The Basics of Menstruation_Final
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>> Hey there, and welcome back. It's great to see you today.
In this lecture, we're going to talk about periods.
The menstrual cycle is a healthy part of every woman's life,
yet it's often treated as something negative,
bad, and even dirty.
In fact, many women still think of their period
as the curse.
And this is largely because many women still experience
a slew of negative symptoms in the days leading up to
and during their time of the month.
But what if a woman's period
could actually be the key to living her best life?
This may sound too good to be true,
but period problems can actually be a thing of the past.
Most women understand the basic mechanics of their period
but not the nuances
that can lead to vibrant hormonal health.
In this lecture, we'll be discussing
the four phases of the menstrual cycle
along with the physical and emotional facts of each.
But we'll also talk about the fluctuations in cervical fluid
throughout the phases of the cycle
which can be helpful for managing fertility.
Plus, you'll learn how to help your female clients work
with their cycle instead of against it.
With the info we'll be passing along here,
you can teach your female clients
how to embrace every phase of their menstrual cycle
so they can feel vibrant and aligned.
Imagine how amazing they'll feel
when they get their hormones working for them
rather than against them
and begin to truly go with the flow.
The menstrual cycle can be divided into four phases.
It can be helpful to think of them
as the four seasons in nature.
The female body naturally moves
through each phase from spring
when new life is possible all the way through to winter
when it's time to take a break and rest.
The four phases of the menstrual cycle are
the follicular, ovulatory,
luteal, and bleeding phases.
Think of the follicular phase as the spring season,
the ovulatory phase as summer,
the luteal phase as the fall season,
and the bleeding phase as winter.
Let's discuss the physical
and emotional impacts of each phase
while also considering changes in cervical fluid
throughout the cycle.
This can be important clues
for helping your female clients figure out
which phase of their cycle they're currently in.
The follicular phase is the time in the menstrual cycle
when the ovaries are preparing and ripening an egg.
It's important to keep in mind
that a woman's body is always preparing to get pregnant.
This is the beginning stage of that process.
The follicular phase begins on the first day of menstruation
and ends the day before ovulation.
To make it easy, think of it as the phase
between menstruation and ovulation.
During the follicular phase,
the pituitary gland releases a hormone
called follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH.
FSH stimulates the follicles
which contain woman's eggs in one of the ovaries to mature.
In response, the pituitary gland
then starts to release luteinizing hormone, or LH,
which is responsible for ovulation.
Under normal circumstances,
only one of these follicles will ripen and become mature.
At the beginning of the follicular phase,
estrogen and testosterone levels are typically low.
They slowly ramp up during this phase,
and as this happens,
your clients will begin to experience
a boost in energy, mood, and brain skills.
They'll start to feel more confident, powerful,
and willing to take more risks.
Testosterone starts to stimulate their libido
while also making them feel a little bit bolder.
Estrogen will make their skin look and feel better
during this phase.
It also makes them feel more extroverted and pushes them
to be more social and to connect with other people.
And here's a bonus, estrogen suppresses appetite
which can make them feel lighter
and less weighed down during this phase.
As ovulation approaches,
the uterine lining thickens in preparation for pregnancy.
The cervix remains low and closed
but gradually opens and starts producing
wetter quality cervical fluid.
What do I mean by that?
Cervical fluid is usually dry
for the first few days after menstruation,
but it takes on a wetter consistency
as estrogen builds and stimulates the cervix.
In the days leading up to ovulation,
it begins to look pasty or creamy.
If you're wondering why I'm sharing this with you,
it's because women are most fertile
in the last days of the follicular phase
leading up to ovulation.
So this is an important clue.
They should use birth control
if they do not wish to get pregnant.
As described a moment ago,
the follicular phase of the cycle
correlates to the spring season.
Internally, the body is starting the fertility process
all over again by preparing an egg, and externally,
it's a time for renewal, beginning new things,
and making social connections.
The follicular phase is a good time
for initiating new projects at work or at home,
making important business and personal decisions,
brainstorming and problem solving,
strategizing in business or at work,
being social and connecting with others,
and participating in strenuous physical exercise.
The ovulatory phase, which you can think of as summer,
is the phase in which the egg is released from the ovary.
This phase is short,
usually only lasting about two to three days.
Right before ovulation, there is a surge of LH
which causes the dominant follicle to burst open
and release its egg into the fallopian tube.
The egg will be viable for roughly 12 to 24 hours.
And if it is not fertilized, it will disintegrate.
Here's a super cool fact about the cervix
during the ovulatory phase.
The cervix moves up higher
so the egg can get the best sperm,
meaning the sperm have to swim farther to get to the egg.
Only the fittest sperm will survive the seemingly long
journey up to the cervix, through the uterus,
and up one of the fallopian tubes.
Additionally, the cervix will become soft and open.
The cervical fluid is considered to be fertile
during this phase.
It's typically clear or resembles egg whites,
and it's viscous with lots of elasticity.
What this means is it will stretch
if held between the thumb and forefinger.
During this time, it's also possible for the cervical fluid
to be very wet and watery as well
which is still considered to be fertile cervical fluid.
Healthy fertile cervical fluid nourishes the sperm,
protects them from the natural acidity of the vagina,
and it guides them toward the egg.
Physically, levels of estrogen and testosterone
are at their peak during the ovulatory phase.
Women often report looking and feeling more attractive
during this time and their sex drive tends to be highest.
After all, the body is programmed
to maximize genetic potential.
So naturally, it will get you in the mood to get it on
when your window for fertility is open.
To help with this, energy levels are often high
during this time.
So women should continue to enjoy lots of physical activity
and high-impact workouts,
especially group workouts.
The ovulatory phase is a good time for job interviews
or anything where you need to be on your A game,
asking for a raise or having important conversations,
networking or public-speaking events,
launching a new business or venture,
scheduling date night with your partner
or asking someone out,
and physical exercise, activities, and sports.
Next, the luteal phase occurs
when the egg is not fertilized,
and the body begins to prepare to release it.
This phase typically lasts about 12 to 16 days.
For it to be considered and optimal fertile cycle,
the luteal phase should be within this range
because a fertilized egg
usually takes at least 10 days to travel
from the fallopian tube and implant into the uterine lining.
After ovulation, FSH and LH levels sharply decline
and remain low for the rest of the cycle.
Estrogen and testosterone decline as well,
but estrogen will make another appearance
later on in the luteal phase.
Early in the luteal phase, the follicle that release the egg
will transform into what is known as the corpus luteum,
a temporary endocrine gland that produces progesterone.
This heat-inducing hormone will rise gradually
raising a woman's basal body temperature
during the luteal phase.
If a woman is using a fertility awareness-based
method or birth control,
this temperature rise after ovulation
is how she will know she's ovulated.
Progesterone also stimulates the growth of the lining
of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy.
And it's responsible for transforming cervical fluid
from stretchy and wet to sticky and dryness phase.
Here's something really interesting.
If one were to look at it under a microscope,
it would look like a basket weave texture.
This serves to block sperm,
and this is why it's referred to as infertile cervical fluid
because sperm find it particularly hard to swim through.
Think of this phase as the autumn season of the cycle.
It's helpful to think of this phase
broken down into two halves.
Emotionally, during the first half of the luteal phase,
women are often still riding high
off the effects of the ovulatory or summer phase.
However, as progesterone production increases,
they'll find themselves starting to wind down
and wanting to avoid the social scene
of the first half of the cycle.
Remember way back in the beginning of this course,
we refer to progesterone as the keep calm
and carry on hormone?
Well, that's because progesterone is a natural sleep aid
and anti-anxiety hormone, kind of like a natural valium.
This makes the luteal phase a good time for nesting,
organizing your home or office,
and taking care of your personals, to-do lists, and chores.
Your brain prioritizes attention to detail in this phase,
so it's a great time to take care of bookkeeping
and accounting tasks as well.
During the second week of the luteal phase,
estrogen will rise again slightly
to further prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy.
If there's no pregnancy,
estrogen and progesterone will drop
and cause the uterine lining to shed
during the bleeding phase.
The second half of the luteal phase
is notoriously difficult for so many women.
This is the dreaded PMS week.
If you're a woman, there's a good chance
you've experienced some of the negative effects.
In fact, 80% of women feel
some emotional or physical symptoms
in the second half of their cycle.
And 20% experience symptoms severe enough
to seek medical attention.
Women most commonly report experiencing
a physical PMS symptoms
like headaches, bloating, moodiness, and cravings
for carbohydrate-heavy comfort foods.
And the second half of the luteal phase is a good time
to clear the calendar of big social events
to conserve energy.
As women get closer to their period,
they may experience a feeling of a physical fullness
and a strong desire and anxiousness
to release this fullness.
Thankfully, this will happen when their period begins.
Practices to help cope with the luteal phase
include really good self-care practices
like massage and baths,
nourishing and healthy comfort foods
that won't disrupt blood sugar,
gentle exercise like yin yoga,
and getting to bed earlier or sleeping in later.
You may have clients who feel isolated in their experiences
during this stage of their cycle.
And it can be helpful to assure them
they're not alone and that the symptoms are real.
This is an important time to make sure
they're getting enough primary foods.
As innate nurturers,
many women tend to push forward
to take care of others
while paying less attention to their own needs.
They and those around them may take for granted
that they need some extra support during this time.
A woman's body is governed by cycles,
and during this part of her cycle,
there is a remarkable cascade of hormonal events
taking place that are bound to cause
some physical and emotional symptoms.
Are your female clients taking their deserved time to relax
and nourish themselves during this time?
Moving on to the final phase.
The bleeding phase occurs
when the lining of the uterus is shed.
Think of this as the winter season of the cycle,
when the body is clearing out
what's no longer needed and preparing for new growth.
This phase lasts for about two to seven days for most women.
In some cases, it can be longer and even shorter
depending on whether a woman
has certain hormonal imbalances.
The bleeding phase begins when progesterone levels drop
causing the lining of the uterus to break down and shed.
Your clients may feel a sense of release and relief
when menstruation starts.
During this week, their energy is the lowest it will be
during their cycle.
They may feel tired, withdrawn, and introspective.
This naturally leads to a desire to rest
and take a break from daily duties or even take a day off.
Encourage your female clients to find a way
to take it easy during this time.
A day off may not be possible for most women,
but taking time to introduce some quietness into their day
can be tremendously helpful.
This may look like a short walk, some gentle stretching,
or closing their eyes and focusing on deep breathing
for five minutes.
You can help your clients make the most of this time
with some key lifestyle adjustments.
These include giving themselves some downtime
for restoration, trusting their intuition,
and getting some loving.
Downtime is needed during this restorative time.
Your clients may find themselves craving peace and quiet,
so encourage them to clear their schedule
so they can spend more time alone.
This is probably not the time to make big plans
or go on a date with someone new.
Instead recommend that they leave their calendar
as open as possible.
Journaling, visioning, and goal setting are very helpful
for women during this time of the cycle.
Intuition is heightened at this time.
Did you know that communication
between the right and left sides of the brain
is heightened throughout this phase of the cycle?
Intuition and gut feelings are strongest
during menstruation,
which enhance a woman's ability to evaluate a situation.
Oftentimes, women have intuitive hints
about relationships that aren't working
or other areas in their life that need attention.
Suggest that your clients take note of these feelings
and set their intentions for the month ahead.
Some self-love and tender care
can really help during this phase.
If your clients get headaches and menstrual cramps
during their period,
you can recommend they try a hot water bottle,
self-message, or some gentle yoga poses.
Also, while this may not feel
like the sexiest time of the month for some women,
it's a good time to get intimate with oneself or a partner.
Physical touch and orgasms
trigger the production of oxytocin,
the hormone of love and bonding,
which also happens to reduce physical pain.
Lastly, light physical activity and gentle movement
can help ease cramps
but remind your clients to take it easy during this time.
Encourage them to avoid stress on the ligaments
that are attached to the uterus.
This means taking a breather from basically any exercise
that feels extremely strenuous
like CrossFit, bootcamps, spinning, and running.
These are a few of the many great ways for your clients
to take better care of themselves
during this often challenging time of their cycle.
You may want to get creative and help them define
what's most restorative for them.
What's most important
is that they take time to pause and rest,
whatever that looks like for them.
When your clients honor the body's innate need
for rest and relaxation during this phase,
it will go a long way toward creating hormonal resilience.
And that wraps up our discussion of the four phases
of the menstrual cycle.
To recap, there's the follicular phase or spring phase,
which is when the ovaries prepare the egg,
the ovulatory phase or summer phase
when the egg is released,
the luteal phase or autumn phase
when the body prepares to release an unfertilized egg,
and the bleeding phase or winter phase
when the uterine lining sheds
and the unfertilized egg is released.
Cervical fluid changes throughout the cycle
in accordance with the woman's fertility in each phase.
We discussed how each phase
has its own distinct physical and emotional signs.
Specific activities and types of exercises can be done
during each of the phases to work with rather than against
the body's physical state during that time.
Encourage your clients to maximize
their high level of energy and sociability
during the follicular phase,
ovulatory phase, and early luteal phase,
and to prepare themselves for rest and self-care
during the late luteal phase and bleeding phase.
Thanks for joining us today.
Before tuning into this lecture,
did you ever think about creating an inner balance
by living in sync with the menstrual cycle?
Have you ever done this for yourself
or helped a client enhance her experience
with her menstrual cycle?
Please be sure to stop by the Facebook group to discuss
and share your experiences.
I hope you enjoyed this lecture. See you soon.