How often will I get my periods?

The menstruation cycle is a series of natural processes that girls and women go through to prepare for pregnancy. Natural substances produced in your body called hormones, control your period’s timing and go up and down depending on where you are in your cycle.

Most menstrual cycles last around 28 days, but sometimes they’re shorter, even 21 days or longer, 35 days. It’s important to remember that, as with most things, all bodies are a bit different and so is the length of their cycle.

Let's discuss your menstrual timeline:

• The first day of your period is the start of your menstrual cycle. This is when your uterine lining disintegrates and you begin bleeding.

• Two weeks later your estrogen and testosterone rise and your eggs reach maturation. This 13-day process triggers the re-growth of your endometrium (a membrane lining) which prepares you for your next period.

• On day 14, your matured egg gets released from one of your ovaries and, without fertilization, will be released within one day.

• A few days later, you may feel a little moody and you may even experience minor symptoms of PMS.

• On week four, you reach what’s called the luteal phase, causing your uterine lining to thicken and if there’s no fertilized egg, this is what breaks down and releases as what’s known as your period.

Like your cycle, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and its symptoms vary for everyone. Before or during your period, you may experience headaches, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, and other bodily changes. You’re the best person to describe and predict these feelings. Always remember to take care of yourself.

The best way to track your cycle is to count from where it starts to when it next arrives.