⁠⁣⁠Understanding your flow and figuring out if you have a healthy cycle is vital to help increase your chances of a successful pregnancy. ⁣Here's everything you need to know about your flow.

Menstruation phase

So, let's start from day one: your flow starts when conception has not occurred.  

What happens during your flow? Your estrogen and progesterone levels return down to their baseline. This triggers the shedding of the superficial layers of your uterine lining, along with chemicals called prostaglandins. ⁣⁠It is these chemicals that are the culprits making you feel like sluggish & promote inflammation. ⁣⁠

Many people believe your flow is supposed to be the most painful thing every month and put you down for days. ⁣This is not true and it doesn't have to be this way. You may have painful periods and significant PMS symptoms because of all the inflammation already going on in your body. When prostaglandins are released, it can contribute to the increased inflammation during your period, making you feel awful.

>>MORE: Demystifying Menstruation: What Is Your Period Trying to Tell You?

Follicular phase

After your period has come and gone, you enter into the follicular phase. This is around days three to 12.

This phase is crucial in building fertile potential in women when it comes to releasing an egg(s) and building a thick and nourishing endometrial lining. ⁣⁠

In the follicular phase, estrogen levels increase causing ovarian follicles to grow and mature until one becomes the golden egg. Many different parts of the body play a key role in making the follicular phase a success: ⁣⁠

• The pituitary gland must communicate with your ovaries by sending follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)⁣⁠.
• Ovaries must listen to the pituitary & respond by maturing follicles.⁣⁠
• Follicles must have the nutrients needed to be able to grow & release estrogen.⁣⁠
• The endometrial lining must respond to the estrogen to become full, lush & support implantation.⁣⁠

You can now see a little glimpse into why looking at your WHOLE body is so crucial. Your pituitary gland is located in your brain and is apart of your endocrine system, which is incredibly crucial to your fertility journey.⁣⁠ If your endocrine system is out of alignment — this perfectly timed dance might breakdown and fertility struggles may begin.⁣⁠

Ovulatory phase

As ovulation approaches, you reach the most active and fertile part of your menstrual cycle. ⁠You should notice that you actually feel like having sex. If you don't, that can be a sign from your body that things just aren't right.⁣⁠

>>MORE: Does Sex Drive Increase During the Ovulatory Phase? Here’s What the Research Says.

Estrogen and testosterone are at their peak, a dominant follicle with egg inside has reached maturation. This timing is important because ovulation occurring too early or too late can result in an embryo prone to chromosomal defects, even if conception occurs.⁠⁣⁠

You can use the OOVA Kit to help predict ovulation. This is when you have a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, which triggers ovulation and raises your body temperature. If all goes well a healthy egg will soon be heading down the fallopian tube to get fertilized.

Luteal phase

The Luteal phase is the stage of a woman's cycle beginning at the time of ovulation and ends either when your period begins or with pregnancy. The luteal phase typically lasts about 14 days, but is different for every woman.⁠ Using the OOVA Kit during this time can give you the necessary information about your luteal phase.

⁠Once ovulation occurs, the follicle sac that contained the egg transforms into the corpus luteum and produces progesterone, as well as a little estrogen. The egg travels down the fallopian tube, meets up with mister sperm and fertilize.⁠ If fertilization occurs, the corpus luteum will continue to produce more and more progesterone to help support the pregnancy and secure the endometrial lining. ⁠Your hormones reach their peak around cycle day 21 and then begin to fall, triggering your period, if pregnancy does not occur.⁠

During this time, you might have unfavorable symptoms such as bloating, acne, irritability, mood swings, and food cravings. But once again, this is not normal! ⁠

⁠There are a few reasons why you're experiencing a luteal phase hormone imbalances and exacerbated pre-menstrual symptoms:

• Not ovulating: This leads to not enough progesterone to balance the estrogen.⁠
• Poor gut health: Constipation causing poor metabolism and excretion of hormones⁠
• Thyroid imbalances⁠
• Inflammation⁠: Caused by diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors
• Stress⁠
• Poor circulation: The pelvic region is not getting enough oxygen

⁠A healthy luteal phase is an essential part of a woman's fertility with its crucial role in the implantation of the embryo and the maintenance of early pregnancy. ⁠

Progesterone is the queen during this phase of your flow! Knowing if your progesterone is at adequate levels, is the keys to the kingdom.⁠

We can promote a healthier luteal phase by cultivating high-quality eggs from their very beginning, enhancing the factors that influence the function of the corpus luteum, and supporting optimal hormonal balance via nutrition, lifestyle, and environment.⁠

Now you know your flow⁠⁣⁠

You know having painful periods, and major PMS symptoms may be because of all the inflammation already going on in your body.⁠⁣⁠

⁠⁣⁠You know the Follicular Phase includes your pituitary gland. You know a Luteinizing Hormone (LH) surge, triggers ovulation. ⁠⁣⁠You know if your endocrine system (which is incredibly for healthy ovulation) is out of sync, then complications with ovulation can occur.⁣⁠⁣⁠

You NOW know that ovulation is just one important piece of the puzzle.⁠⁣⁠

You know a healthy luteal phase is an essential part of a woman's fertility & you need to maintain healthy hormones. ⁠⁣⁠

But did you know that you can confirm ovulation via measuring progesterone?⁠⁣⁠ 

Recorded ongoing high levels of progesterone – the hormone released by the ovary after ovulation — can confirm that successful ovulation has occurred. This information is revolutionary for thousands of woman who struggling seeing an LH surge every month but are unable to get or maintain a healthy pregnancy.⁠⁣⁠

The Oova Kit lets you track you progesterone levels after peak fertility and can confirm that successful ovulation has occurred.

>>MORE: How Can I Tell If I'm Ovulating? How to Find and Test Your Fertile Window

Monica Cox is a top holistic fertility coach and infertility warrior who helps women get to the bottom of their unexplained infertility so they can increase their chances of getting and staying pregnant, by looking for the root cause of infertility that your doctor might not look into.