Unfortunately, most women have never been taught the language their bodies communicate in, much less how to decipher the often-confusing messages it sends. One of the best ways for women to take charge of their endocrine health is to begin carefully observing and taking note of various menstrual signs and symptoms each month. If your cycle is less than 25 days, you may have a condition called Luteal Phase Defect1, which is characterized by a short luteal phase (the second half of your cycle after ovulation). This condition is typically caused by a hormonal imbalance called estrogen dominance, in which estrogen levels rise too high in relation to progesterone levels. If your cycle is longer than 35 days, you may have a condition that is delaying or preventing ovulation from occurring: Polycystic ovarian syndrome and lack of ovulation, which leads to lack of periods are common culprits. In any of these cases, it’s important to visit your doctor to see what might be going on with your hormones. A healthy period is a sign of a healthy body and mind. By contrast, dark red blood, brown blood, or clots may be caused by a sluggish flow and/or poor uterine circulation. These issues might also be caused by an underlying hormonal imbalance (usually estrogen dominance). If there is blood stagnation, I recommend a hot water bottle or castor oil packs applied directly to the abdomen to stimulate blood flow. What is cervical fluid? Well, do you ever notice that once your period finishes or directly before it begins, you tend to experience a dry sensation? It’s then that you’re producing very little cervical fluid. This is because estrogen is very low. As you approach ovulation, and your estrogen levels rise, your cervical fluid will be wet and may even appear slightly opaque. Then, during the ovulatory phase, your cervical fluid will become even more wet, possibly watery and/or might take on an egg-white-like consistency (long and stretchy). As soon as ovulation occurs and progesterone production begins, your cervical fluid will almost immediately become sticky and begin to dry up. It will typically stay dry until your next period. In fact, physical and emotional PMS symptoms like bloating, breast pain and swelling, mood swings, anxiety, cramps, and acne are usually manifestations of an imbalance between estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. Interestingly, progesterone makes a woman’s body more sensitive to blood sugar swings during the second half of her cycle—and the symptoms of blood sugar instability are almost exactly the same as PMS symptoms! So make sure to keep your blood sugar stable by eating protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats at each meal. There is one exception to this rule that occurs during ovulation. Some women experience ovulatory bleeding (a sign that ovulation is happening) which typically lasts from one to two days and resembles very light spotting. Don’t panic if this happens; it is actually very normal. To help yourself keep tabs of potential irregularities in your cycle, I recommend using a period-tracking app like Kindara, iPeriod, Flo, or Period Tracker to record all the data you collect during each cycle. Taking a little extra time to check in with your body gives you the chance to recognize abnormalities and take steps to effectively address them. Hopefully these five important clues will help you get started on the journey to balanced hormones! Rather than treating symptoms, Nicole treats women by addressing the root cause of what’s really going on in their bodies. She passionately believes that the fundamentals to healing hormonal imbalances lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman. Sign up here for her Fix Your Period Quickstart Kit, a FREE 7-Day E-Course, to discover the top secrets doctors don’t tell you about your hormones, your symptoms & how to finally fix them! Come hang out with Nicole in her Know Your Flow group, or connect with her via her blog, Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram.
