Menstrual Health: Understanding What Your Cycle Does To Your Body

For years, I didn’t fully understand my menstrual cycle beyond when my period would show up. Like a lot of people, I was taught that cramps, mood swings, and fatigue were just part of the deal — something to tolerate rather than something that could tell me important things about my health. The menstrual cycle is much more than just a countdown to your next period, though, as the hormonal rhythm of your cycle affects everything from metabolism to mental clarity. Learning how to track my cycle helped me understand how I needed to change my diet and lifestyle in order to heal endometriosis symptoms, which is why I want to give you a mini break-down of how the menstrual cycle works so you can start your healing journey as well!

The first half of this blog post will overview how the hormone fluctuations of each phase affect your skin health, cervix position, sex drive, and energy levels in an average 28-day cycle.

The second half of this blog post will overview how these phases affect you if you have an irregularly long period, or no period at all.

What Does Each Menstrual Cycle Phase Do To Your Body?

1. Menstrual Phase / First Half of the Follicular Phase — your inner winter

The first day of your period marks the first day of a new menstrual cycle — you are now in the menstrual phase, as well as the first half of the follicular phase. When the uterine lining starts shedding, both estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels. This causes inflammation levels to increase, and often leads to extreme fatigue, menstrual cramps, and bloating. As your period progresses, your estrogen begins to rise again which is why the later period days are usually much more pleasant than the first 1-3 days of the period.

Skin health: During menstruation, skin is at its most sensitive due to the drop in estrogen and progesterone. This can weaken the skin barrier, leading to dryness, increased redness, and heightened sensitivity to irritants. Breakouts may still be present from PMS, but inflammation often begins to subside as testosterone levels stabilize.

Cervix position & sex drive: The cervix sits low and feels firm during menstruation, with its opening slightly ajar to allow period blood to flow out. Sex drive during menstruation varies — while many women tend to feel too fatigued, bloated and crampy for sex, some women experience an increase in sexual arousal due to a temporary spike in testosterone. Natural lubrication from period blood can make sex feel more comfortable, but the cervix’s lower position may cause discomfort.

For those with endometriosis, sex during menstruation can be particularly painful due to increased inflammation and heightened sensitivity in the pelvic region. The lower position of the cervix, combined with endometrial lesions, can make penetration trigger sharp pain or post-sex cramping. Using positions that allow for shallow penetration and prioritizing external stimulation can help minimize discomfort.

If you would like to learn how I healed chronic inflammation and endometriosis symptoms, then my Balance course is for you!

For those with PCOS, sex during menstruation may feel more comfortable compared to other phases, as testosterone levels are more balanced. However, increased bloating, water retention, and period-related fatigue can make arousal harder to achieve for someone with PCOS.

2. Second Half of the Follicular Phase — your inner spring

Most people think that the follicular phase starts directly after your menstrual phase. It makes sense to assume this as many menstrual charts online are illustrated as being 28 days, displaying a color for the follicular phase as starting directly after the period (like this chart I just shared up above). There are also some health coaches who prefer to refer to the follicular phase as starting after menstruation for simplicity, because it’s easier to separate “bleeding days” from “pre-ovulation days.” Scientifically speaking, though, the menstrual phase is just the first half of the follicular phase, and I think its important that everyone knows this. Which means that chart should actually display like this:

The first day that you do not have a period anymore marks the second half of the follicular phase, which is typically around days 8-14 (if you have a 28 day cycle). As the body continues preparing to release an egg, estrogen levels continue to increase but at an even more significant amount than the first half of follicular, thereby also increasing your energy levels, improving your mood, and speeding up your metabolism. During this phase you will likely feel more social, focused, and motivated, as though winter has lifted, giving way for spring.

Skin health: With estrogen on the rise, skin starts to look more radiant, plump, and hydrated, and oil production starts stabilizing, reducing the chance of breakouts.

Cervix position & sex drive: As estrogen increases, the cervix gradually moves higher, becomes softer, and starts producing natural lubrication which makes sex more enjoyable. This, paired with a surge in energy and confidence due to the increase in estrogen and testosterone, tends to boost female sex drive.

3. Ovulatory Phase — your inner summer

As the follicular phase winds down, a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) triggers the ovary to release a mature egg into the fallopian tube — aka ovulation. Estrogen and testosterone reach their peak during this phase, so it is common to feel the most confident, energized, social, and sensual during this time.

Skin health: High estrogen levels boost collagen and hydration, so your skin may also look extra plump and glowy.

Cervix position & sex drive: During ovulation, the cervix is high, opened, and extra lubricated — so for many, this time of the month is the most pleasurable for penetrative sex. It feels so good, in fact, that you need to be aware of this 👇

If you are in a happy, safe relationship, then this part of the month will likely be amazing for you. 😏 But if you are single, then I want you to be aware that the ovulatory phase is the part of your cycle where you need to be careful because your hormones can quite literally cloud your judgment when it comes to attraction. 🥲 There is a great deal of research that suggests that during ovulation, your body is so wired to prioritize pregnancy that your hormones can actually make you overlook red flags or settle for someone who you wouldn’t normally be attracted to. Choosing a new partner during this time is like going grocery shopping when you’re starving — you might grab someone you wouldn’t normally want just because your body is in a “must-have” mode. 😅 So if you’re considering a new partner, it’s worth giving yourself time to see if you still like them after this hormonal window ends.

Please note: While most women tend to feel their best during this phase, some women experience ovulation pain (typically a mild cramp on one side of the lower abdomen) or mid-cycle spotting as hormone levels shift.

4. Luteal Phase — your inner winter

The luteal phase is dominated by rising progesterone, which helps prepare the body for a potential pregnancy. Estrogen dips slightly after ovulation before making a smaller second peak in mid-luteal, then gradually declines alongside progesterone if no pregnancy occurs (and they will continue to drop until they reach their lowest points at the start of menstruation). This hormonal shift causes many women to experience PMS symptoms like bloating, fatigue, mood swings, and increased appetite. Body temperature also rises due to progesterone being higher in relation to estrogen, which can make sleep feel disrupted or less restful. If progesterone drops too quickly, symptoms like headaches, irritability, and cravings can hit harder.

“A long luteal phase…means your period comes 18 days or later after ovulation. People with a long luteal phase may have a hormonal imbalance like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).” (Cleveland Clinic)

Skin health: The luteal phase is when skin starts to feel less predictable, thanks to progesterone increasing oil production and water retention. Skin may appear dull or puffy due to fluid retention and slowed cell turnover, and breakouts — especially hormonal acne along the jawline and chin — become more common.

Cervix position & sex drive: After ovulation, the cervix closes, becomes firm, and drops back down to the position that it will be in during menstruation. Rising progesterone also reduces cervical lubrication, thereby making the vagina feel drier — this, paired with less room for penetrative sex, can make sex feel very uncomfortable for some women.

In addition to making the vagina drier, rising progesterone can also cause muscles and tissues to feel more sensitive, and the fluid retention this hormone causes can create a sense of heaviness or pressure in the lower abdomen. For those with endometriosis, deep penetration might increase pelvic pain and trigger extreme cramping.

What if your menstrual cycle is irregularly long? Or you don’t even have a period?

If your cycle is much longer than the typical 27-35 days — or you’re skipping periods altogether — it’s often a sign that ovulation isn’t happening consistently. Without ovulation, the balance of estrogen and progesterone is thrown off, which can lead to months-long follicular phases, unpredictable luteal phases, and frustrating symptoms like extreme acne, mood swings, or unexplained weight changes. For those with hypothalamic amenorrhea (endometriosis and PCOS can overlap with this, though they are distinct conditions), stress, under-eating, or over-exercising can keep the body in survival mode, shutting down ovulation as a protective measure.

When cycles are irregular, it can feel impossible to predict your mood or understand what’s happening with your body — but this is where cycle tracking and hormone-balancing strategies come in. My balance course is designed to help you regulate your cycle naturally, addressing the root causes of hormonal imbalances through proper cleansing, diet changes, herbal supplementation, and lifestyle shifts. If you’ve been unsure of where to start and feeling overwhelmed, Balance can help you recognize patterns, and take the first step toward restoring a healthy, predictable cycle. Because understanding your hormones isn’t just about fertility — its about feeling healthy every day of the month.