Video: What Is The Menstrual Cycle?
What is the menstrual cycle and how does it work? This video provides information about what happens when you have your period
Conception – Article by
What Is The Menstrual Cycle?
Viewing time: 4m 11s
What you’ll learn:
- Timings of the menstrual cycle
- The ovaries release one egg per month (or cycle) resulting in either pregnancy or a period
- Each month after puberty, the pituitary gland releases two substances into the blood stream
- Once those substances reach the ovaries, the eggs are encouraged to grow and mature
- The most mature egg bursts through the ovary wall, which is called ovulation, and happen 10-16 days before the period starts
- The egg the moves along the fallopian tube, which is the 24 hour window of opportunity for it to be fertilised by a sperm cell
- Another hormone is then released in preparation for a fertilised egg to grow, increasing blood and nutrients in the womb’s lining
- If the egg is not embedded into the womb, the excess blood and tissue leave the body, which is the period, and can take up to a week to become clear
- After the period has completed, the whole amazing process starts again with hormones circulating in the ideal amounts at the right time
- Womens bodies are unique so ovulation can occur at different times in the month and some periods can last longer
- Knowledge of the monthly cycle, and how it happens, can empower you