The menstrual cycle happens every month but what is really happening?! Maybe you’ve never given your period too much thought other than googling “how to stop cramping” every month. But if you’re trying for a baby, it’s important to understand your menstrual cycle for fertility tracking!
As a lesbian, I’ve never paid much attention to my monthly cycle. I suppose that’s because I never had to worry about tracking my cycle to avoid my fertile window and prevent pregnancy scares. Now that my wife and I are starting our fertility journey, I’ve realized the importance of learning about your menstrual cycle so you can track ovulation. Timing ovulation is critical for a successful insemination.
This brings us to the menstrual cycle, which is a monthly process in people with ovaries to prepare the body for a potential pregnancy. It begins the first day of your period to the day before your next period. It’s typically 28 days long but can range from 21 to 35 days. Let’s look at the 4 phases to better understand our bodies and how they change for the possibility for pregnancy.
Table of Contents
1. Menses
The first day of your period marks the menstrual phase and start of the cycle. This is the part of our cycle we’re all inevitably familiar with. Bleeding, cramping, bloating, and all that fun stuff. The average length of the menstrual cycle is 5 days.
This is when the uterine lining is shed through the vagina if a fertilized egg hasn’t implanted. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest in this phase, which starts the shedding process.
2. Follicular Phase
The follicular phase overlaps with the menses phase. It begins when you start your period and ends at ovulation. For a typical 28 day cycle, this is days 1-14.
In this phase, estrogen levels begin to rise, causing the uterine lining to thicken. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increases, stimulating the growth of follicles in the ovaries. One of the follicles will mature into an egg.
3. Ovulation
During ovulation there is a surge of Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and this causes the mature egg to be released from the ovary. This usually happens around day 14 of your cycle and marks the start of your fertile window.
When trying to conceive (TTC), tracking your ovulation is crucial to determine when to inseminate. This is why all test strips assess LH levels. The surge indicates your fertile window. However, the egg is not released until 24-36 hours after the surge.
Ovulation prediction kits (OPKs) allow you to determine when your LH peaks by dipping the test strip in your urine sample. Some popular OPKs are Pre-Mom, Clearblue, and Inito.
As a queer couple TTC, timing is even more vital. Heterosexual couples can try multiple times in their fertile window to increase chances of pregnancy, but we’re usually working with one sperm sample! This is the most important part of the menstrual cycle for fertility tracking.
4. Luteal Phase
The luteal phase marks the end of ovulation and the end of the opportunity for impregnation.
In this phase, the egg moves through the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. Its purpose is to support a potential pregnancy or prepare for the next cycle.
Estrogen and progesterone are both produced in this phase. But progesterone is the dominate hormone during this phase (peaks around 5-7 days after ovulation). It helps to build and maintain the uterine lining (endometrium) to support implantation of a fertilized egg.
If no fertilization occurs, hormone levels drop, the uterine lining breaks down, and the cycle starts again.
If fertilization and implantation occur, progesterone continues to rise to maintain the pregnancy.
Menstrual Cycle Summary
Quick recap!
- Menses = your period
- Follicular = before the egg is released
- Ovulation = egg release
- Luteal = after the egg is released
The phases revolve around the egg! What matters when TTC is of course the ovulation phase. Understanding the menstrual cycle for fertility tracking will further help you to understand your body, and ultimately time insemination effectively.
If you want a visual of the process, click here for a quick 48 second video.
If you want more details and to better understand the hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle, check out this 2 minute video for more info.
If you’re an LGBTQ+ family looking to take the first steps toward starting your family, check out my other post, 5 Steps to Building a Family as a Queer Couple.
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