The Menstrual Cycle and Fertility
Posted by Christina Pistotnik
I’m sure most women find that menstruating every month may feel like a nuisance, especially if they experience PMS symptoms that are quite bothersome. However, it is very important to the health of her fertility to have a regular menstrual cycle. This is because if her menstrual cycle is coming on a regular basis that means that hormones are balanced and doing their job to keep everything in the body and especially the reproductive and endocrine systems working normally.
What exactly does a regular menstrual cycle look like?
A regular menstrual cycle usually is described as 28 days, with the first day of one period counted as day 1 and last day prior to the first day of the next period counted as day 28. Though every woman is different and may not experience an exact 28 day cycle it is considered to be healthy if it is plus/minus 7 days (21 day-35 day cycle length). The reason why the length of a woman’s cycle is so important is that an improper cycle length can lead to not enough time for the ovaries to produce a good quality egg and thickness of uterine lining for the fertilized egg to properly adhere to.
What is considered a normal length of time for a menstrual period?
The menstrual period is the length of time that a woman sheds her uterine lining, which is what causes bleeding to occur each month. A typical amount of time is considered 3-7 days of uninterrupted steady flow of menstrual blood. As said previously every woman is different some periods start off heavy then progressively move to light, others may start off light then move to heavy then light. The length of time a woman menstruates for is important as well. This is because if she is menstruating for an improper amount of time this could mean that her uterine lining is too thin for proper implantation of a fertilized egg. If she is menstruating for too long of a time than that could mean other problems are at hand and should consult her family doctor.
Factors affecting length of menstrual cycle and period
The length of a woman’s menstrual cycle and period can vary throughout her life causing it to be shorter or longer than the previous months. Factors that affect the length of her menstrual cycle and period include: Stress, excessive alcohol consumption, thyroid conditions, weight loss, medications, caffeine, polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian and uterine cysts, uterine polyps, child birth, breastfeeding, miscarriage, and aging.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine to regulate menstrual cycle and flow
As you can see by the multitude of factors that can play a role in the length of a woman’s menstrual cycle that it is actually quite delicate and at times complicated.
Fortunately acupuncture and herbal medicine is quite affective in helping to regulate the menstrual cycle and period. Both acupuncture and herbal medicine has the ability to balance hormones that may have become a little askew over time. This is accomplished by assisting the body’s ability to properly release sufficient amount of hormones at the proper time. After all timing is key when it comes to the menstrual cycle and ultimately conception.
