To some who’ve yet to have their minds opened, ‘cycle tracking’ may sound like some sort of Olympic sport. In actual fact, it’s simply the process of tracking the stages and symptoms of your menstrual cycle. You can identify roughly when each of the phases are (a little more on those later), and log the dates and symptoms that occur throughout.
Now, I used to be one of those people who would be asked “when was your last period?” at the doctor, and I’d laugh and say, with my full chest, “no-one actually knows that right?”.
Turns out, I was the fool, and tracking your cycle is quite important.
Why is it important to track your periods?
When you hear about cycle tracking and you’re not someone who’s already logging on their app of choice religiously, you probably sit in one of two camps. Either you don’t know much about it full stop, or you do know about it, but you assume it’s only for fertility tracking and trying to conceive.
Let me be the one to tell you, you could not be more wrong.
Aside from family planning, it’s non-negotiable for understanding yourself and your cycle fully, it helps establish what’s ‘normal’ for you, and it can highlight areas that are worth getting checked. It’s also vital data to have should you ever want to investigate period-related issues with a doctor.
Plus, you won’t have to pull a date out of your ass the next time someone asks when your last period was.
Where can I track my period?
These days, tech is on our side and there are plenty of apps that do the heavy lifting for you. They can predict your next cycle, identify patterns, suggest when particular phases might be, the list goes on. There are plenty of apps to choose from; Clue and Flo are top tier all-rounders. If peace of mind for your data security is what you’re after then Drop, Euki and Periodical are the strongest1.
You don’t have to use an app though. If you feel more comfortable with something a bit more analog, you can download printable trackers where you log everything manually – like our very own one here!
You can always use an actual calendar or diary, a regular notebook, or the good old notes app on your phone too. As long as you can log the date and any symptoms, use whatever feels the most intuitive for you.
The menstrual phases.
First thing’s first, to track your menstrual cycle it’s good to have an understanding of the phases of it.
Spoiler alert, it’s not just your period!! The full menstrual cycle is actually made up of two separate cycles which happen simultaneously – one relating to changes in the ovaries (ovarian), and the other relating to the uterus (endometrial or uterine)2.
To save all of us a headache, when it comes to tracking, it’s most common to amalgamate the two and consider the ‘menstrual cycle’ as 4 phases; Menstruation, Follicular, Ovulation, Luteal.
Menstruation is the bleed or period, where the uterus sheds its lining. It usually lasts around 2-7 days3.
Follicular is the body preparing to release an egg. This phase is happening simultaneously to your period, and continues after your period, up until ovulation. It can vary from 10-22 days long4.
Ovulation is when your body releases an egg. Although often referred to as a ‘phase’, this is actually just one day and can sometimes differ when exactly in your cycle it is5. Confusing, I know!
Finally, Luteal rounds it off with that often hellish time in the lead-up to your period6. That’s the one responsible for most PMS symptoms. Cheers.
To avoid making this biblically long, there is another article going into more detail about the phases and what the impact is on our bodies HERE.
How do you actually track your cycle?
You’ll be relieved to know that while there’s lots of stuff it’s handy to know, the actual tracking is relatively straight forward. For the first cycle you track, I’d recommend keeping it super simple. The potential with tracking is endless and can feel quite overwhelming.
You start by making a note, however you choose, of the first day of your period, then record the days you bleed for. This, after a couple of cycles, will hopefully show you the length of your entire menstrual cycle, and your period respectively.
From there, you can go into as much or as little detail as you like. Here are some top areas people find helpful to log:
- Heaviness of flow
- Pain (where in your body, type of pain and severity)
- Energy levels
- Mood
- Toilet habits
- Sex drive
If you’re someone who struggles with periods, the more detail you can capture, the better. It will essentially act as your evidence folder if you decide to see a doctor.
Remember that the key isn’t just what you’re experiencing, but when you’re experiencing it. So be sure to log each day’s details separately.
Congratulations, you’ve successfully completed a crash course in period tracking! We’ve made it super easy for you to action too, with this printable tracker download which is a great place to start, before you go all super-tracker (which is a canon event for most people!).
A collaboration: This article was created by Bloody Honest, as part of an ongoing content series collaboration bringing you shame-free, evidence-based period education.
References
- https://allaboutcookies.org/safe-period-tracking-apps
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500020/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/periods/
- https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/the-menstrual-cycle-more-than-just-the-period
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23439-ovulation
- https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/menstrual-cycle-and-pregnancy/
