Okay, so this is a huge part of natural conception. Tracking your cycle is extremely important if you want to conceive naturally but that's not all, it is important for every woman to know how to track her cycle because that is a window into the female reproductive system. Think about it, almost every time you visit a doctor, one of the questions the usually ask is, when was your last period? this is because your period tells a lot of stories about your health in general and your reproductive health in particular. you will understand it better as we go on....
Do you know the length of your cycle?
This is the first thing you should learn as you begin tracking your cycle. The average number of days used in most cases is 28 days but i want you to understand that not every woman has a cycle length of 28. our cycles vary, some are as short as 21 days while some others are up to 36 days and to know yours you have to observe your body and note the dates.
To calculate the length of your cycle correctly always count
the first day of blood flow or period as day 1, it doesn’t matter how heavy or
light the flow is as long as you see blood it is to be counted as day 1, then
the next is day 2, then day 3 and so on, you should continue counting until you
get to the first day of your next period. When you have counted until the first
day of your next period, then you have completed a cycle.
The length of your cycle is different from the length of your
blood flow or period. Your blood flow on average can stop anywhere from day 2 –
day 7 depending on your body but your cycle continues, so even when the blood
flow stops to get your correct cycle length you should continue counting until
the first day of your next period. In other words your cycle length is from day
1 of your period to day 1 of your next period.
For instance
Jane just got home from
work on Friday May 13 and went to ease herself, she noticed some blood on her
underwear and so she put a pad knowing that her period just started. Three days
later on May 16, there was no longer any blood so she stopped putting any pad
on her underwear and she went on living her normal life until Thursday June 8,
she woke up to get ready for work and noticed some blood again on her underwear
so she knew her period had started again and had to put in a pad for the day.
To calculate Jane’s cycle length we will make a chart and
count from day 1 of her period to day 1 of her next period
MAY
|
|||||||||
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
Day 1
Period
starts.
Cycle
starts.
|
14
Day 2
|
15
Day 3
|
16
Day 4
Period
ends.
Cycle
continues
|
17
Day 5
|
18
Day 6
|
19
Day 7
|
20
Day 8
|
21
Day 9
|
22
Day 10
|
23
Day 11
|
24
Day 12
|
25
Day 13
|
26
Day 14
|
27
Day 15
|
28
Day 16
|
29
Day 17
|
30
Day 18
|
JUNE
|
|||||||||
1
Day 19
|
2
Day 20
|
3
Day 21
|
4
Day 22
|
5
Day 23
|
6
Day 24
|
7
Day 25
Cycle
ends
|
8
Day 1
New
Period
starts.
new
Cycle
starts
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
From the table above Jane's period lasted for 4 days while the length of her cycle is 25 days.
I hope the table above helps to explain further. You can actually note your dates on your phone, diary, calender, anything at all you are comfortable with to remind you of your start and end dates. By the time you do this for a couple of months, you will begin to have a general idea of the length of your cycle and be able to predict your next period. I say general because you will also find out that you may not have your period on the say day every month, the dates will change from time to time but the change will not be drastic and you will get used to the changes as you continue to track.
I hope the table above helps to explain further. You can actually note your dates on your phone, diary, calender, anything at all you are comfortable with to remind you of your start and end dates. By the time you do this for a couple of months, you will begin to have a general idea of the length of your cycle and be able to predict your next period. I say general because you will also find out that you may not have your period on the say day every month, the dates will change from time to time but the change will not be drastic and you will get used to the changes as you continue to track.
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