Menstruation—while mysterious and complex—is fascinating as well. For one thing, it’s the outward sign that a girl has become a woman. By SweetSpot Labs® believes in empowering and celebrating women and in celebrating that time of the month, because having your period is your body’s way of saying it’s functioning properly.

A woman’s menstrual cycle acts as a harbinger for her overall reproductive and sexual health. Understanding one’s own sweet spot is the first step for a woman to feel gorgeous. So it goes without saying that any and all women, sexually active or not, should be kept informed about the bodily changes that occur throughout menstruation, especially during her sexually active years.

What follows is a cursory overview of what happens during a woman’s average menstrual cycle.

For many cultures all around the world, a woman’s first menstruation, called menarche, is considered a rite of passage. Congratulations, you are a woman, and as a woman, you are beautiful, proud and powerful. This event marks a true transformation, for along with womanhood comes a host of responsibilities and concerns relating to sexual and reproductive wellbeing. More importantly, it marks the development of a woman’s most precious gift to the world: fertility and motherhood.

The human menstrual cycle consists of three main phases. These phases are:

• the menstrual phase, which lasts an average of 4 days,
• the follicular phase, lasting an average of 8 days, and
• the luteal phase, which lasts for about 14 days.

The menstrual cycle begins with the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium), a layer of tissue in which a fertilized egg would normally find its purchase. This is commonly known as a woman’s period, and they are different for every woman. During this 3 to 5 day period, a woman will lose an average of 35 milliliters of blood, but this flow can vary from 10 to 80 mL from person to person and is not considered unusual. It is important to realize, however, that during this stage a woman must maintain a diet rich in iron to compensate for this blood loss. A normal flow will last anywhere from 2 to 7 days and on average will last 3 to 5 days. A flow that lasts less than 2 days or longer than 7 is considered unusual. Should this happen, a woman should consult her doctor.

Following menstruation or period, the follicular stage begins, characterized by the final maturation of an ovarian follicle. An ovarian follicle consists of a group of cells surrounding a single egg cell. During this time, the matured follicle will stimulate the production of estrogen, which in turn initiates the formation of a new endometrium. The estrogen released in this phase also leads to the production of mucus in the cervix. This mucus tends to lower the acidity of the vagina (raising the pH and making the vagina more alkaline), so women should be wary of any hygiene products like body soap which might exacerbate any alkaline-induced infections like yeast infections or vaginitis. This stage of the cycle, about 4 or 5 days into the menstrual cycle, lasts about two weeks and is the most likely stage in which women contract uncomfortable infections, such as vaginitis, urinary tract infections and yeast infections.

The follicular stage culminates in ovulation, the release of a mature ovum from the ovary. The follicle in which the ovum is embedded releases substantial amounts of LH (luteinizing hormone) which weakens the walls of the follicle and releases the ovum into the fallopian tube, where it would be fertilized by a sperm cell. The final stage of menstruation is called the luteal phase. With the ovum traveling through the fallopian tube, the follicle from which it was released continues to divide and turns into what is then called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum plays an important role in the early stages of pregnancy, should an ovum be fertilized. The corpus luteum produces a substantial amount of estrogen and, most importantly, begins the production of progesterone, a vital hormone that transforms the endometrium into a secretory lining that supports the implantation and growth of a newly fertilized ovum. The presence of progesterone in a woman’s body may increase her body temperature by one-half to one degree Fahrenheit (one-quarter to one half degree Celsius) during the luteal phase, so she should not be alarmed by this change.

If the ovum is not fertilized, the corpus luteum atrophies and progesterone levels decline, leading to the shedding of the endometrium and, consequently, the beginning of a new cycle, beginning with menstruation. The menstrual cycle is a complex process, but is not impossible to understand. A little knowledge and understanding concerning the changes that your body is undergoing will help you lead a healthy and happy sexual life.

And why not use your cycle as an opportunity for self-care with SweetSpot Labs® Hormone Harmony collection…a self-loving ritual that does more that help you redefine the feeling of clean. It’s pH balanced and formulated with a blend of detoxifying and balancing grapefruit essences and decongesting basil essential oils that contain inborn properties to power through your period and help combat that PMS feeling too. SweetSpot Labs® is not your mother’s feminine hygiene…we offer options to help you feel fresh and fabulous while getting back in sync with your body’s natural rhythm.

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Disclaimer: Content provided in this essay regarding health or health matters has not been evaluated or approved by a board certified physician. Although we believe that all of the information contained in this essay is entirely correct and factual, we are not doctors and highly recommend consulting a physician regarding any medical problems or treatments.