We are all different. Not one woman’s cycle is the same as the other, that’s what makes our cycle so special. Here, you can begin to understand and develop your own unique roadmap for your personal journey. I’m sharing evidence based knowledge with you so that you can confidently navigate your way through your cycle, fertility, and postpartum.

Scrap the “28 day cycle” bullsh*t.

Only 5 - 10% of menstrual cycles are 28 days long.

Everything you will read in accordance with a cycle, as well as all the apps, is based on what science calls, “an average cycle” which is 28 days. Yes, some women’s cycles are 28 days, but most are not. Therefore all the prediction algorithms for apps and a lot of research is based on a one size fits all formula. Guess what, we happen to all have very different cycles, and basing data on 28 days won’t help pinpoint the holy grail of ovulation.

Science deems a “normal” cycle to be anywhere from 21 days to 35 days with a variance of 0 - 7 days. This means, one month your cycle could be 24 days and then next month 28 days and then next month 26 days and so on.

To find the length of your cycle, start recording it. Cycle Day (CD) 1 is from when your full flo begins (not spotting). The final day of your cycle is the day before your next flo begins. By the time you record three cycles, you should begin to notice a pattern in length.

The variance is due to ovulation not falling on the same day every month. That. Is. Normal. An irregular cycle is deemed once you consistently fall outside of those lengths and/or variance. This is when it is time to discuss your cycle with a medical expert.

Now count back 14 days. So say your cycle length is 25 days, minus 14 and that number (11) is an approximate ovulation date. Due to cycle variance, this day will move each cycle.

Avoiding fertility the natural way? Head on over to this link where we talk all things natural and medical. You decide.

Your circadian rhythm

A circadian rhythm, or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It can refer to any process that originates within an organism (is endogenous) and responds to the environment (entrained by the environment).

Women with ovulatory menstrual cycles have a circadian rhythm superimposed on the menstrual-associated rhythm; in turn, menstrual events affect the circadian rhythm. In this paper, we review circadian rhythms in temperature, selected hormone profiles, and sleep-wake behaviour in healthy women at different phases of the menstrual cycle.

The effects on menstrual cycle rhythmicity of disrupted circadian rhythms, for example, with shift work and altered circadian rhythms in women with menstrual-related mood disturbances, are discussed. Compared to the follicular phase, in the post-ovulation luteal phase, body temperature is elevated, but the amplitude of the temperature rhythm is reduced.

Evidence indicates that the amplitude of other rhythms, such as melatonin and cortisol, may also be blunted in the luteal phase. Subjective sleep quality is lowest around menses, but the timing and composition of sleep remain relatively stable across the menstrual cycle in healthy women, apart from an increase in spindle frequency activity and a minor decrease in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during the luteal phase. Disruption of circadian rhythms is associated with disturbances in menstrual function.

Female shift workers compared to non-shift workers are more likely to report menstrual irregularity and longer menstrual cycles. There also is accumulating evidence that circadian disruption increases the risk of breast cancer in women, possibly due to altered light exposure and reduced melatonin secretion. Further investigations into the biological consequences of circadian disruption in women will offer insight into some menstrual-associated disorders, including mood changes, as well as reproductive function and possible links with breast cancer.

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The 4 phases of your cycle

Flo

This is your period. It should last for, or anywhere between, 3 - 7 days with 5 being the average. It will vary in flo (light, medium, or heavy) and you will probably experience all three measures.

The first day of flo is considered cycle day (CD) 1.

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Follicular (Follic-u-lar)

This is the phase from flo, CD 1, to ovulation.

A lot of hormonal work happens here.

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Ovulation

A 12 - 24 hr lifespan.

Once our brain and hormones have communicated perfectly to our ovaries, one of our fallopian tubes makes its way over to the ovary carrying the dominant corpus luteum, (yes they are not attached and can flip/switch sides if they like). The fallopian tube will cover the ovary rupture to capture the release of an ovum aka egg.

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