I will provide.
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3:33 am
i love the uneducated people on this site! it makes me laugh soooo hard! it just proves all these people are, are hick american scum found under the tables at denny’s dinners.. emo pagan i love you for writing this and posting some actual truth on this site!
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9:13 am
Any time. Be ready, another will be up soon.
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10:42 pm
To be honest this is a relevant article and i love it. This actually has some truth in it and i love it!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY SOME FUCKING TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
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12:38 pm
I love you too Jaquana. See you in school!!
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