| Original Message |
waxingmoon (Login waxingmoon)
SENIOR MEMBER
Posted Mar 5, 2008 7:17 PM
These are the phases of the menstrual cycle. The days cited are of course in general and your cycle may vary.
-------
menstrual phase ----[days 1 - 4]
follicular phase (also known as proliferative phase) ----[days 5 - 13]
ovulation (not a phase, but an event dividing phases)----[day 14]
luteal phase (also known as secretory phase)----[days 15 - 26]
ischemic phase (some sources group this with secretory phase)----[days 27 - 28]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Days 5 - 13
During the follicular phase the lining of the uterus thickens, stimulated by gradually increasing amounts of estrogen. Follicles in the ovary begin developing under the influence of a complex interplay of hormones, and after several days one or occasionally two follicles become dominant (non-dominant follicles atrophy and die).
Day 14
The dominant follicle releases an ovum or egg in an event called ovulation. (An egg that is fertilized by a spermatozoon will become a zygote, taking one to two weeks to travel down the fallopian tubes to the uterus. If the egg is not fertilized within about a day of ovulation, it will die and be absorbed by the woman's body.[2])
Days 15 - 26
After ovulation the remains of the dominant follicle in the ovary become a corpus luteum; this body has a primary function of producing large amounts of progesterone. Under the influence of progesterone, the endometrium (uterine lining) changes to prepare for potential implantation of an embryo to establish a pregnancy.
Days 26 - 28
If implantation does not occur within approximately two weeks, the corpus luteum will die, causing sharp drops in levels of both progesterone and estrogen.
Days 1 - 4
These hormone drops cause the uterus to shed its lining in a process termed menstruation.
------------------------------------------------ source Wikipedia -----------------
During days 5 - 14 your estrogen would be building to its peak on Day 14 (ovulation)
During days 15 - 26 your progesterone would be building (if you ovulated)
During days 26 - 28 and days 1 - 4 your estrogen and progesterone levels would be at their lowest. |
|
|