Why Cycle Chart?
Why would I even suggest that we add something to our already hectic schedules? I certainly wouldn’t if that something did not provide valuable insight into your health.
Many women think cycle charting is just knowing what day you started your period last month–and that is a key data point in your chart, but it is certainly not the only one. I’d argue that it’s not even the most valuable point.
Let’s start with some basics: the first day of your period is the first day of your cycle. When I say, “cycle” I mean the ENTIRE cycle–not just your period. Oftentimes when I ask for the length of someone’s cycle, she tells me how many days her period lasts, which is good information to have, but there is an entire symphony of hormonal fluctuations that take place between your periods. Those fluctuations can be noted, and insights into your overall health can be gleaned.
Typically, after your period, your ovaries start cooking up an egg. (The egg has existed in your ovary your entire life, but now it’s getting recruited to be THE CHOSEN ONE for this cycle.) That egg matures in your ovary until ovulation, which is when it leaves the ovary and travels down the Fallopian tubes towards the uterus, in search of a sperm cell. Ovulation often occurs somewhere around the middle of the cycle, but can occur later as well. Determining which day you ovulate is one of the most important pieces of data you can have, whether you’re trying to conceive or avoid pregnancy.
While the ovary has been working hard to produce the egg, or follicle, the uterus has been doing some housekeeping to begin preparations for a potential pregnancy. The part of the cycle up to ovulation is called the follicular phase because of the follicle that is formed. Estrogen is the predominant sex hormone produced during this phase of the cycle.
Once the follicle is kicked out of the ovary, there is a portion that remains inside the ovary to produce progesterone, which then predominates to further prepare the uterus for potential pregnancy. This portion in the ovary is called the corpus luteum, so the second part of the cycle is called the luteal phase.
That is a very brief overview, but as you can see, there are many events going on simultaneously.
How far into your cycle you ovulate, which is the length of your follicular phase, is a vital piece of information. Do you always ovulate on day 16, or is it highly variable from one month to the next? What if the follicular phase is always long? The second piece of information gathered based on ovulation is how long the luteal phase is. This means how many days from ovulation to the start of your next period. For most women, this phase stays fairly steady in length from one cycle to the next (usually about 12-16 days), but as we age it tends to become shorter or more variable.
From just those few pieces of information alone, I can start assessing fertility and overall health. If all we know is that a period occurs roughly every 34 days, for example, that is precisely all we know. I can certainly make assumptions based on my experience, but I really can’t tell if she has a healthy cycle with a clear ovulation and a sufficient luteal phase for pregnancy; I can’t truly tell if she’s estrogen-dominant or perimenopausal. (Side note: there is so much other informatIon to be gained from a thorough cycle chart, but I’ll save that for another day).
In other words, if you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.
Guessing is not something I want to do with regards to health (whether it’s my own or someone else’s), especially when pregnancy is desired (or not). When we have certain data points through cycle charting, however, we are eliminating a great deal of the guess-work. In many cases, we can also avoid more lab work. Sounds like a win/win/win, especially because many valid methods of cycle charting are FREE or very inexpensive.
I teach my clients methods to cycle chart that are easily incorporated into their daily routines but still provide the most valuable insight (I’m alllllll about that minimum effort for maximum effect here at CycleBalance).
I am convinced that with the right information you can predict and confirm your own ovulation better than any app’s algorithm. You can go to your doctor’s appointments and advocate for yourself with what you have learned about your body.
Because if you’re not an expert on reading your body, who is?
This is just the beginning of a series of posts about information you can learn from cycle charting. Stay tuned!