Understanding your menstrual cycle

Understanding your menstrual cycle is essential for your good health. It is especially important if you want to chart your fertility pattern as a method of contraception.The first part of the cycle, from menstruation to ovulation, may vary from 13 to 20 days in length. The length of the first part is not only different from one woman to another, but also differs in some women from month to month. It is during this critical first part of the cycle that fertilization can occur. Such common circumstances as sickness, worry, physical exertion, and even sudden changes in climate may occasionally upset a regular pattern by shortening it or extending it. The second part of the cycle, from ovulation to menstruation, is about the same length in all women. The egg is released consistently 14 to 16 days before the onset of menstruation, regardless of the length of a woman;s menstrual cycle. During your cycle there are many changes that tell you whether you are fertile or not. Here are brief descriptions of the changes you can chart to predict when you ovulate in order to plan or prevent pregnancy.