UNDERSTANDING YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE & OVULATION: LEARN HOW TO GET PREGNANT FAST & REDUCE PERIOD SYMPTOMS
TUNE INTO YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE?
Let's start by exploring the menstrual cycle phases and what happens to our sex hormones during each phase.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE No.1: THE BLEEDING (Day 1-7)
During these days, sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) levels are their lowest, as it is BBT (basal body temperature). The lining of the uterus and the unfertilised egg is shed. It is considered healthy to bleed between 4-6days and then stop abruptly. The colour of the blood should be bright red (like when skin repairs after a cut) and the texture should be a combination of watery and fibrous kind of tissue (like dead skin). When the colour is more brownish or clots are present, this may indicate some blood stagnation (according to Chinese medicine).
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SELF-CARE TIP:
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Rest or at least slowdown!
In some Asian countries, such as Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, the law recognises Menstrual Leave policy. Women are entitled to take time off work for this period and still get paid.
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Let the blood flow! (avoid using tampons as they block the natural flow)
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Be aware that some contraceptive pills suppress ovulation, making the uterus lining very thin; they may also disrupt the cervical mucus and often contain copper which is toxic for the body
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If you suffer from menstrual cycle's symptoms such as irregular & heavy periods, make sure you try our Fertility Acupuncture London as it can effectively help you to restore a healthier bleeding
MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE No.2: POST MENSTRUATION (Follicular phase - Day 8-14)
The pituitary gland secretes FSH (Follicle-stimulating hormone). This initiates the development of the ovarian follicle, which matures and secretes oestrogen. As oestrogen rises, the endometrium is stimulated to re-grow and the cervix opens and secretes a fertile mucus, to help the sperm surviving and reaching the egg.
SELF-CARE TIP:
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Eat very well! - you need to support the renewal of your energy and blood (especially if feeling weak)
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MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE No.3: OVULATION (Day 14-21)
Oestrogen levels are at their peak; an egg ready to be fertilised is discharged into the abdominal cavity, then grabbed by the fallopian tubes to provide a pathway to the uterus. The cervix secretes a stretchy mucus to help sperm reaching the egg. BBT peaks a couple of days after ovulation.
SELF-CARE TIP:
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If you experience pain during ovulation, apply a hot water bottle to your abdomen/back to relax the pelvis and Rest!!
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If you don't ovulate regularly, make sure you try our Bespoke Acupuncture for fertility treatment as it can help stimulate eggs production.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE No.4: POST OVULATION (Day 21-28)
Blood increases and the lining of the uterus thickens to prepare for fecundation.
SELF-CARE TIP:
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If you become aware of patterns of PMS symptoms such as Cramps, Irritability, Mood swings, this may mean there is an excess of built-up energy. Therefore Try to DANCE! MOVE! EXERCISE!!!!
A LITTLE EXTRA...WOMEN'S HEALTH SELF-CARE TIPS
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A positive mindset is necessary for any healing journey. Exploring the power of thoughts and noticing what positive/negative patterns they bring about, can help us to connect and learn more about ourselves. If you suffer from Menstrual cycle's symptoms and don't believe in your healing power, you will have fewer chances of rebalancing your reproductive health naturally.
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...SO HOW CAN YOU HEAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE'S SYMPTOMS WITH THE POWER OF YOUR MIND?
Here are some few tricks you can try:
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Visualisation and Affirmations can empower the mind and create positive thought patterns.
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Meditation can teach us how to breathe deeply, which in turn activates the parasympathetic nervous system calming the mind and emotions.
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Self-observation and reflection are useful tools to listen to our real needs. Tune into your body and recognise different symptoms through the diverse phases of your cycle!
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You may start a daily/weekly journal and take some notes throughout the month and
ASK YOURSELF:
Do I observe any physical, emotional and mental change pattern?
How do I support myself with these changes?
What part of the cycle am I more comfortable in and which is most difficult?
What happens during the transition between times?
Try to become aware of repeating patterns during each menstrual cycle phase and learn to recognise them before they overwhelm you. Listen to your body and meet your needs.
Develop your intuition and learn to trust it!
Become aware of your weaknesses,
be thankful to them and see them as guidelines for behaviour,
not as things to feel bad about.
If we are able to look at them in this way,
they may point us in a better direction
and teach us how to take better
care of ourselves.
OVULATION: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET PREGNANT FAST
How to get pregnant fast? Learn to detect Ovulation accurately as timing is everything!!
Still, wondering "When Do I Ovulate? What Time of Month Am I Most Fertile?" If so, just keep reading and learn how to recognise the Signs and Symptoms of Ovulation in order to time intercourse accordingly.
If you have been trying to conceive with no success, it could just be that you’re missing the ovulation fertile window, which is around 4 days. The ideal time for intercourse would be 1-3 days prior to ovulation.
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I would strongly suggest you to not rely entirely on ovulation tests to detect it. They often aren't so accurate as they only detect an increase in LH sex hormone, but that doesn’t mean ovulation is occurring exactly on those days.
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Finding an effective way to understand when you are actually ovulating is crucial when TTC!!
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The best method to detect ovulation is MEASURING BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE which is your waking vaginal temperature.
You can get a basal thermometer at a chemist; it is a special thermometer that shows the minute degree changes that a regular thermometer can not.
The temperature should be taken 1st thing in the morning around the same time and before getting out of bed.
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Just before ovulation occurs, the BBT will first drop down to spike up and increase from about 46.3 to 36.7 degrees Celsius as ovulation happens.
How many days after your period do you ovulate?
The most fertile day is the day of the spike and a couple of days preceding it. Just be aware that false spike may occur due to hangovers, stress, illness and travel which will all cause delay ovulation..
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If you tend to wake up in the middle of the night or are afraid you won't be able to take the temperature at the exact same time every day, try OVUSENSE. This is a medical device, an electronic thermometer which can alert you up to 24-hours before you ovulate based on your in-cycle data. Clinically proven to be correct 96% of the time, this gives you more time to try to get pregnant each cycle.
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Charting the BBT will also help you to understand better ovulation symptoms & how long the pre/post-ovulation period last to have a clearer idea of what's going on and whether there is a progesterone deficiency which may be obstacle your chances of getting pregnant. Progesterone is a female hormone that is essential for conception and key in balancing Oestrogen dominant conditions, such as PCOS, Endometriosis and Fibroids. When progesterone levels are low, you may experience spotting pre & post cycle, and you may have more difficulty to get pregnant as the fertilised egg will struggle to implant in the uterus. If you experience spotting no worries, as there are remedies you can try in order to improve it; but it is very important you become aware of it first. You could also try acupuncture at our clinic in London. Acupuncture may effectively help you to relax restoring hormonal balance and stimulating eggs production.
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Another helpful method is the CERVICAL MUCUS METHOD.
You can learn how to check your cervical mucus to get a better idea of whether you should be in your fertile window. Usually, straight after menstruation, the mucus is scant, sticky and thick, impenetrable to sperm.
As ovulation approaches, the mucus becomes more clear, slippery; it has the consistency of a raw egg and should stretch between your fingers which indicates ovulation is about to occur. The most fertile day is the last day of egg white cervical mucus when it is very watery and stretchy. Make sure to have intercourse prior to and during this day... & good luck!
MEDICATION & MENSTRUAL CYCLE SYMPTOMS
Did you know that certain medicines may and cause menstrual cycle symptoms (such as heavy& irregular periods, PMS symptoms - mood swings, irritability, bloating)?
Medications affect brain chemistry, therefore they also influence the endocrine system and affective your hormonal balance.
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WHAT MEDICATIONS CAN INTERFERE THE MOST WITH WOMEN'S HEALTH, THUS CAUSING HORMONAL IMBALANCE & MENSTRUAL CYCLE SYMPTOMS?
Steroids are usually prescribed for inflammatory diseases (i.e arthritis, asthma inhaler). They can prevent the Pituitary gland (which is the master gland that controls all the hormones in the body) to release hormones such as LH/FSH, therefore, affecting ovulation.
Contraceptive pill: In Western society, this remedy can often be offered as a solution to common Menstrual cycle symptoms such as severe teenage acne, painful, heavy or irregular periods, PMS symptoms and when women are diagnosed with hormonal imbalance such as PCOS and Endometriosis.
Not many girls/women are aware that the conveniently short and light bleed caused by the contraceptive Pill is not a real menstrual cycle. It often happens that women take the contraceptive pill for a very prolonged time and when they come off it, the initial menstrual cycle symptoms & problems start over again. Many contraceptive pills work by suppressing ovulation, so the body may need time to re-learn to ovulate and re-gain the correct hormonal balance.
The contraceptive pill may also mask other women's health problems. The contraceptive pill interferes with the natural homeostasis of the body and therefore influence other body’s processes, like digestion, growth, temperature which are all regulated by hormones. Consequently, a woman on the contraceptive pill may experience some changes to other bodily or emotional processes without realising that they may be caused by this drug.
Women may get diagnosed with hormonal imbalance & reproductive conditions such as PCOS only much later in their lives when experiencing problems to conceive. This creates the vicious cycle of addressing menstrual cycle symptoms again (such as irregular & heavy period, difficulty to ovulate) rather than addressing the real problem early with preventative measures and having learnt to listen and tune into their body.
SIMPLE TIPS TO PREVENT & REDUCE & MENSTRUAL CYCLE SYMPTOMS & RELATED PROBLEMS
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PRECONCEPTION CARE: HEALTHY DIET & BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
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How to get pregnant fast?
To succeed in your preconception care plan, add to your healthy diet another important element: REGULAR MEAL TIME!
Regular Meal Time is an essential component of a healthy menstrual cycle and to boost your chances to get pregnant fast!
Why is Regular Meal Time is so important to boost your preconception care plan's success?
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Meal time is one of the major factor influencing blood sugar levels... and Blood sugar levels affect the secretion of the female sex hormone progesterone which is necessary for procreation. Disrupted level of Progesterone can cause Hormonal Imbalance in Women such as Oestrogen dominant conditions, such as PCOS, Endometriosis and Fibroids. In addition, when progesterone levels are low, you may experience spotting pre & post cycle, and you may have more difficulty to get pregnant as the fertilised egg will struggle to implant in the uterus.
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When Blood sugar levels rise too much, they cause a surge of Adrenalin, which, when in excess, blocks the release of progesterone. So first of all, ask yourself: Are you eating regularly throughout the day?
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How can you balance your blood sugar levels naturally & boost your preconception care plan's success?
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Eat little portions every 2-3 hours
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Eat protein and complex carbs at each meal
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Use Coriander and Cinnamon essential oils to support the liver and pancreas, two important organs for balancing out those blood glucose level
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What are the main benefits of balance your Blood sugar levels?
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When your Blood Sugar levels are more balanced you will:
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have a more stable weight
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get relief from mood swing
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improve women's health
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reduce headache
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increase energy levels​
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succeed in your preconception care plan! And get pregnant fast :)
What foods shall you avoid in order to balance your blood sugar levels & boost your preconception care plan's success?
If you want to get pregnant fast, It is essential that you AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS! The most common artificial sweeteners are high fructose syrup and aspartame.
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HIGH FRUCTOSE SYRUP can’t be metabolised by the liver, therefore it causes blood sugar levels to rise quickly, increasing the risk of diabetes and also affecting negatively the pancreas. The pancreas produces and releases insulin which is the hormone responsible for lower glucose levels in the bloodstream, thus balancing blood sugar levels. Insulin promotes the storage of glucose in fat, muscle, liver and other body tissues. When we eat foods rich in high fructose syrup, our pancreas gets overused, which may cause not only hormonal imbalance in women but also it may contribute to weight gain.
What foods are rich in high fructose syrup?
- Sweet cereals
- Muesli bars
- Ready-to-eat Soup and fruit juices
- Fizzy drinks usually contain a high level of fructose syrup.
They are terrible for our health! To make the drink fizzy,
lots of salt needs to be added, therefore even more
fructose is needed to mask the salty taste.
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Another negative note about this artificial sweetener is that study found that High fructose syrup contains MERCURY. Mercury can sabotage your preconception care plan and lower your chances to get pregnant fast! Thus another good reason why to avoid foods rich in high fructose syrup! Be aware that you may already be unknowingly exposed to mercury, especially if:
- living close to a factory which uses mercury as a preservative for wheat seeds as this may contaminate the water supply
- some vaccinations contain mercury as a preservative
- eating deep water fish (such as tuna, swordfish, shark, marlin) that swim closer to the Earth which naturally emits mercury
- taking cod liver oil supplement - that could have been extracted by deepwater fishes
- amalgam dental fillings. White porcelain fillings are a safer alternative.
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ASPARTAME, which it used to be prescribed as an ulcer medication. Nowadays aspartame is widely found in our food because it can be advertised as “sugar-free”. Our body can only take a limited amount of aspartame. When this exceeds, it may cause symptoms of strokes!
Natural sweeteners are much healthier for us! Try to use agave syrup, honey and nectar syrup.
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